Find a Dentist in Queensland

Finding a dentist in Queensland

Private practices provide most dental care across Queensland. Public dental care is delivered by the state’s Hospital and Health Services through community, hospital, school and mobile dental clinics, for people who meet the eligibility rules.

If you live outside a major centre, check travel time and whether the practice can see you for follow-up visits without long trips. If you are new to an area, ask your GP or pharmacist which practices locals use, then compare what each offers.

Public dental care in Queensland

Queensland Health provides public dental care to eligible people. According to the Queensland Government:

• Adults (and their dependants) must live in Queensland and receive benefits from a Pensioner Concession Card (Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs), Health Care Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card or Queensland Seniors Card.
• Children must live in Queensland or attend a Queensland school, be eligible for Medicare, and either be aged 4 or older and not yet finished Year 10, be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, or hold or be listed on a Centrelink concession card.

To check eligibility, make an appointment or join a waiting list, contact your local public dental service. You arrange your own transport to and from clinics.

Medicare, health funds and payment options

If you are not eligible for public care, you will usually see a private dentist. Most dental care is not covered by Medicare. Private health insurance extras cover may help, up to limits set by your insurer.

Ask whether the practice offers payment plans or can stage treatment over time. You can include “payment plan” or “health fund claiming” in your search and we will look for practices that list it.

Kids’ dental, school clinics and CDBS

In Queensland, public dental care for children may be provided at school-based fixed or mobile clinics, or at larger community dental clinics, by teams that include dentists, oral health therapists and dental therapists.

Families who receive an eligible government payment, such as Family Tax Benefit Part A, may also be able to use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule at a public or private practice. Benefits apply over two consecutive calendar years. It does not cover orthodontic or cosmetic work.

Dental emergencies in Queensland

Call 000 if there is swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, bleeding that will not stop, or a serious injury to the face or head.

For other urgent dental problems, the Queensland Government advises seeing a dentist; if you cannot, a hospital emergency department may be able to help. Some private practices list later hours or emergency appointments, and our search can look for those. For advice from a registered nurse at any hour, call 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84.

Checking a dentist’s registration

Every dentist, dental hygienist, oral health therapist, dental therapist and dental prosthetist practising in Australia must be registered. You can check any practitioner on the Ahpra Register of practitioners by name or registration number; the register also shows any conditions on their registration.

In Australia the title “specialist” is protected. The Dental Board of Australia recognises 13 dental specialties, such as orthodontics and endodontics, and titles like “orthodontist” may only be used by dentists with specialist registration in that field. If a practice describes a dentist as a specialist, you can confirm it on the Ahpra register. Find a Dentist does not describe practitioners as specialists unless that registration has been checked.

What to look for in a dental practice

• Clear information about your treatment options before you start.
• Hours that suit you, including early, late or weekend appointments if you need them.
• A practice that explains options in plain language and is happy to answer questions.
• Support for what matters to you, such as anxiety, children, mobility needs or a language other than English.
• Easy contact for follow-up questions after treatment.