My Child Has Medicare — What Dental Is Actually Covered?

If your child has a Medicare card, they may be entitled to up to $1,158 of dental care that's bulk-billed at our clinic. The catch is that almost no one explains this clearly, so families across Sydney either don't use it or assume "Medicare doesn't do dental." It does, for kids, through a program called the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). Here's exactly what's covered, who qualifies and what it won't pay for.

What the CDBS actually is

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is an Australian Government program that helps cover the cost of basic dental for eligible children. It gives each eligible child a benefit of up to $1,158 over a two-year period for periods starting in 2026. That cap is indexed every 1 January, so it rises slightly each year (it was $1,132 for periods that began in 2025).

A few important points about how the cap works:

• The amount is per child, not per family.
• It runs over two consecutive calendar years, not a single visit. If your child doesn't use all of it in year one, the remainder carries into year two — but anything unused at the end of the two-year period expires.
• At Berala Dental, eligible CDBS treatment is bulk-billed — Medicare pays the clinic directly and there's no out-of-pocket cost for the covered items. It is bulk-billed, not "free": the care still has a value, Medicare simply covers it on your behalf up to the cap.

Is my child eligible?

To qualify for the CDBS, your child needs to tick three boxes:

• They are aged 0 to 17 for at least one day in the calendar year.
• They have a Medicare card.
• Your family receives an eligible government payment for at least one day that year — most commonly Family Tax Benefit Part A.

You don't have to work this out yourself. The easiest way to check is to call us or use our online CDBS eligibility checker, and we'll confirm your child's eligibility and remaining balance before any treatment. You can also check your balance through your Medicare online account via myGov.

What the CDBS covers

The CDBS is designed to cover the everyday dental care that keeps children healthy. Covered services include:

• Examinations (check-ups)
• X-rays
• Cleans (scale and clean)
• Fissure sealants — protective coatings on the grooves of back teeth to help prevent decay
• Fillings
• Extractions
• Stainless-steel crowns on baby teeth
• Pulp treatment on baby teeth

For most families, that covers the great majority of what a child needs through their early years: regular check-ups and cleans, the occasional filling, and prevention like sealants. Using the benefit for routine visits is also the best way to catch small problems early, before they turn into something bigger and more involved.

What the CDBS does not cover

This is where families get caught out, so it's worth being clear. The CDBS does not cover:

• Dentures
• Bridges
• Dental implants
• Orthodontics (braces and aligners)
• Cosmetic dental work
• Any treatment provided in a hospital or under general anaesthetic

If your child needs something outside the schedule, we'll always tell you up front, explain the options and give you a clear quote before anything goes ahead. There are no surprises.

How to use it at our clinic

Using the CDBS at Berala Dental is straightforward:

1. Book an appointment for your child online or by phone.
2. Bring your Medicare card. We'll confirm eligibility and check the remaining balance.
3. We bulk-bill the covered treatment directly to Medicare, so there's no out-of-pocket cost for those items up to the cap.

We see children from Berala and right across Sydney, including families who travel to us from the Inner West and Western Sydney. Many parents are surprised to learn how much their child's Medicare card already covers — and how easy it is to put it to use.

A simple rule of thumb

If your child is under 18, has a Medicare card and your family gets Family Tax Benefit Part A (or a similar payment), there's a good chance they're sitting on up to $1,158 of bulk-billed dental they haven't touched. Routine care is exactly what the program is built for, so the smartest move is to use it for regular check-ups rather than waiting for a problem.

Check your child's eligibility today

Not sure whether your child qualifies, or how much benefit they have left? We'll check it for you. Book online now and our team will confirm eligibility, explain what's covered and get your child seen. We speak English, Arabic and Urdu, so you can ask your questions in the language you're most comfortable with, and our Muslim dentists understand the community we care for.

This article is general information only and is not personal dental or financial advice. Eligibility and benefit amounts can change — always confirm your child's CDBS eligibility and balance with Services Australia or our clinic before treatment.

Sources: Services Australia — Child Dental Benefits Schedule (servicesaustralia.gov.au); Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — Child Dental Benefits Schedule (health.gov.au).