Dental treatment — information for dentists and health agencies

If your patient qualifies, we can help them with up to $1,000 in a 52-week period for immediate and essential dental treatment. They can make multiple applications. This money doesn’t need to be paid back. 

'Immediate and essential dental treatment' means your patient has an oral health issue that:

• has deteriorated or would begin to deteriorate if left untreated, and
• is having, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on their oral health and/or wider physical health.

What treatments are included?

• Consultations (including x-rays) which result in immediate and essential treatment.
• Extractions (not for orthodontic purposes).
• Fillings (tooth restorations).
• Root canal treatment (excluding molars, unless exceptional circumstances exist).
• Treating infections, including antibiotics and any temporary measures needed to enable permanent treatment.

What treatments are not included?

• Regular dental check-ups.
• Cosmetic treatments.
• Clean, scale and polish. However, the cost of teeth cleaning can be included if it’s required to treat a gum infection.
• Cast restorations.
• Orthodontic treatment.
• Molar root canal treatment, unless there are exceptional circumstances that mean a molar root canal is essential, e.g. because they’ve had previous radiation therapy in the area.
• Dentures. Patients may be eligible for recoverable assistance for dentures.
• Treatments that are co-paid by ACC.

Payments over $1,000

If your patient needs help with immediate and essential dental treatment that's over $1,000, or that will bring their total payments within a 52-week period to over $1,000, we still may be able to help them meet this cost. They may need to pay some of this back. 

Exceptional circumstances

If your patient has exceptional circumstances, they may be eligible for extra assistance over and above the $1,000 limit for a dental Special Needs Grant in a 52-week period. They won't need to pay this back if we approve it. These may include situations where your patient has:

• any special or unusual reasons for their oral health issue (e.g. an underlying health condition that has contributed to the issue)
• a health condition that could be severely impacted by their oral health issue (e.g. rheumatic heart disease).

If either of these apply to your patient, please let us know in the ‘comment’ field of the Dental Treatment Information form. This information will help us determine if they are eligible for extra assistance, alongside other exceptional circumstances. They may need to pay this money back.

Dentures are not included in the non-recoverable assistance that immediate and essential treatment can be covered by.
Your patient may qualify and apply for either a:

• recoverable assistance payment or
• advance payment of benefit.

These payments need to be paid back to us.

Your patient applies for their own dental treatment or dentures. However, they need to provide us with certain information from you.

Become a registered supplier

You need to a be registered as a supplier with us, so we can make payments to you.

Treatment information

For immediate and essential dental treatment, you need to fill in a Dental Treatment Information form.

Physical copies of the form are available at all Work and Income service centres. You can also order copies through your local MSD Health and Disability Coordinator.

Using your own form instead of the Dental Treatment Information form is not recommended. Your patient may be declined assistance if information is missing or incomplete.

For dentures, a standard quote is acceptable.

If we accept your patient's application, they can make the payment using their Work and Income Payment Card when you have an Eftpos machine.

If you don't have an Eftpos machine, we can make a payment by bank transfer.

You can download and print these guides, which cover information about accessing help with dental treatment from us.

If you have any questions, please email cpu_suppliers@msd.govt.nz.