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Children’s teeth start forming when they are in the womb. Teeth may be seen from the ages of four months, these teeth are known as primary or milk or deciduous teeth. By the age of three, twenty teeth should be present. The rate and the order which the teeth erupt will vary from child to child. The first permanent tooth is seen at around six years. At around six to seven years, the primary teeth are exfoliated (fall out). The central incisors on the bottom and the top are the first to go. Generally children become anxious with a loss of a tooth, worrying about blood and pain, but this maybe overcome with the tooth fairy awarding them with some cash incentive. At around six years old, the first permanent tooth erupts. The molars erupt first in the upper and lower jaw behind the existing last primary teeth in the…

It is increasingly likely that the Child Dental Benefits Schedule will close on 31 December this year. Amendments to the Dental Benefits Act 2008, which will close the CDBS and enact its replacement the Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme (CAPDS), are before the House of Representatives, with a vote expected in the next sitting week commencing Monday 5 September. While it is expected these amendments will pass through the Lower House, the make-up of the new Senate means that its passage through that House cannot be predicted with absolute certainty. However, given the Government’s determination to close the Scheme, which it first flagged in March this year, the ADA is urging practices to contact their patients and strongly encourage them to book any CDBS-eligible children in for treatment prior to the advised closure date. An assurance has been given that benefits will be paid for any eligible services provided…