Children & teenager treatments

What can you expect?

Children and teenagers in New Zealand can get free dental check-ups and standard treatments from birth until their 18th birthday if they meet the eligibility criteria or publicly funded initiatives.

Standard treatments might include:

• x-rays

• cleaning

• fillings

• primary tooth extraction

Teenagers from Year 9 can access free dental check-ups and standard treatments from us until their 18th birthday, even if they no longer attend high school.

Dental care for children age 0 - Year 8 (last year of intermediate school), is usually provided by dental therapists in schools or community dental clinics. They will do standard routine dental care and oral health education. If dental care is needed beyond their scope of practice, they will refer your child to a specialist dentist or another general dentist like us.

How do we help?

At The Fono we provide free dental care to your teenagers. Enrol them in one of our clinics and take advantage of the easy access to their dental care.

Treatments excluded from the free dental care include:

• Orthodontics (braces) or orthodontic related extractions

• Teeth whitening or cosmetic procedures

• ACC claims

Excluded treatments will have a cost. Talk to our dentists to understand what your child needs.

We also encourage enrolling your young children with a dentist as early as you enrol them with a GP. Their first check-up will usually happen between their 1st and 2nd birthdays.