{"id":108550,"date":"2026-01-10T07:31:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=108550"},"modified":"2026-01-09T21:03:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T10:03:28","slug":"centrelinks-hidden-dental-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/centrelinks-hidden-dental-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"Centrelink\u2019s Hidden $1,158 Dental Benefit: Are You Missing Out?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve got kids and you\u2019ve been struggling with dental bills, you might want to take a closer look at Centrelink\u2019s dental benefit. You could be missing out on some vital help that\u2019s sitting right there for the taking. Here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s free, but not enough people are using it. Are you one of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centrelink’s $1,158 Dental Benefit: A Boost for Families<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS<\/a>) was given a much-needed boost at the start of this year, with the cap raised from $1,132 to $1,158. If you\u2019re eligible, that could be a total of $1,158 every two years to cover dental expenses for your child. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Yet, despite the fact that over 2 million kids are eligible for this benefit, only about 600,000 accessed it in the first half of last year. So, what\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/YahooFinanceAU\/status\/2009409123293536339\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Are So Many Missing Out?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is, people don\u2019t always know about the benefit or how to access it. Centrelink is doing its best to make sure families are aware, sending letters to those eligible via myGov or by post. If your child is under 17, receives Medicare, and if you\u2019re receiving certain Centrelink payments, chances are they qualify for the CDBS. No application is required, and you don\u2019t even need to register\u2014Centrelink will notify you, explains Yahoo Finance<\/a>. Yet, the numbers don\u2019t lie. Millions of eligible children aren\u2019t receiving the support that\u2019s available to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does the Benefit Cover?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, what can you actually use this benefit for? The CDBS covers a range of basic dental services like check-ups, X-rays, fillings, and cleaning. However, it doesn\u2019t cover more extensive procedures like orthodontics or cosmetic dentistry, which is a bit of a bummer for those needing braces. But still, if you\u2019re looking at a routine check-up or cleaning, this could save you a lot of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Financial Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The scheme is designed to reduce the financial strain of dental care for families already dealing with other financial pressures. Poor oral health, after all, can lead to serious health issues down the road, not to mention the potential costs of untreated dental problems. So, this benefit is about more than just a cleaner smile\u2014it\u2019s about investing in long-term health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It\u2019s Worth Taking Advantage Of<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For families, that extra $26 (now $1,158 instead of $1,132) might not seem like much, but it can add up quickly when you consider the cost of dental services these days. If you\u2019re eligible and not yet using the benefit, you\u2019re missing out on some vital support that could make all the difference for your child\u2019s oral health. And let\u2019s face it\u2014those bills add up fast, and anything that can make it a little easier to get your child the dental care they need is worth looking into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t already, check your myGov inbox, and make sure your details are up to date with Centrelink<\/a>. It\u2019s a simple step that could save you a lot of stress, and even more money in the long run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Centrelink\u2019s boosted dental benefit could save families hundreds, but many are missing out. Are you taking full advantage of this vital support?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":106780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108550"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108551,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108550\/revisions\/108551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}