Find a dentist for teenagers - Yr9 to 18th Birthday

Teenagers who are eligible to receive publicly funded health care are entitled to free oral health care until their 18th birthday. For information on eligibility, visit the Ministry of Health's website.

There are a number of adolescent dental care providers in your community that provide FREE* dental care to teenagers from Year 9 until their 18th birthday.

*Does not include accident-related dental issues (covered under ACC), specialist dental care services e.g. orthodontic treatment, or teeth whitening. 

To enrol for this free service, contact one of the dental providers listed below. Once enrolled, teenagers are entitled to   one dental exam per calendar year and, if required, additional consultations and basic treatments, FREE of charge.

 If your teenager has not had a dental exam in the last 12 months, or requires urgent dental care, and they are: 

• Already enrolled with a free adolescent dental care provider, please contact their provider directly.  
• Not enrolled with a free adolescent dental care provider, please choose a provider in the Wellington Region from the list below and contact them directly to enrol your teenager and book an appointment for them. If you no longer live in the Wellington Region, click here to find a provider in your region. 

If you want to change your teenager's dental provider:

1. Tell the current dental provider your teenager is switching to another provider and find out when your teenager's last dental exam with them was.
2. Contact the new dental provider to enrol your teenager. Let them know when your teenager's last dental exam was. The new provider can book your teenager in for their free yearly dental exam 12 months after their last exam.

If you require further assistance, please call the Adolescent Oral Health Coordinator and leave a message for a call back on (04) 570 9273 or email Adolescent_Oral_Health@huttvalleydhb.org.nz

List of free adolescent dental care providers

Print a list of free dentists here