About the CDBS
The CDBS was established in 2014 as a national, means-tested, program.
It provides eligible children aged 0–17 years with a capped benefit for basic dental services.
The CDBS is administered under the Dental Benefits Act 2008 and the Dental Benefit Rules 2014.
Visit the Services Australia site to find out more about:
Why it is important
Poor oral health early in life is the strongest predictor of further oral disease in adult life. Australia’s lower income households have a higher incidence of poor oral health. This can:
- have a significant impact on their overall health and wellbeing
- contribute to more significant health problems.
Access to dental services, prompt diagnosis and early treatment are key to:
- limiting the impact of children’s poor oral health
- reducing social inequalities.
Goals
The CDBS aims to improve access to dental services for children. This helps address declining child oral health and improve oral health of the broader population.
During the design and implementation of the CDBS, we consulted with key stakeholders on:
- how the program works
- the items and associated benefits that are covered by the schedule.
Meeting our goals
We:
- develop the policy for the program
- monitor the program’s expenditure
- maintain the Guide to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Independent reviews of the Act are done every 3 years. Under Section 68 of the Act, the Minister for Health sets the review terms of reference and appoints the review panel. We provide secretariat support to the panel and they report on the administration of the Act, including the operation of the CDBS.
Read the review reports.
Review of the Act
The Fifth Review of the Dental Benefits Act, 2008 was tabled in Parliament in August 2023, and its recommendations focused on improving oral health outcomes for vulnerable populations such as First Nations children, children living in rural and remote areas and children with disability. These recommendations are also being considered in the context of improving utilisation of Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and have been referred to the Dental Clinical Advisory Committee (DCAC) for further clinical advice.
Read the Report on the Fifth review of the Dental Benefits Act 2008.
Who we work with
We work closely with Services Australia who are responsible for delivering administrative services under the CDBS, including CDBS benefit payments.
Contact
