Earlier this year, the Federal government announced that by 1 July they intend to close the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and replace it with the Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme (caPDS). Due to the Federal election on 2 July, however, the dissolution of both houses of parliament resulted in all legislative changes to be postponed until parliament resumes. This means the CBDS will remain open until such time as parliament resumes and a final decision can be made.
What will it mean if the CDBS is removed?
The CDBS was created to promote and improve children’s dental and oral health by providing funds to cover essential dental services for eligible children aged between two and seventeen. It covers a wide range of preventative and restorative treatments. Without the CDBS, dental care for children will be less accessible for families across Australia due to financial constraints and could lead to a lessened quality of oral health among young Australians.
We encourage you to show your support for the scheme by signing this petition to save the CDBS and allowing free access to child dental care to continue.
To sign, please visit www.ada.org.au
You can also share the petition on social media using the hashtag #savetheCDBS