INFORMATION
Payment Options
At Bendigo Children’s Dentistry, we understand that costs can be difficult to manage for families, and we really want to see all children receive the necessary dental care they require. We strive to offer a range of effective treatment options to suit all budgets and are empathetic to individual family circumstances. We accept all major health funds and we have installed HICAPS so we can process your health insurance claim on the spot.
Bulk billing changes
Our payment policy
Bendigo Children’s Dentistry has a payment on the day policy for all examinations and treatments performed in our dental clinic. Failure to settle your account may incur further charges from debt collection. Some complex procedures will require payment of a non-refundable deposit to secure the booking of a longer appointment. For dental treatment performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital setting, 50% deposit for the procedure will be required at least two weeks prior to the surgery date to secure your child’s spot. This is because there is extremely high demand for such treatment and last-minute cancellations can cause significant disruptions and loss of time and efficiency for both our practice and the hospital.
Payment plans
Why does dental treatment cost as much as it does?
When you are entering Bendigo Children’s Dentistry, you are entering a million-dollar facility. All spare change goes into providing the latest and greatest equipment and services that you would expect from a specialist dental practice. We also invest heavily in recruiting, training and upskilling the best staff to provide you the more comfortable, efficient and effective dental treatment possible.
Some great things about Bendigo Children’s Dentistry that your fees are contributing towards:
- Purpose-built facility designed to appeal to children and patients with special needs
- The only registered specialist paediatric dentist in the region, with over 16 years’ experience, extensive training and a strong community focus
- Top of the line dental chairs with the latest electronic technology
- Child-friendly waiting room and treatment rooms for patients with sensory disabilities, to allow gentle dental examination without necessarily needing to get into a conventional dental chair
- Multiple audiovisual entertainment options including television screens in every room, ipads, virtual reality goggles and light projector
- Spacious sterilisation room with premium hospital-grade sterilisation equipment to ensure absolute sterility and safety of all instruments
- State of the art 2D and 3D xray machines on site – no need to go to an external radiology practice to get your xray
- Convenient online booking system and communication tools built into our leading practice software
- Highest security of dental records engaging renowned ICT providers to securely manage your dental records and personal information
- Multiple sedation options including happy gas plumbed into the facility and regular twilight sedation and general anaesthesia sessions
- Multiple games, sensory toys and reward systems for children
List of item numbers and fees
Most dental practices do not routinely publish their fees on their websites. At Bendigo Children’s Dentistry we believe in giving you, our patients and families, and our referring practices, all the relevant information to allow you to make the most informed choice regarding your healthcare. For this reason, we publish this list of common dental procedures (listed by item numbers) and their estimated associated fees, which you can crosscheck with your relevant private health fund. It is important to understand that your child’s dental treatment plan will be personally customised to their unique dental needs, so there might be variations to certain prices due to special circumstances. Additionally, while we endeavour to keep these fees up to date, it is inevitable that they will change over time. All patients will be provided with a personalised treatment plan upon consultation so you can be fully informed of the payments required.
See the list of item numbers and fees here
Eligibility for government-funded (public) dental care
Dr Amanda maintains a part-time appointment as a specialist paediatric dentist at Bendigo Health Community Dental Services (local public clinic). If your family is struggling to afford private dental care, Dr Amanda can help you to navigate the public system in Victoria to determine where your child might be best to receive dental care. Please be aware that waiting times for public dental care in Victoria are generally very long, and it is not uncommon to wait a number of years if dental treatment is required to be performed under general anaesthetic.
The following is a rough guide regarding eligibility of children for public dental care in Victoria:
- Bendigo Health Community Dental Services
- Accepts all children 12 years of age or younger (do not require concession card)
- Accepts children 13 years of age or older with concession card or Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule
- Please note there are generally long waiting times for routine check-ups. Children with painful teeth or dental infections will be given priority. You do not have the opportunity to select any specific practitioner and may be offered an appointment with dental students in training
- To be eligible for treatment under general anaesthesia, a concession card is generally required
- For more information, please call 03 5454 7994 or email dental@bendigohealth.org.au
- Smile Squad (School Dental Service)
- Any child who attends a government school in Victoria is eligible for Smile Squad general and specialist dental services regardless of concession card status. Treatment under general anaesthesia is also available. The majority of community dental clinics (including Bendigo Health) offers Smile Squad services. Waiting times can vary, depending on demand, and generally your child will only be potentially able to access specialist paediatric dental services after being assessed and referred from the regular Smile Squad service. Ask your child’s school about signing up for the program.
- The Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne.
- The Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne provides a limited after-hours emergency service and also can provide dental treatment under general anaesthesia for children with a concession card. Their waiting times are generally very long and only children with severe dental problems will be considered (e.g. multiple severe dental infections requiring antibiotics, severe dental trauma, severe pain disturbing daily life). Your local public clinic can discuss a referral with you
- For more information see dhsv.org.au
- The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
- This service is reserved mainly for:
- Children with very severe dental infections with facial swelling and/or sepsis requiring hospitalisation (best to attend your local hospital emergency department first and they can arrange transfer as appropriate)
- Children with severe dental trauma especially displaced adult teeth
- Children with significant medical conditions and disabilities, usually requiring a referral/recommendation from a specialist medical practitioner. Only the most severe medical conditions will be considered (e.g., undergoing cancer treatment, significant heart disease, severe physical disability etc)
- There is a 24-hour dental emergency service but only the most severe cases are accepted. If your child has a severe dental emergency as described above, you should call (03) 9345 5522 and ask for the emergency dentist to check your child’s eligibility
- This service is reserved mainly for:
