What should you expect from dentists in New Zealand? How much will treatment cost? When is it free?
The standard of dental treatment available in New Zealand is similar to that available in other developed western economies.
All school children in New Zealand are entitled to free basic dental treatment. Most schools are visited by dentists who carry out the work during school hours. As soon as your children leave school they must pay for their own dental treatment.
Most adults are required to pay the full cost of treatment. There's no fixed scale of charges, so it pays to shop around. Some city-dwellers even go outside the cities for treatment, driving half-an-hour or an hour to smaller towns where treatment can sometimes be cheaper.
The following table should give you a feel for the sort of prices charged in Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington. Auckland dentists tend to be a bit more expensive on average than those in other regions.
Check up with x-rays |
$50 - $90 |
Check up with Scale/Polish |
$50 - $90 |
White-filling (molar) |
$80 - $140 |
Crown |
$800 - $1,000 |
Some dentists include a scale and polish in the check-up. Others employ hygienists who charge you separately. We'd recommend that you find a dentist who cleans your teeth as part of the check-up as this works out much cheaper.
If your teeth are damaged in an accident your treatment will be heavily subsidised through the government's accident compensation scheme, ACC.
Adults in receipt of government social benefits get emergency treatment free of charge but this is usually limited to removal of teeth.
