Last updated: June 2026
If you're with nib and you've been paying a gap every time someone in the family gets a check-up, the issue might not be your level of cover. It might be where you're going.
nib runs a provider network called First Choice. Dentists inside the network charge nib's agreed rates — set prices that are typically lower than what a non-network dentist charges for the same treatment. According to nib's own claims data for the 2025/26 financial year, members save an average of 15% on commonly claimed dental treatments by visiting a First Choice provider compared to a non-network dentist.
Divine Dental Care is a nib First Choice network provider. This article explains what that means in practical terms for a family in Croydon.
nib's First Choice network is a group of dental practitioners who have agreed to charge nib-negotiated fees for a range of treatments. These fees — called agreed rates — are reviewed at least annually. Because the rates are set, your out-of-pocket cost becomes more predictable, and your annual limits stretch further.
The network isn't just for nib-branded policies. If your health insurance is underwritten by nib — and a lot of them are — you have access to the same First Choice network benefits. That includes:
If you hold extras cover through any of these, you're eligible for First Choice network rates at Divine Dental Care. Most people with Qantas or AAMI health cover don't realise it's nib underneath — but it is, and the dental network benefits are the same.
The headline benefit for eligible nib members visiting a First Choice provider is No Gap Dental on preventative check-ups. That means 100% back — no out-of-pocket cost — on these items:
In practical terms: you walk in for a routine check-up with a clean and x-rays, and you may walk out having paid nothing. The services are deducted from your annual limits and service limits as normal — but the gap payment is zero.
No Gap Dental requires eligible nib extras cover, served waiting periods, and available annual/service limits. DentalPass members are not eligible for No Gap check-ups. Always confirm your remaining limits before your appointment.
Preventive care is where the no-gap benefit sits. But the First Choice network also helps on treatments — fillings, root canal therapy, extractions, mouthguards, and minor dental surgery.
For these services, nib's agreed rates mean the dentist charges a set fee rather than whatever the market will bear. Your nib extras policy then pays back a percentage of that agreed rate — typically 50% to 75%, depending on your level of cover. Because the starting fee is lower at a First Choice provider, your gap is smaller even when the rebate percentage is the same.
| Treatment | Non-Network Dentist | First Choice Provider (Divine Dental) |
|---|---|---|
| Check-up + clean + x-rays | ~$250–$350 | Agreed rate |
| nib pays back | 50–75% of a higher fee | 100% (No Gap)* |
| Your gap (check-up) | ~$60–$120 | $0* |
| Filling (single surface) | ~$200–$350 | ~15% lower (agreed rate) |
| Your gap (filling) | ~$70–$150 | Reduced gap |
*Figures are approximate. The check-up range reflects typical non-network fees in Melbourne's outer east. Actual costs depend on your specific nib extras policy, remaining annual limits, and the treatment provided. The 15% average saving is based on nib claims data for the 2025/26 financial year. First Choice agreed rates apply to eligible services only.
Take a typical Croydon family — two parents, two kids at Yarra Road Primary or Sacred Heart. Everyone goes for a check-up and clean twice a year. That's eight appointments.
At a non-network dentist charging around $280 per visit, with nib paying back roughly 65%, the gap is about $100 per visit. Over eight visits, that's $800 a year in out-of-pocket dental costs — just for check-ups.
At a First Choice provider with No Gap Dental eligibility, the same eight check-ups could cost the family $0 out of pocket.
| Scenario | Non-Network Dentist | First Choice (Divine Dental) |
|---|---|---|
| Check-up fee per visit | ~$280 | Agreed rate |
| Gap per visit | ~$100 | $0* |
| 4 people × 2 visits/yr | 8 visits | 8 visits |
| Annual out-of-pocket (check-ups only) | ~$800 | $0* |
*Assumes eligible nib extras cover with available annual and service limits. Check-up gap at non-network dentist is illustrative and based on typical Melbourne outer east fees. Actual savings depend on your specific policy and provider fees.
That $800 is just the check-ups. Add in a filling or two during the year and the difference between network and non-network adds up further — because the agreed rate on treatments means the fee you're starting from is lower, so the gap after your rebate is smaller too.
