FAQs| Frequently Asked Questions |
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How do I get my child’s treatment done through Give a Smile™? Your child needs to be on the public dental waiting list in your state or territory. Patients are allocated to Give a Smile™ from the top of the waiting list. How does my child get on the public waiting list for orthodontic treatment? You need to be a Health Care Card holder or Pension Card holder. You then contact the public dental health department in your state or territory for an appointment to have your child’s dental and orthodontic needs assessed. Details are available on the Give a Smile™ web site. How do I know if I’m eligible for a Health Care Card or a Pension Card? Contact your local office of the Department of Social Security. How long are the public waiting lists for orthodontic treatment? It varies, but it can be up to two years. By accepting treatment through Give a Smile™, does this mean my child’s treatment will start sooner? You child will be selected from the top of the waiting list. The effect of Give a Smile™ is that the time spent on waiting lists is reduced. Do I have to pay anything if I accept treatment through Give a Smile™? If you live in SA, WA or Victoria, your state health department requires you to pay a fee (co-payment) for your orthodontic treatment. If you accept treatment through Give a Smile™, that co-payment will be paid by you to the Give a Smile™ Trust. Monies collected will be allocated by the trustees for appropriate use, including charitable purposes. Will my child still be eligible for other dental treatments (eg check-ups or extractions) through the public system? Yes, your child will still be entitled to receive any dental treatment in the public dental health system. Will the Give a Smile™ Orthodontist make any extra charges for the treatment? The Give a Smile™ Orthodontist is entitled to charge you a fee if problems arise during the treatment—problems which are caused by the patient. Some examples would be: continually breaking appointments, losing or breaking appliances, including retaining plates. We hope that this won’t happen! Will the Give a Smile™ Orthodontist do the same standard of treatment as my child would receive in the public system? Yes, the treatment will be performed by a Specialist Orthodontist. And, as he or she will be a full member of the Australian Society of Orthodontists, the treatment will be of the highest standard. Do I have to accept the offer of treatment through Give a Smile™? No, you have choice of having the treatment done either by the Give a Smile™ program or in the public dental health system. What are my responsibilities as a Give a Smile™ patient? These are the same responsibilities as for all orthodontic patients. That is, attending appointments, caring for the appliances, keeping up a high standard of teeth and gum cleaning and by following all instructions given by the Orthodontist. What if I want—or my child wants— to stop treatment mid-way through? You, as the patient—or parent—are fully entitled to make such a decision. The Orthodontist will inform you of the possible consequences of that decision. What happens if I move to another location? If this happens, Give a Smile™ will try its very best to facilitate a transfer to another Give a Smile™ Orthodontist. Failing that, you will be transferred back into the public system. |
