Key messages
- Treatment at public dental clinics can include emergency dental care and selected general dental treatments.
- You need to be eligible for care at a public dental clinic.
- The waiting list to get treatment can be very long.
The Australian Government works with state and territory governments to fund dental services and improve dental health. Government services are also called public services.
Treatment at public dental clinics can include:
- emergency dental care for infections, tooth aches and broken teeth.
- selected general dental treatments such as fillings, tooth extractions and having dentures made.
Public dental care is only available to some of the Australian population. You need to be eligible for care at a public dental clinic. About 1 in 3 Australians are eligible for public dental care. But the waiting list to get treatment can be very long, sometimes years.
We have listed who is eligible for public dental care in each state and territory below. The contact details for the dental clinics are also listed.
Children
Government dentist services are available to:
- all children under 5 who live in the ACT
- all children between 5 and 14 years who live or go to school in the ACT
- young people under the age of 18 with a Centrelink Pension Concession or Health Care Card.
There may be a cost for your child's dental care.
The Canberra Health Services website has more information on accessing dental services for children.
Adults
Dental health services for ACT residents aged 18 years and over who have one of the following Australian Government concession cards:
- a Centrelink issued Pension Concession or Health Care Card
- a Veteran's affairs card
- an ACT Services Access card
There may be a cost for your dental care.
Find out more information on accessing dental health services and booking an appointment.
Children
All children under 18 years of age can get free dental care at a NSW Health public dental clinic.
In some areas of NSW, children can get free dental care through the Primary School Mobile Dental Program.
Adults
Adult NSW residents must have a Medicare card and one of the following Australian Government concession cards:
- Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
You may also be able to get treatment by a dental specialist or dental care in a hospital.
More information about these services and how to book an appointment can be found on the NSW Health website.
Make an appointment
Contact your local public dental service to make an appointment. Type in your suburb or postcode to find the dental clinic closest to you.
People who meet the below criteria can get free public dental care in the Northern Territory.
- Children under 18 years of age - children must still be at school and not working full time. Read more about treatment locations for children.
- People who are part of the Federal Government's Cleft Lip and Palate Scheme.
- People who have a Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or a Centrelink Health Care Card.
- People in remote areas who need emergency dental care and don't have access to a private dental clinic. You must be more than 100km from your nearest health service.
More information about who can access the NT public dental services can be found on the NT Government website.
Make an appointment
To make an appointment if you live in:
- Central Australia - call (08) 8951 6713
- the Top End - call (08) 8922 6466.
Free mouthguards for children
Children in the NT can access free mouthguards. To be able to get a free mouthguard, children must have:
- a Medicare card
- a recent oral health check-up and any tooth decay that was found has been treated
- 4 upper front permanent teeth that are fully grown
- a letter from their sports coach or registration receipt from a sporting club.
Find out more information and how to book an appointment to get a mouthguard at the NT Government website.
Children
To use public dental services in QLD, children must be:
- aged four years or older and have not completed Year 10, or
- eligible for the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule, or
- listed as a dependent on a valid Centrelink concession card.
They must be a QLD resident or attend a QLD school and be eligible for Medicare.
Adults
Adults in QLD can access public dental services if they are a QLD resident and are eligible for Medicare. They must also receive benefits from one of the following Australian government concession cards:
- Pension Concession Card Issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by Centrelink.
- Health Care Card.
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
- Queensland Seniors Card.
More information on adult eligibility is in the Oral Health Services Guidelines.
Public dental services in Queensland are free to all eligible children and adults.
Make an appointment
Find your local public dental clinic. Go to your local area's website to find more information and their phone numbers to make an appointment.
Children
Children under 18 years of age can access public dental care through School Dental Services.
There are no fees for children who are:
- not yet at school
- eligible for the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)
- covered by a Pensioner Concession card, Health Care Card or School Card Scheme.
There may be a small fee for all other children.
More information on the SA School Dental Service can be found on the SA Dental website.
Adults
Adults living in South Australia who have a current Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card can access dental care at SA Dental clinics.
Dependents (under 19 years) whose names are on the adult’s card, can also access dental care.
Make an appointment
Find your closest dental clinic's details to make an appointment.
Children
All children younger than 18 years can access government dental treatment at Oral Health Services Tasmania.
Adults
Eligible adults include people who have a:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card.
There is a small cost for treatment for adult patients.
More information on adult dental care can be found on the Tasmanian Government Department of Health website.
Make an appointment
Find your closest dental clinic to make an appointment. Call 1300 011 013, to make an appointment or fill out the dental appointment request form for children.
There are different dental service options available in VIC. Who can access treatment and the cost varies.
We have included a summary below. Full details about Victoria’s public dental services can be found on the Dental Health Services Victoria website.
Children 0 - 12 years
Children aged 0 - 12 years can get free dental care if:
- is it an emergency
- they or their parent has a Concession card
- they are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule
- they get treatment at a dental teaching clinic.
Children who do not fit the above rules can still get treatment but there will be a small fee.
All children who go to a Victoria government primary, secondary or specialist school can get free dental care from the school dental program.
Children 13 – 17 years
Children aged 13 - 17 years can get free dental care if:
- they or their parent has a Concession card
- they are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule
- if the child or their parent has a Pensioner Concession card.
There is a fee for treatment without a Pensioner Concession card.
All children who go to a Victoria government primary, secondary or specialist school can get free dental care from the school dental program.
Adults
Emergency dental care
All adults can access emergency dental care. The amount of money you pay will depend on if you have a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card.
General dental care
Adults can access public dental services if they live in Victoria and:
- hold a Health Care Card issued by Centrelink or
- hold a Pensioner Concession Card issued by Centrelink or
- hold a Veteran Pensioner Concession card issued by the Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA) or
- are a refugee or asylum seeker or
- are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
There may be a fee for your treatment.
Find more information on the Dental Health Services Website about:
- fees
- if you are eligible for public dental care https://www.dhsv.org.au/our-services/are-you-eligible
- the types of dental services available
- your local dental clinic to make an appointment.
Children
Children 0 – 4 years old who are listed on their parent’s Health Care or Pension Concession Card can access care at public dental clinics.
The School Dental Service (SDS) provides free dental care to students aged 5 to 16 or until the end of year 11 (whichever comes first). They must attend a Department of Education recognised school.
Eligible children will get an enrolment form. If your child has not got a form, contact your local Dental Therapy Centre.
Adults
People 17 years and older can get reduced cost general and emergency dental care. You must have a current Health Care or Pension Concession Card to get this care.
Remote residents
WA residents living in remote areas without access to a private dentist can have dental treatment at a public dental clinic. However, if you do not have a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card you will have to pay the full cost for your treatment.
If there is no public dental clinic in town, the Country Patients Dental Subsidy Scheme may allow you to go to a private dentist to get dental care. For more information on this scheme, call (08) 9313 0555.
More information about public dental care in WA can be found on the Government of Western Australia Dental Health Services website.
Make an appointment
Find your closest public general dental clinic, school dental service or Country Patient Scheme private dental clinic on the Find a Clinic webpage.
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Our experts continually monitor the oral health space. As research and recommendations change or we get reader feedback, we update the information in our articles.