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What is CDBS?

As you may or may not have heard, the government rolled out the Child Dental Benefits Scheme to assist children between the ages of 2-17 to have access to a dentist. Children who met the eligibility criteria had access to $1000 to be used at any participating private dental clinic, however, June 30 sees the closure of this program.

Eligibility Criteria:

• children aged between 2–17 years on any one day of the calendar year
• receive, or their family, guardian or carer receives, certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A for at least part of the calendar year
• are eligible for Medicare

What does this mean for you?

$1000 would have been made available to eligible children for general check ups, cleans, X-rays, fillings, extractions etc. This allocation will cease regardless if these funds are used or not.

If your eligible child has visited our clinic for an examination, and requires treatment to be done… make an appointment now

If your eligible child has not visited our clinic for an examination in the past 6 months… make an appointment now

If your eligible child has been complaining of that niggling tooth ache, but have not found the time to attend to it… make an appointment now

What now?

There are two weeks left of the Child Dental Benefits Scheme… with school holidays coming up, we expect to be very busy. We will do our best to schedule an appointment for you. To avoid disappointment, please call our surgery on 33419770 and our staff will do our best to reserve a booking for you and your family.

This year has definitely flown by.

We only have a bit over a month before the year ends, and if you’re a bit like me, you’re probably busy fighting through the shopping center crowds on the weekends in the mad christmas rush! You are probably also getting christmas parties organised, and attending school graduations, that the last thing you are worried about are the health of your teeth!

BUT… did you know that as we make plans to welcome in the yew year on December 31st, there is another thing that we will also be saying good bye to as the year ends; our private health entitlements for the year.

With most people paying upwards of $60 per month for private health insurance, doesn’t it make sense that we get some value from it by utilizing the benefits of your cover? As with most health insurance policies, the two most common and widely used benefits on extras covers are dental and optical.

All health funds are different, but generally they will allow for a checkup and clean every 6 months, and then have a yearly limit for general and major dental, which is “topped up” at the end of the year (some health funds work on a financial year).  The reason I say “topped up”, is that it DOES NOT roll over and accumulate, it just tops the limit back up.  If the limit is $1000 for major dental for example, and you don’t use any one year, you still only have $1000 next year, it does not add up to give you $2000.

Although you are probably caught up in the busiest period of the year, spare a moment to give your teeth a thorough check up and clean for your peace of mind. The last thing you need is for a sore tooth to play up and ruin the festive season.

BUT should a problem occur while you’re feasting on that pork crackling on Christmas dinner, we will be open in between the public holidays to ensure you are looked after!

Mon 21 Dec- 8am-7pm

Tues 22 Dec- 8am-5pm

Wed 23 Dec- 8am-5pm

Thur 24 Dec- 8am-1pm

Fri 25 Dec- Closed

Sat 26 Dec- Closed

Mon 28 Dec- 8am-1pm

Tues 29 Dec- 8am-1pm

Wed 30 Dec- 8am-1pm

Thur 31 Dec- 8am – 1pm

Fri 1 Jan- Closed

Commence normal trading hours from 4th January 2016.

Have a very blessed and a merry Christmas and a happy new year from the team at Underwood Dental Care!

As our lives get busier, even the simplest things like picking up the phone to make a call has become a thing of the past…

Making reservations at a restaurant, booking your tyre to be changed, or booking your hair appointment can be done online with a few clicks of your mouse.

We hear you! Underwood Dental Care is now offering ONLINE BOOKINGS.

Clicking here will link you straight to our easy-to-use online booking page.

Of course, our friendly staff are still available to take your call for those who like a little bit people contact 🙂

Hope to see you all soon!

It’s getting well into winter time now and as we rug up in our extra blankets at night, we might also be suffering from cold and flu.

During winter, many patients come to see me complaining of toothache, usually following a recent bout of cold and flu. This sudden spike of “toothache” can often be caused by a sinus infection.

A common symptom of a sinus infection is that patient’s feel a toothache in the upper region of their mouth when they walk or move around (especially during exercise).

They may have also had a history of a recent cold or flu. Often a dental X-ray will also show the sinus as ‘cloudy’, but the tooth remain perfectly healthy.

Sinuses on dental x-ray

Our sinuses are basically a network of hollow chambers in our skull that let air through, before it gets to our lungs, so it can be warmed and humidified.

Usually, our body has a mechanism that keeps our sinuses clean, but in some instances, bacteria can infect the area causing toothache-like symptoms.

This is because our upper teeth are linked very closely with the maxillary sinus. Often, the roots of the upper molars line the floor of sinus. When the sinuses become ‘full’, it can sometimes irritate the tooth root.

Sinus infections may be treated by a variety of different ways including humidifiers, nasal sprays, antibiotics, or decongestants. However, toothaches could point to something serious so it is best to make sure nothing serious is present by consulting with a dentist first.

If in doubt seek dental advice to determine what is causing your discomfort.