NZ Oral Healthcare Funding
Publicly funded services
Free care for tamariki & rangatahi — and beyond
Birth – Year 8 · Free
Tamariki / Child Dental Services
Tamariki from birth to Year 8 must be enrolled with the Community Oral Health Service to receive free routine dental care at school or community dental clinics. Care is provided by dental and oral health therapists; if treatment falls outside their scope of practice, referral to a contracting dentist is free under the Combined Dental Agreement.
Referrals & emergencies · Free*
Special Dental Benefit Scheme for Children
Covers referrals from a dental or oral health therapist to a contracting dentist, and emergency treatment out of school hours. If the dentist is not contracted, a charge may apply.
Year 9 – 18th birthday · Free
Rangatahi / Adolescent Dental Scheme
Rangatahi from Year 9 until their 18th birthday are eligible for free routine dental care from dentists contracted by Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) under the Combined Dental Agreement. Non-routine services may incur a fee. Specialist services such as orthodontics and tooth whitening are not covered.
Hospital services
Special Needs & Medically Compromised Adults
Hospitals provide services for people with intellectual, physical, or medical conditions that require specialised facilities not available privately — including acute trauma care and specialised management such as general anaesthesia.
Community Services Card · Part charge
Low Income Adults
Most public hospitals may hold contracts to provide relief-of-pain or limited routine dental services for low-income adults who cannot access care privately. A current Community Services Card is required and a part charge applies. Work and Income NZ may also assist with funding for dental care.
Contact your local hospital dental unit to check availability and eligibility criteria.
For information about the Community Oral Health Service, phone 0800 TALK TEETH · 0800 825 583
Private care
Private dental services
Most New Zealanders receive their dental treatment privately, at their own cost. There is no standard national fee structure — fees are set by individual practices. Compared with public hospital services, private care often offers more treatment options, such as whitening and implants.
Looking for care? Use our Find a Provider map to locate oral health services near you — including kaupapa Māori providers across Aotearoa.
Funding & equity
When cost is the barrier, equity is the issue
Free care ends at 18 — and for many Māori adults, the cost of private dental care puts treatment out of reach. Unmet need for dental care falls hardest on those the system already serves least well. That is why oral healthcare funding is not just a policy detail: it is central to closing the oral health equity gap for te iwi Māori.
Te Ao Mārama advocates for a funding system that upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivers equitable access to care. Read more about our kaupapa on the Māori Oral Health hub.
Dental care in Aotearoa is either publicly or privately funded. Routine dental care is free for tamariki and rangatahi up to their 18th birthday. Beyond 18, most people pay for care privately — with limited hospital services for adults with special needs or low incomes.
Understanding what you and your whānau are entitled to is the first step to getting care. The schemes below set out who qualifies for free or subsidised treatment, and how to access it.