Dental care is free* for children from birth until their 18th birthday… That’s something to smile about!
Baby (deciduous) teeth are important for eating, speaking, smiling, and holding space for adult (permanent) teeth. Looking after baby teeth early helps set up healthy habits for life- which mean strong, healthy adult teeth!
*Free dental care for under 18s does not include accident (ACC) related dental care, orthodontic treatment or teeth whitening services. Please contact your local dentist if these services are required. See "Exclusions" section below for more details.
Enrolment
If you live in the Greater Wellington Region (Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kāpiti Coast, up to Waikanae), there are two easy ways to enrol your child with Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service:
- Complete an online enrolment form, or
- Visit your nearest Bee Healthy Dental Clinic and complete an enrolment form.
Babies born in the Wellington Region are enrolled at birth with Bee Healthy.
If you have questions about enrolment, eligibility, or unsure if your child is enrolled with Bee Healthy, please call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583).
If you have changed address or phone number/s and need to update your details click here
If you live outside the Greater Wellington Region - Wellingtion, Hutt Valley, Porirua & Kāpiti Coast (up to Waikanae), click here to find the free dental care provider in your region.
Eligibility
In some cases, we may need to check if your child is eligible for free dental care. You may be asked if you have
the following:
- New Zealand permanent residency
- A current work Visa/Permit, which entitles you to remain in New Zealand for two years (does not apply to diplomats or
their staff) - Refugee status
- Some New Zealand funded student programmes (conditions apply)
- An Australian National (must live in Australia permanently prior to visiting New Zealand)*
- Citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia and people holing a current permanent residence visa (includes a resident return
visa) issues by the Government of Australia are eligible for the full range of publicly funded health and disability service IF they are able to demonstrate they have or intend to spend at least two consecutive years in New Zealand. - Australian passport or other passport with Australian permanent resident/resident return visa AND evidence that New
Zealand has been/will be their principal place of residence for at least two years (e.g. employment, house purchase). The two years is counted from their arrival date in New Zealand. - National of the United Kingdom (have lived permanently in the UK prior to visiting*
- Is your partner a New Zealand citizen/permanent resident, or the holder of a two year work permit? (conditions apply)
*NOTE: The reciprocal agreement with Australia and the United Kingdom, i.e. free treatment, only applies if the patient has their usual place of abode in these countries and is being treated in an EMERGENCY situation.
In order for us to complete your child’s enrolment into Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service, we will need to receive copies of your passport, New Zealand citizenship or other documents to confirm your status. We are unable to enrol your child without these documents.
Call us or go to the Ministry of Health for more information.
Dental care during Christmas and New Year holiday period 2024-2025
Bee Healthy dental hub clinics are now closed for the holiday period. Our call centre is also now closed and will reopen to take your calls on 13 January 2025. The Bee Healthy Brandon Dental Hub in Porirua will reopen on 15 January 2025 and our other hub clinics in Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kāpiti will reopen from 21 January 2025.
If your child requires an urgent dental appointment between:
* Please note: not all dentists provide free dental care for children under 18s, you will need to check this when you ring. If the dentist is not a contracted free provider, you will be charged for any treatment received. Please note that this service is not available after hours.
For facial swelling or trauma, you are advised to go to your local hospital emergency department.
Dental Care for Children Under 5 Years Old
Your child will have their first dental appointment after their second birthday. You will receive a phone call or a letter in the post to arrange a suitable time.
If you have any concerns about your child’s teeth at any point (even before they turn two years old), or your child is over two years old and you have not heard from us, call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) to make an appointment.
Your child’s first appointment will take 15-20 minutes. It is important to go with your child to their first dental check to help them feel comfortable. The dental therapist may check your child’s teeth while you hold your child in your arms, or ask your child to sit with you or by themselves on the dental chair – whichever is best for your child.
After their first appointment, your child will have an annual dental check up at your local Bee Healthy Dental Clinic. You can sign up to receive text reminders for when your child is due for their next appointment.
If you are unable to attend an appointment, call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) as soon as possible so your appointment slot may be offered to another child.
If your child has a dental appointment and they are sick, please call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) to let us know and we will reschedule their appointment, or if they require urgent dental care, we will arrange for additional precautions to be in place at their appointment.
We are experiencing high levels of staff sickness at the moment, which means we may need to cancel and reschedule some dental appointments. If your child’s appointment is affected, we will give you a call (from a private number) the morning of their appointment to let you know, and work with you to reschedule it to another day. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding and patience during this time.
