Bulk billed children's dental in Toowoomba under the CDBS
If your child is eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, we bulk bill it — no out-of-pocket cost for covered services. Call us with your child's Medicare number and we'll check eligibility and the remaining balance before you book.
Yes — we bulk bill the CDBS
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is a Medicare scheme that pays for basic dental care for eligible children. We bulk bill it directly, which means no out-of-pocket cost to you for covered services, up to your child's remaining balance. You don't pay us and claim it back — we claim it from Medicare.
Not every practice does this, so it's worth asking wherever you go. Here, you just need to tell us when you book.
Is my child eligible?
Three conditions, and all three have to be met in the same calendar year:
- Your child is aged 0 to 17 for at least one day of that calendar year.
- Your child is eligible for Medicare on the day of the dental service.
- You, your child, or an approved care organisation receives a qualifying government payment at least once during that year.
The most common qualifying payments are Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance and Carer Payment, though there are others. If you're not sure whether the payment you receive counts, ring us and we'll check it rather than have you guess.
Eligibility is reassessed every calendar year. A child who was eligible last year isn't automatically eligible this year, and a child who becomes eligible partway through a year has their eligibility backdated to the start of it. Services Australia notifies families by post or through myGov, but you don't need that letter to come to us — we can check directly.
How much is covered?
The benefit is capped per child across two consecutive calendar years — not per year, and not per visit.
| When the two-year period started | Cap |
|---|---|
| Two-year period starting in 2026 | $1,158 |
| Two-year period that started in 2025 | $1,132 |
The cap is indexed by the government every 1 January, but the increase only applies to children whose first eligible service falls in that year. So a child who started using the scheme in 2025 keeps the 2025 cap even though we're now in 2026 — which catches a lot of families out.
The two-year clock starts at the beginning of the calendar year in which your child first receives a benefit. You can use the whole amount in year one if you need to.
What the CDBS covers
Covered
Examinations, X-rays, scale and clean, fluoride, fissure sealants, fillings, root canals, extractions and partial dentures.
Not covered
Orthodontics, cosmetic dental work, and any dental service provided in a hospital.
Some individual services carry item or time restrictions — for example, how often a particular item can be claimed. We check those before we start, not after, so nothing lands on your bill as a surprise.
What if the balance runs out partway through?
It happens, particularly when a child needs several fillings. If your child's remaining balance won't cover the whole treatment plan, we give you the balance and the remaining cost in writing, and what you do next is your decision.
You might choose to do the urgent work now and the rest when a new benefit period begins, spread the remaining cost over a payment plan, or pay the difference and finish it. We'll tell you honestly which teeth can safely wait and which can't — but we won't push you into a decision, and nothing goes ahead until you've agreed to it in writing.
All four of our children's visits are claimable
Some children can't manage a full appointment straight away, so we split it into four shorter visits and let them work through at their own pace. For eligible children, every one of them can be bulk billed under the CDBS.
| Visit | What happens |
|---|---|
| Hello visit | 10 minutes, sitting in the chair, nothing in the mouth |
| Counting visit | Mirror in, count every tooth, air and water |
| Check and clean visit | Examination, clean and fluoride |
| Fixing visit | Numbing and treatment |
More on how the four visits work on our children's dentistry page, including how we adapt them for autistic and neurodivergent children.
Checking eligibility and balance
Let us do it. Call 07 4635 1444 with your child's Medicare number and we'll confirm both eligibility and the remaining balance in a couple of minutes, before you commit to an appointment.
Or check it yourself. Sign in to myGov with your Medicare account linked, then go to History and statements and select Child Dental Benefits Schedule. You can also call the Medicare program line. Full details are on the Services Australia CDBS page.
Either way, we confirm eligibility and balance before any treatment starts — that's a requirement of the scheme, not just our preference.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the letter from Services Australia?
No. It's optional to bring it. Your child's Medicare number is enough for us to check.
Is it really no cost at all?
For covered services, within your child's remaining balance, yes — we bulk bill and you pay nothing. Anything outside the scheme, or beyond the balance, is quoted in writing first.
My child was eligible last year. Are they still eligible?
Not automatically. Eligibility is assessed fresh each calendar year, and all three conditions have to be met again. Ring us and we'll check rather than assume.
Can we use it for braces?
No. Orthodontics and cosmetic dental work are both excluded from the scheme, as is anything done in hospital.
Does an unused balance carry over?
Within the two-year period, yes — an unused balance from year one can be used in year two, provided your child stays eligible that year. It doesn't carry past the end of the period.
Can I book my other children at the same time?
Yes. Each eligible child has their own separate cap. Mention it when you book and we'll arrange back-to-back appointments.
Book your child's visit
Call 07 4635 1444 and we'll check CDBS eligibility before you book anything. Related pages: Children's dentistry · Our plain-English CDBS guide · Autistic & neurodivergent kids · Children's pricing
Benefit amounts and eligibility rules are set by the Australian Government and change from time to time — the figures above are current as at January 2026. Always confirm current details with Services Australia or with us before booking.