Does CDBS cover braces?

The short answer

CDBS does not pay for braces, clear aligners, retainers or any other orthodontic treatment. Services Australia lists three things the schedule will not cover: orthodontic dental work, cosmetic dental work, and any dental services provided in a hospital. That has not changed, and no dentist can bill orthodontics to CDBS on your behalf.

It is worth knowing early, because a lot of families plan around the opposite assumption and are then caught out in the year their child is referred for an assessment.

What CDBS does cover

For an eligible child, the schedule covers the everyday work that keeps a mouth healthy. Services Australia names: check-ups, X-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Item and time restrictions apply to some of them — ask your dentist before treatment starts, not after.

At Allura Dental in Truganina those services are bulk-billed for eligible children, so there is nothing to pay on the day. Allura Dental is a CDBS-approved provider and an independent business, not affiliated with or operated by the Australian Government.

How much, and over what period

The benefit is capped at $1,158 for each eligible child across two consecutive calendar years. The two-year period starts at the beginning of the calendar year in which your child both becomes eligible and has their first dental service. You can use the whole amount in the first year if the treatment calls for it — that simply leaves nothing for the second. Anything unused at the end of the two years is lost; it does not roll on into a new period.

The government indexes the cap each January, and the higher amount applies to a child whose first eligible service falls in that calendar year.

Who is eligible

Three things have to be true in the same calendar year: your child is eligible for Medicare, they are aged between 0 and 17 for at least one day of that year, and you or they receive an eligible payment — Family Tax Benefit Part A being the common one — at least once during it.

You do not apply. Services Australia works it out and writes to you, and we can check the entitlement and the remaining balance for you before an appointment. Bring your Medicare card. There is more detail in our CDBS guide.

So what does orthodontics cost?

At Allura Dental a full orthodontic case starts from $6,500 for fixed braces and from $6,000 for clear aligners, including the reviews along the way and the retainers at the end. The figure for your child is quoted in writing after an assessment, because the length of treatment and the complexity of the movement are what drive it.

Many extras policies do include orthodontics, usually under a separate lifetime or annual limit and with a longer waiting period than general dental. It is worth ringing your fund before the assessment rather than after, and asking two questions: what is the orthodontic limit, and when does the waiting period end.

If your teenager may need braces

Start with an assessment rather than a plan. We look at how the adult teeth have come through, how the bite meets, and whether waiting for more growth would make treatment simpler. Sometimes the honest answer is to review in twelve months. When treatment is the right call, you get the full cost in writing first, and interest-free payment options can spread it.

What CDBS will still do in the meantime is keep the routine work covered — the check-ups, the cleans and the fillings — while the orthodontic budget is planned separately. Those two things do not compete for the same money.