Children and Adolescents

Changes to oral health services

Oral Health Services have resumed all dental services including the School Dental Service Program.

The Child Dental Benefit Schedule has changed its eligibility to 0-17 years.

Good oral health begins when children are young. The Townsville HHS oral health team is passionate about teaching our children the very best oral health tips from a young age to help encourage proper oral hygiene into adulthood.

Children are eligible for publicly funded oral-health services if they are hold a Medicare card and are one of the following:

• aged 4 years through to year 10
• students in years 11 or 12 who have a current Centrelink, Healthcare or Pension Card
• aged 0–3 years whose parents have a current Pension Concession Card (Centrelink and Department of Veterans Affairs issued) or a Health Care Card
• 0 – 17-year olds who are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Scheme (CDBS)
• have no fixed address and residing in Queensland (homeless children)
• under the guardianship of the Director-General, Child Care Services, Department of Communities
• foster children where their carer holds a foster child Health Care Card
• children of skilled workers holding temporary visa 444
• eligible patients under the Commonwealth cleft lip and cleft palate scheme

Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule provides access to basic dental services to eligible children aged 0-17 years in Australia up to $1000 per patient over two consecutive calendar years. Benefits cover a range of services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work and cannot be paid for any services provided in a hospital. Family members cannot share entitlements. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for using CDBS at a public oral health clinic or school dental van service.

CDBS eligibility

Children and adolescents are eligible for CDBS if they are:

• aged 0-17 years
• eligible for Medicare; and
• part of a family receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A or other Australian Government payments.

If your child is not eligible for the CDBS, dental care will be provided as per the following:

• aged 4 through to students in year 10
• students in years 11 or 12 who have a current Centrelink, Healthcare or Pension Card
• aged 0–3 whose parents have a current Centrelink, Healthcare or Pension Card

Appointments

What do I need to bring to the appointment?

• Medicare card on which this child is listed
• Details of any medications/medical conditions for the child
• Children and adolescent consent medical history form

A parent or legal guardian is required to attend every operative dental appointment with their children. Examinations and preventative work can be done without parents.

If the patient is CDBS elibigle and you have available funds, the cost of your child's care will be bulk-billed to Medicare with no out-of-pocket expenses. Otherwise, this is covered by State funding.

What will happen at the appointment?

A dental examination (check-up) including x-rays (if necessary) will be conducted for your child. Any treatment required will be discussed and your consent will be required before any further treatment is provided.

School Dental Van Services

The Townsville HHS operates mobile and fixed mobile dental vans at schools throughout the health service. Information will be sent out through your child’s school and is available via the THHS Facebook page.

Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies include accidents involving your teeth or mouth, toothache, bleeding, infections and swelling. Always seek dental treatment when a dental emergency occurs to improve the chance of saving the tooth or teeth and preventing infections occurring or becoming more serious.

The following provides information on what to if a dental emergency occurs:

• toothache
• knocked-out tooth
• chips, fractures and cracks
• bitten lips or cheeks
• abscesses and swelling
• soft-tissue trauma and bleeding
• jaw pain

If a child or adolescent patient requires emergency treatment they should telephone the Kirwan or North Ward Dental Clinic on 07 4433 9900 or 07 4433 9300 (Monday – Friday 8.00am – 4.00pm excluding public holidays).

Reception staff will take patient details and ask a series of questions regarding the patient’s emergent oral health needs and allocate an appointment time and advise the patient which clinic to attend. Patients are requested to present at that clinic 10 minutes prior to their appointment time.

NOTE: The number of emergency patients who can be seen on any day depends upon the number of dentists available.

Referrals

Please contact the Kirwan or North Ward Dental Clinic on 07 4433 9900 or 07 4433 9300 Monday – Friday 8.00am – 4.00pm (excluding public holidays).

Medical and Allied Health Practitioners - For urgent referrals please contact the Kirwan Health Campus Dental Clinic on 07 4433 9900. Non-urgent patient information and referrals can be faxed to 07 4433 9901.

If immediate treatment is required, please phone the Kirwan or North Ward Dental Clinic on 07 4433 9900 or 07 4433 9300 Monday – Friday 8.00am – 4.00pm. The clinics are not open on weekends or on public holidays. For emergencies outside these hours please contact a private dentist, your GP, after hours medical centre or Townsville University Hospital Emergency Department on 07 4433 1111

Emergency Dental Services

Ph: 07 4433 9900 or 07 4433 9300
Mon – Fri 8.00am – 4.00pm (excluding public holidays)
Learn what to do in a dental emergency

Call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84)
Call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for confidential health advice.

Find your nearest dental clinic:
Locate your nearest dentist, hospital or clinic

View our local Oral Health Services list
Look under Queensland Health, Dental (Oral) Health Services in the white pages.

Townsville HHS Dental Clinic Locations

Ayr:
Ayr Hospital
Chippendale Street, Ayr, QLD 4807
Ph: 07 4783 0880
Fax: 07 7 4783 0896

Cardwell
Dr RF Warnock Centre
266 Victoria St, Cardwell QLD 4819
Ph: 07 4720 3050
Fax: 07 4720 3051

Charters Towers
137 - 139 Gill Street, Charters Towers, QLD 4820
Ph: 07 4787 0345
Fax: 07 4787 3255

Hughenden
12 Richmond Hill Drive, Hughenden, QLD, 4821
Ph: 07 4741 2800
Fax: 07 4741 1617

Ingham
2 - 16 McIlwraith Street, Ingham QLD, 4850
Ph: 07 4720 3050
Fax: 07 4720 3051

Richmond
Gallagher's Drive, Richmond QLD 4822
Ph: 07 4741 6100
Fax: 07 4741 3332

Townsville

Kirwan Health Campus
138 Thuringowa Drive Kirwan, QLD 4817
Ph: 07 4433 9900
Fax: 07 4433 9901

North Ward Health Campus
35 - 38 Gregory Street, North Ward, QLD 4810
Ph: 07 4433 9300
Fax: 07 4433 9302