On 1 July 2008, the Australian Government introduced the Medicare Teen Dental Plan to provide financial assistance to eligible families to help assess the health of their teenagers’ teeth, and to introduce preventative strategies to encourage lifetime good oral health habits. The Medicare Teen Dental Plan provides dental benefits of up to $153.45 per eligible teenager per calendar year, to help with the cost of a “preventative dental check”.

The term “preventative dental check” refers to a preventative dental program for each patient comprising an oral examination and, where clinically required, x-rays, scaling, cleaning, and/or other preventative services. These clinical services are to be billed under a single preventative dental check item - item number 88000 in a new Dental Benefits Schedule (DBS). Item 88000 will mainly be used by dentists, but it can also be used by dental specialists.

The program will be administered by Medicare Australia using a voucher system. Each year, around 1.1 million teenagers aged 12-17 years, who meet the means test, will be sent a voucher for a preventative dental check. In 2008, most people will receive their voucher in July or August. From 2009, most people will receive their voucher in January or February.

Once a voucher has been issued, the teenager (or their parent or carer) can make an appointment with a dentist in private practice. Public dental clinics (including school-based clinics) will also be able to accept vouchers. The voucher can only be used during the calendar year in which it is issued. It must be presented at the time of the service and accompany all claims to Medicare Australia.

Dentists in private practice may bulk bill the service (ie accept the voucher as full payment) and claim the dental benefit directly from Medicare Australia. Alternatively, dentists may set their own fee for the service and bill the patient, who will claim the benefit from Medicare Australia.