Dental care
A dental visit can provide an opportunity for the provision of preventive dental care to maintain existing oral health, as well as treatment services that may reverse disease or rehabilitate the teeth and gums after damage occurs.
Dental services are funded, and can be accessed, in several ways – privately or through public dental clinics or DVA (based on eligibility). For those who purchased services privately, some may have had all or part of the costs of the service subsidised.
In 2023–24:
- 51.9 million dental services were subsidised by private health insurance providers (APRA 2025) – for more information refer to chapter on Private health insurance
- 5.2 million services were subsidised under the Australian Government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule (Services Australia, 2025) – refer to Child Dental Benefits Schedule for more information.
Data on dental services provided in Australia are limited, especially in relation to services provided in the private sector, as no comprehensive national data sources are available. The most complete information about Australians’ use of dental services is available via national population surveys.