FAQ
Bridge Dental accepts dental extras from all major health funds. We process the benefits from your health fund immediately and reduce your account accordingly. We are, however, not a health fund network provider (sometimes called ‘preferred providers’).
Dentists who become providers for health fund networks, such as Bupa ‘Members First’, Medibank ‘Members Choice’ and HCF ‘More for Teeth’, enter into a contract where they offer services as dictated by the insurance company.
At Bridge Dental we are committed to offering you the treatment that is best suited to you and your oral health. We believe that decisions relating to your treatment should be between your treating dentist and yourself, they should not include the interests of a third party (the insurance company) whose primary focus often is to make a profit. Most members choose to contribute to a health fund to ensure some choice over their treatment provider. The health fund network schemes may undermine this choice with respect to your dental care.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) does not support health fund network provider contracts. Further information is available from the ADA website.
Early dental decay is often not painful and you may not be aware of it. If decay is left undiagnosed and untreated it spreads deeper into the tooth. This can lead to a dental infection, with symptoms including tooth ache, sensitivity to hot and cold, pain on eating, and sometimes inability to sleep due to pain.
It is much simpler (and less expensive) to treat early decay than it is to treat a dental infection. Even better, regular visits to a dentist can help you to avoid dental decay.
Current research suggests that the frequency of check-ups should be based on a careful review of a patient’s risks, including their medical and dental history, oral hygiene, dietary habits and so on. Most patients should visit the dentist at least once a year and if there are growth and risk factors at play, some patients may need to visit every 3 – 6 months. After your initial visit, a recall schedule will be recommended. Even edentulous patients should visit at least once a year. Dentures don’t need replacement every year, but it is still worthwhile to have the dentures assessed (fit) and possibly professionally polished every year. It is also important to have an oral health assessment done, to screen for instance for oral cancer.
Dentures don’t need replacement every year, but it is still worthwhile to have the dentures assessed (fit) and possibly professionally polished every year. It is also important to have an oral health assessment done, to screen for instance for oral cancer.
Good oral health should be a lifelong goal and it is important to start with not only education, but also good experiences at the dentist from an early age. Most adults that are anxious about dentistry, had some bad experience at the dentist as children, we aim to prevent this as far as possible. We often start seeing children as young as only a year old, to start building a relationship. We are also happy to help with advice and care of babies, there are often questions, especially with the eruption of 20 baby teeth often before the age of 2!
The federal government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) offers a great opportunity to improve kids’ oral health.
Eligible children aged 2-17 years can access up to $1013 in benefits over a two-year period for basic dental services including check-ups, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals, extractions and partial dentures.
Eligibility is based on certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. If you’re uncertain about your eligibility phone our reception team who can help you check.
Eligible children can thus receive gap free treatment until they reach the $1013 cap.
Our reception staff are able to tell you the cost (more or less) for and emergency consult/treatment or an initial check-up, x-rays, and a scale and clean. If you need further treatment your dentist will prepare a treatment plan for you and explain the costs of this treatment.
We require payment in full on the day of your treatment and accept cash and credit/debit cards. You can also use your health care rebate to pay towards treatment, claims are made on the day of treatment via HICAPS.
If you feel concerned about your ability to pay, especially where your treatment plan requires services over an extended period, talk to us about possible payment plan. We don’t want you to delay or forgo treatment to the detriment of your oral health. At present we have options available via Zippay and Zipmoney for patients to utilise.
If you have a Health Care Card or your income (after tax) is less than $45000 per year you may be eligible for the community-based Dental No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) which offers interest free loans between $300 and $1200 to fund dental treatment. Call Uniting Communities on 1800 615 677 to let them know that you are interested in applying for a Dental NILS loan.
Yes, any dental benefits from your health fund will be processed immediately and your account will be reduced accordingly.
We also accept all current government dental schemes including the General Dental Scheme, the Pensioner Denture Scheme, the Emergency Dental Scheme, Veterans Affairs and the hild Dental Benefits Schedule.
Each day we reserve a number of appointments for emergency care. If you experience any sort of dental emergency during our normal consulting hours just phone us as early in the day as possible (reception staff are available from 8am every weekday) and explain your problem.
We are able to offer a range of treatments that can be completed on the same day, for instance most crowns and veneers. Before the laboratory was available, work had to be sent to outside laboratories and it would usually take two weeks to complete these treatments. We can also offer denture relines and most denture repairs as a same day service.
Bridge Dental offers professional whitening. Although there are some options available to purchase products in supermarkets, pharmacies or even online, it is safer and treatment more effective if done under the supervision of a registered dental professional. Please see more information – link to whitening.
Anti-wrinkle treatment (for instance Botox or Dysport) and dermal fillers are cosmetic options to improve wrinkles, lines or give tissues a fuller appearance. We have dentists trained specifically to provide this treatment. Learn more about this service here.
Our dentists are focused on providing caring and gentle treatment solutions. We have options available to provide treatment using nitrous oxide (‘happy gas’) or under conscious (IV) sedation. Learn more about this service here.
Member of the Australian Dental Association
Medicare Child Dental Benefit Scheme
The Medicare Child Dental Benefit Scheme allows for dental treatment to eligible children under 18 years: $1013 over 2 years. Reception can check eligibility.
We accept Zippay
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