Dental Care For Your Child

Key points about dental care for your child

• baby teeth need to be looked after and valued
• brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• oral healthcare is free for all tamariki until they turn 18
• enrol your child with your local Community Oral Health Service

Can my child get free dental care?

Basic dental care is free until your child is 18.

Basic dental care is free for all tamariki until they turn 18. To enrol them with your local Community Oral Health Service, call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583).

Enrol your child as early as possible so you can arrange their first check-up.

Your midwife or nurse will be able to help you to enrol your baby. The service is free and supports you and your whānau to care for your child's teeth.

How can I enrol my child to get free oral health care?

Call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) to enrol your child. The Talk Teeth team will help guide you through the process, and send you the right forms to fill in.  

If your child is a preschooler or at primary school, fill in the forms and post them to your local oral health service.

If your child is older, they'll see a dentist in the community. Sometimes a dentist may not have a contract with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand to provide free care to the community. If that's the case, call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) and the team will help you find a local dentist for your child.

How often will my child need check-ups? 

Your child's first visit will usually be between their first and second birthdays. Dental staff will let you know the time of your appointment when you enrol. 

It's important you take your child for regular check-ups and do not wait until problems happen. 

Try to book an appointment for a time when they won't be too tired, and use positive language, such as "we're keeping your teeth healthy".

Find out more about dental care in New Zealand. 

Watch a video about free oral health care for children in New Zealand (Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service, Wellington). Call 0800 TALK TEETH to enrol your child or book an appointment with your local oral health service.

What standard dental treatments are free for my child?

Standard treatments are free and include:

• checking teeth for decay and looking at the gums and mouth for any problems
• x-rays used to find tooth decay and other problems that can't be seen
• fluoride treatment, which helps make the surface of the teeth more resistant to decay
• fissure sealants, which are a thin layer of white filling, painted onto teeth that are at risk of developing tooth decay
• cleaning the plaque, staining and tartar from teeth
• fillings to restore teeth that have been impacted by tooth decay
• removing teeth that have been badly impacte by tooth decay

If your child needs extra treatments, you'll get a referral 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).

Talk to your local oral health service about the costs and payment options.

How can I care for my child's teeth?

5 steps to protect your child's smile

Healthy teeth = a healthy smile. Follow these 5 steps to protect your child’s smile.

1. Brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
2. Have regular dental check-ups.
3. Lift the lip every month to check for signs of tooth decay (holes).
4. Choose healthy snacks.
5. Drink water or milk.

Check out which toothpaste to use, and which ones to avoid (PDF, 5.3MB).

Preventing tooth decay

Your child's teeth are at risk of tooth decay (holes) as soon as their teeth appear - this is usually at around 6 months. Tooth decay is easy to prevent by:

• brushing your child's teeth twice a day with regular-strength fluoride toothpaste
• ensuring that your child has a healthy diet that is low in sugar
• ensuring that your child has regular dental check-ups from an early age

Checks by your Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse

Your Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse will regularly check your child's teeth and talk to you about how to keep them healthy. 

See more KidsHealth content on caring for your child's teeth

Check out KidsHealth's section on teeth