Dental Care for Primary School Aged Children (Year 1 to Year 8)
Bee Healthy Mobile Vans visit most primary schools across the Wellington Region. This means school children are able to have their annual dental checks onsite, at school.
Some schools are difficult to access with the Mobile Vans. Children at these schools will require an appointment at their local Bee Healthy Dental Clinic. You will receive a phone call or a letter in the post to arrange a suitable time.
If your child requires further treatment (e.g. fissure sealant, filling etc.), a letter will be sent home after their check up. Call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) to book this appointment at a time that suits you best.
Your children can have their dental checks together, call us to arrange a suitable time for your family.
If you have any concerns about your child’s teeth at any time, you can call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) to make an appointment.
If you are unable to attend an appointment, call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) as soon as possible so your appointment slot may be offered to another child.
If your child has a dental appointment and they are sick, please call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) to let us know and we will reschedule their appointment, or if they require urgent dental care, we will arrange for additional precautions to be in place at their appointment.
We are experiencing high levels of staff sickness at the moment, which means we may need to cancel and reschedule some dental appointments. If your child’s appointment is affected, we will give you a call (from a private number) the morning of their appointment to let you know, and work with you to reschedule it to another day. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding and patience during this time.
For information about dental care for children in Year 9 or above, please click here.
Appointments for children with special care requirements (including neurodiversity)
We want all children to have a positive experience when they have a dental check. Please call us to discuss if your child needs special considerations or a specific physical or specialist environment for consultation on 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583). We will try our best to link them up with the right clinician.
Urgent Dental Care
Appointments for urgent care are available Monday - Friday, excluding public holidays, at most Bee Healthy dental hubs. To make an appointment, call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) and leave a detailed message with your child's name, date of birth and a contact phone number. The Bee Healthy team will give you a call back from our private number. If it is outside our office hours (8am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday) we will give you a call the following working day.
If your child is sick or your household is isolating, please advise us so we can arrange for additional precautions to be in place at their appointment, should they need one.
Call 0800 TALK TEETH (825 583) to make an appointment if:
- Your child is in pain
- Your child has a loose tooth and it has cracked in half and causing pain. This can sometimes happen when the adult (secondary) tooth is coming through.
- If you notice a white spot has appeared on your child’s gum that may be an abscess. An abscess appears if a tooth is infected. Infected or abscessed teeth sometimes need to be removed so that the abscess can drain away. If antibiotics are taken, but the tooth is left in the mouth untreated, the infection may come back and cause pain.
- You have any other concerns or questions about your child’s teeth
If your child has severe pain, large swelling, persistent bleeding or have difficulty breathing AND it is outside of Bee Healthy office hours (Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 4.30pm), contact one of the contracted dentists listed here to book an urgent appointment. If no urgent appointment is available, contact to your doctor (GP) and if they are closed, go to your nearest After Hours Medical Centre or Hospital Emergency Department in the case of an emergency.
If your child has an accident and has injured their teeth or mouth:
Bee Healthy do not provide dental care for accident related injuries. If your child is injured, contact your local private practice dentist to arrange an examination appointment. Accident related dental care for under 18s is covered by ACC, however some dentist may charge a fee so please ask about this when making an appointment. At the appointment, the dentist will submit an Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claim on your behalf.
Bee Healthy are unable to lodge ACC claims thus unable to provide dental care for accident related dental issues.
Service and treatment information
Click here for information about the services and treatments that Bee Healthy provide.
For translations: Te Reo Māori, Cook Island Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Arabic, Burmese
Referral for extra treatment
If your child needs extra treatments that Bee Healthy is unable to provide, you'll be referred to another oral health service provider. Many treatments will still be free, but you'll need to pay for some treatments – such as orthodontics (which includes braces on teeth).
Exclusions
The following services are not provided under the free dental care scheme:
- Orthodontic treatment including the extraction of teeth solely for orthodontic purposes. If you are considering orthodontic treatment for you child, the Dental Council have developed an information sheet and video to help you understand your options. For a list of orthodontists in the Wellington Region click here.
- Tooth whitening
- Accident (ACC) related dental treatment
- Elective dental care provided by a private dentist without a referral from Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service.
If Bee Healthy dental clinics are closed, free urgent care can be provided directly by contracted dentists - see "Urgent Dental Care" section above for details.
Ministry of Health Child Oral Health Service Specifications
Click to here view the Child Oral Health Service Specifications
