Funding & Grants for Dental Implants in Australia
Medicare Children Dental Benefit Schedule
Up to $1,052 is available to cover costs of basic dental services for eligible children.
This cover runs over 2 calendar years, starting at 1 Jan.
To be eligible, your child needs to be:
- 0 to 17 years old for at least one day that calendar year
- eligible for Medicare
- getting, or have a parent getting, an eligible Medicare payment at least once a year.
You can be either the child’s parent or guardian, or an approved care organisation.
What is covered by CDBS?
Dental services covered include:
- check-ups
- X-rays
- cleaning
- extractions
- fillings
- fissure sealing
- root canals
These services do not count toward the threshold of either the Medicare Safety Net or Extended Medicare Safety Net.
The following services are not covered by the CDBS:
- orthodontic dental work
- cosmetic dental work
- any dental services in a hospital
To see if restrictions apply to items or times, check with your dentist before starting your service. A consent form for the services and their costs can be accessed at your appointment.
At the dentist
At some dental clinics, you need to pay on the day of the service, then claim the benefit from Medicare.
You won’t need to pay or claim at bulk billing dentists.
Eligibility checks
Medicare will notify you if your child is eligible for dental benefits. If your Medicare account is linked to myGov, you can check your child’s eligibility online.
To do this:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select History and statements, then Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
You can also call the Medicare program.
Other ways to get help with child dental costs
Read on the Department of Health and Aged Care website about public dental services in your state or territory.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) dental benefits
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will fund all dental services necessary to meet the clinical needs of Veteran Gold Card holders.
Holders of a Veteran White Card are eligible for dental treatment in relation to their accepted disabilities.
Check your Veteran White Card condition(s), by calling 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) — select Option 3, then Option 1.
Exempt beneficiaries
Exempt beneficiaries include:
- ex-prisoners of war
- Veteran Card holders receiving treatment for an accepted condition
- Veteran Card holders with a condition associated with malignant neoplasia
For exempt beneficiaries, DVA will pay the full cost of Schedule C treatment subject to the following:
DVA approval must be obtained prior to treatment commencing
Maximum fee payable is the approved Commonwealth fee for the particular service
For ‘Fee by negotiation’, the fee paid is that which is negotiated with DVA
No separate charges are to be made against the Veteran Card holder
Dental implants — policy & processes
All dental implant treatment requires prior approval from DVA.
View the request form for dental implant treatment approval.
The conditions where the DVA accepts financial responsibility for dental implant treatment is set out in these documents:
- PDF – Osseo-integrated Dental Implant Policy and Guidelines (PDF 160 KB)
- Word doc – Osseo-integrated Dental Implant Policy and Guidelines (DOCX 25 KB)
Crowns that attach to implants (items D/S671, D/S672 and D/S673) also require prior approval.
For urgent cases or for further information on dental services, please call the Health Approvals & Home Care team or email them.
Claim for payment
Claims should be submitted as soon as possible following the dental treatment.
For claiming enquiries please call Veterans’ Affairs Processing.
Claims can be posted to:
Veterans’ Affairs Processing
Services Australia
GPO Box 964
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Forde Foundation grants
The Forde Foundation offers a dental grant that allows Queensland recipients to receive a course of free dental treatment without being on public waiting lists.
You must be registered with Forde Foundation to apply for grants. Register.
Who can apply for a grant?
You may be eligible for a grant if your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the following questions:
- Were you a ward of the state of Queensland?
- Were you under the guardianship of the state of Queensland?
- Were you a resident in a Queensland Institution when you were a child?
If you answered ‘yes’ AND you’ve registered with the Forde Foundation, you can apply for a dental grant.
How are grant applications assessed?
Grants are assessed at the end of each calendar quarter. The recommendations from the Forde board are provided to the The Public Trustee of Queensland for final approval.
How long does the process take?
Please take into account that processing grant applications can take some time. If your dental needs are urgent, it may be better to seek an alternative source of funding.
How will I know if my application has been successful?
You will receive a letter advising you of the outcome of your application. If your application is successful, you will also be sent an acquittal form which you complete and return to the Forde Foundation prior to payment being made.
How long do I have to spend my grant?
You will need to use the grant within 12 months.
Why aren’t all grants successful?
Funds are limited and it’s not possible for all applications to succeed.
How are payments made?
There are three ways payment can be made:
- A cheque, payable to your provider, is sent by the Public Trustee of Queensland to your postal address.
- Direct deposit into the business bank account of the provider by the Public Trustee.
- If the provider has B-Pay, payment will be made in a similar manner to direct deposits.
The main exception to these methods is when you receive a Queensland Health dental grant, in which case the Public Trustee makes payment directly to Queensland Health.
Download Dental – QLD Health Grant Application
Download Dental – Private Grant Application
Healthier Smiles Community Service Grants
The Australian Dental Health Foundation and Mars Wrigley Foundation have partnered to provide Healthier Smiles Community Service Grants to support community-based oral health programs.
The Grants are awarded to volunteer dentists and dental students, encouraging them to implement oral health community service, education, and preventative care in Australia’s high risk and disadvantaged communities.
Approximately AU$1.36 million has already been invested over the past 10 years in oral health screening, treatment and education.
The 2023 Healthier Smiles Community Service Grants offer 10 registered ADA member dentists or students grants of $12,135 each.
The Grants have three main aims:
- To enable delivery of oral health programs that provide sustained benefits – screening, treatment and education – for disadvantaged groups throughout Australia;
- To promote the dental community’s work in addressing oral health inequities faced by disadvantaged members of the Australian community; and
- To lift Australia’s oral health outcomes through improved access, delivery and education.
