Working paper
Change in dental visits among eligible children under the impact of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule in Australia
Stephen Birch
Publisher
Policy and program evaluation
Medicare
Public dental services
Health services accessibility
Adolescents
Children
Australia
Resources
Description
In Australia, despite some improvements, child oral health remains a significant population health problem. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) on dental visits among eligible children and adolescents in Australia.
The analysis showed that the CDBS policy had a statistically significant and positive impact on dental visits among eligible children and adolescents. The removal of financial barriers was beneficial to improve dental visits, however, the target group still faces other remaining barriers, especially those related to inequalities in the social determinants of health, impeding the uptake of free dental services.
Publication Details
Copyright:
The authors 2025
License type:
CC BY-NC-ND
Access Rights Type:
open
Series:
Life Course Centre Working Paper Series No. 2025-06
Post date:
1 Apr 2025
