NSW Health provides “safety net” dental services for eligible NSW residents. Public dental clinics are usually located in public hospitals and community health centres and provide comprehensive dental care for patients.
Patients are prioritised for care through a triage system. This means that patients with urgent dental conditions are treated sooner, and that there may be wait times for routine dental care.
On this page
- Eligibility for adults
- Eligibility for children
- Mobile dental clinics
- Frequently asked questions for eligible patients
Eligibility for adults
Adults are eligible for NSW public dental services if they:
- are a NSW resident
- eligible for Medicare, and
- hold, or are listed as a dependent on, one of the following valid Australian Government concession cards:
- Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
Please ensure you have your card and its expiry date available when booking your appointment.
Eligible adults can receive free dental care from NSW public dental clinics. If you are not eligible for public dental services, you will need to see a private dentist.
Eligibility for children
Children (aged zero to 17 years) are eligible for NSW public dental services if they:
- are a NSW resident
- are eligible for Medicare
- have their parent/guardian sign the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) Bulk Billing Patient Consent Form.
If a child is not eligible for CDBS or has exhausted their CDBS benefit, children can receive free dental care from NSW public dental clinics. Parents/guardian will need to sign a Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) Bulk Billing Patient Consent Form before receiving care. It allows NSW Health to bulk bill Medicare directly on your behalf.
Mobile dental clinics
NSW Health works in partnership with public primary schools to deliver the NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Program to children in participating local health districts across the state.
For more information on CDBS, visit Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
To contact a public dental service, call 1800 679 336.
