Despite 2.4 million children being eligible, only 600,000 Australians have accessed the government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule, which provides $1,132 over two years for dental services. Uptake for the program has remained at 40 percent since its introduction a decade ago. The Australian Dental Association attributes the low participation to the scheme being confusing to access.
While the government promotes the program on social media, officials have admitted that advertising could be improved to increase participation. Health Minister Mark Butler described the scheme as “a terrific opportunity for relatively low-income families to access high-quality dental care for their kids and build strong oral health for a lifetime.”
To qualify, children must be under 18, and their families must receive a government payment, such as Family Tax Benefit A or a parenting payment. Australians can check eligibility on MyGov and contact their dentist beforehand to confirm participation.
The program covers dental services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals, and extractions, but does not cover cosmetic treatments like whitening or braces.
