Dental care for children and young people

General and emergency dental care is available at your local community dental clinic and at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Specialist dental services are only available at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. You need a referral to access Specialist dental services.

Smile Squad school dental program

The Smile Squad school dental program provides free dental care to Victorian public primary school and secondary school students. For more information about Smile Squad visit the Smile Squad Website.

Dental teaching clinics

Children and young people may be eligible for free general dental care at one of the public dental teaching clinics across Victoria.

They can also get free general dental care by dental students at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (RDHM). For more information visit the Dental Teaching Clinics.

Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)

Covers part or the full cost of some dental services for children and young people over a two-year period.

What dental services are available?

  • Check-ups
  • Fissure sealants
  • Cleaning
  • Fillings
  • X-rays
  • Extractions
  • Root canals

Your child may be eligible if:

In all Victorian public dental clinics

  • Eligible children pay $0
  • No out of pocket costs
  • No wait list, your child will have the next available appointment
  • Treatment is bulk billed via Medicare

What dental services are not covered by CBDS?

  • Orthodontic
  • Cosmetic dental work
  • Services provided in a hospital operating theatre

To find out more information about CDBS visit the Services Australia website.