If you've got school-age children, there's another program worth knowing about — and it works alongside your nib cover, not instead of it.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a federal Medicare program for children aged 0 to 17. If your family receives Family Tax Benefit Part A (or certain other government payments), each eligible child gets up to $1,158 in dental benefits over a two-year period (the cap is $1,158 where the child's two-year period began in 2026, and $1,132 where it began in 2025). That covers check-ups, cleans, fillings, x-rays, and extractions. Our CDBS dentist in Croydon page explains which cap applies to your child.
At Divine Dental Care, we bulk bill CDBS — so there's no out-of-pocket cost for your child's eligible appointment.
The important part for nib members: CDBS does not count against your nib annual limits. It's a completely separate program funded through Medicare. So if you use CDBS for the kids' check-ups, your nib extras benefits stay intact for treatments that actually need them.
For a family with two kids at Croydon Hills Primary or Kalinda Primary:
A lot of parents in Ringwood and Bayswater don't realise they can split the funding this way. They use their private extras for the kids' check-ups and burn through annual limits by July. Using CDBS for the children and nib for the adults keeps the family covered all year.
Transparency matters, so here's what the No Gap benefit does not cover.
No Gap applies to preventive check-ups — exams, scale and clean, fluoride, and diagnostic x-rays. For everything else — fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, mouthguards, orthodontics — your nib extras policy pays a percentage of the agreed rate, and you pay the remainder.
The advantage of being at a First Choice provider is that the fee you're paying against is an agreed rate — not whatever the dentist decides to charge. So even when there is a gap, it's a known gap. We can tell you exactly what you'll owe before treatment starts. We process everything through HICAPS on the spot, so you'll see the exact rebate and any remaining gap in real time.
At a non-network dentist, you face both a higher fee (because they set their own prices) and potentially a bigger gap. That double hit is where the frustration comes from — and it's avoidable.
Before your next appointment, it's worth confirming three things:
If you're with Qantas, AAMI, APIA, Suncorp, GU Health, ING, or any other nib-underwritten fund and aren't sure whether the First Choice network applies to your policy, call us on (03) 9725 8040. Our reception team can look it up for you when you book.
Croydon, Croydon Hills, Croydon North, Heathmont, Ringwood, Bayswater, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth — these are suburbs where families own their home or are paying one off. Home ownership rates range from 70% up to 89%. Median ages sit around 38 to 39. Kids go to Ruskin Park Primary, Mooroolbark East Primary, Yarra Road Primary. It's a catchment of around 128,000 people, and most of them have some form of health insurance.
When you're carrying a mortgage and running a family, you're not skipping the dentist — but you're also not keen on paying a gap when you don't have to. The difference between a non-network dentist and a First Choice provider is real money. Over a decade of family dental care, even the check-up savings alone compound into thousands of dollars.
And if you've recently moved to the area — maybe settling into a house near Croydon Station after renting closer to the city — choosing a dentist is one of those early decisions that pays off quietly. Getting it right the first time means you don't think about it again.
Getting the whole family to the dentist during the work week is a logistical exercise most parents in Croydon would rather avoid. Taking a morning off, picking kids up from school early, trying to squeeze four appointments into a late-afternoon slot — it rarely goes smoothly.
Divine Dental Care is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6pm and Saturdays 8:30am to 5pm. You can book the whole family in on a Saturday morning and still make it to Eastland or the Croydon Market before lunch. With 10 dentists on the team, we can usually fit multiple family members into the same time slot rather than spreading visits across several weeks.
The practice is QIP accredited, which means we meet the national standards for quality and safety in dental care — independently assessed, not self-declared.
For families in Ringwood and Bayswater where Mandarin or Cantonese is spoken at home, choosing a dentist often starts with two questions: "Do they speak my language?" and "Do they take my health fund?"
Dr Cedric Ong speaks Mandarin. Dr Chris So speaks Cantonese. Both are experienced general dentists who can explain your treatment options, walk through your nib cover, and answer your questions in the language you're most comfortable with. The First Choice benefits work the same regardless of which language you discuss them in.
If you're with nib — or any nib-underwritten fund like Qantas, AAMI, APIA, Suncorp, GU Health, or ING — and you haven't used your dental benefits this year, you're leaving money on the table. A check-up at a First Choice provider takes about 45 minutes and may cost you nothing out of pocket.
Call (03) 9725 8040 or book online. Mention you're with nib (or your nib-underwritten fund) and we'll confirm your First Choice network benefits when you arrive.
We're at 59 Wicklow Avenue, Croydon — two minutes from Croydon Station, with free parking on site. Open Monday to Friday until 6pm, Saturdays until 5pm.