Taranaki > Dentistry > Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Taranaki >
Community Oral Health Service l Taranaki
General Dentist Service, Community
There is currently a nationwide shortage of dental and oral health therapists in New Zealand, and unfortunately this is also affected Taranaki. Although our Taranaki team are working hard and doing an amazing job across our region, our ability to cover all our Community Oral Health Dental Clinics are limited, therefore we do have children/tamariki on waitlists for check-ups and treatment.
We are concentrating on seeing the longest waiting children, along with the most urgent children who have pain and infections. We want to reassure families/whānau waiting for oral health care that we can still help with your dental queries or concerns. Please contact your nearest clinic or phone 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583).
In the meantime, we thank our community for being patient and ask you to continue being kind to our staff as we mitigate these issues and deliver the best healthcare possible for families/whānau in Taranaki.
Description
In Taranaki free basic dental care for children/tamariki and youth/rangatahi (aged 0-17) is provided by Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Community Oral Health Service and contracted dentists.
Children/Tamariki can be enrolled for free dental visits from birth. It is important to look after baby teeth as decay can affect eating, speech, development and may even affect adult teeth. As children grow regular dental care helps to keep teeth healthy and means issues can be recognised and treated early. Free dental care continues for youth/rangatahi until their 18th birthday; regardless of whether they attend a school or not.
Basic dental services we provide:
- Examination and dental x-rays, if necessary
- Oral health advice and encouragement for good oral health
- Preventative treatment, such as topical fluoride and fissure sealants (protective coatings)
- Restorations (fillings), stainless steel crowns and baby teeth extractions
Basic dental services we do not provide:
- Orthodontic treatment, including the extraction of teeth for orthodontic purposes. If you are considering orthodontic treatment for your child, the Dental Council have developed an information sheet and video to help you understand your options
- Accident (ACC) related dental treatment - Parents/Guardians need to register all dental accidents with a private dental clinic
- Tooth whitening
Children/Tamariki requiring treatment that cannot be provided by the Community Oral Health Service (COHS) are referred to either a private dentist or the Taranaki Base Hospital Dental Unit.
Ages
Youth / Rangatahi, Child / Tamariki
How do I access this service?
Contact us
Fees and Charges Categorisation
Free
Fees and Charges Description
If your child requires specific dental treatment that our therapists cannot provide, a referral to a contracting dentist for free treatment may be provided. Please note that if sedation is required, there may be costs associated with this.
Government Funded/Subsidised Dental Care
Children
Free dental care to children from birth through to the end of school year 8 (second year of intermediate school).
Phone 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) and follow the prompts
The community oral health service staff will contact you by phone call or text message. If the time does not suit, please contact the clinic to change the appointment.
Government funded dental clinics for 0 - 12 years (Year 8)
|
CLINICS |
PHONE |
|
Te Henui Dental Clinic |
06 757 3405 |
|
Rangiatea Dental Clinic |
06 751 3507 |
|
Manukorihi Dental Clinic |
06 754 8077 |
|
Inglewood Dental Clinic |
06 756 8041 |
|
Stratford Dental Clinic |
06 765 8845 |
|
Hāwera Dental Clinic |
06 278 9882 |
Opening hours vary between clinics. Call your clinic contact number or 0800 825 583 for further information.
Adolescents
Free dental care for adolescents from the beginning of year 9 (first year of high school) until their 18th birthday.
How to enrol an adolescent for dental care: from Year 9-17 years of age:
Contact a private dental practice from the list below and ask if they offer free dental care to adolescents up until the age of 18
Special / general dental benefits - contracting dental practices
|
Dental Practice |
Dentist |
Address |
Phone |
Free Dental care for Year 7 + 8 |
Free Dental care Yr 9-17 years |
Special Dental Benefits |
|
North Taranaki |
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|
Antunovic Dental Services Ltd |
D Antunovic |
53 Vivian Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 758 4747 |
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Capsite Dental Limited |
S Gray |
31 Tukapa Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 758 2307 |
|
ü |
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Dental Delight |
L Qi Lai |
3-30 Hori Street, New Plymouth |
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Dental Delight |
L Qi Lai |
56 Molesworth Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 759 4066 |
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Dental Delight |
L Qi Lai |
1155 South Road Ōakura 4314 |
(06) 752 7960 |
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Dental Delight |
L Qi Lai |
1 Struthers Place Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth |
(06) 759 8690 |
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Happy Teeth Dental Practice Ltd |
R Cave |
21 Devon Street West, New Plymouth |
(06) 759 8288 |
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Lees Dental Company Ltd # |
S Lees |
122 St. Aubyn Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 759 1630 |
|
ü |
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Lumino Dental Ltd (Hamilton Dental) |
K Hamilton |
13 Mangorei Road, New Plymouth |
(06) 758 3732 |
|
ü |
# |
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New Plymouth Dental Centre * |
A Neville-Lamb |
79 Liardet Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 758 2433 |
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ü ü |
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Pure Dental Ltd |
K Roper |
465 Devon Street East, New Plymouth |
(06) 758 5629 |
|
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Taylor Dental Practice Ltd |
C Taylor |
95 Lemon Street, New Plymouth |
(06) 759 1047 |
|
ü |
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Inglewood Dental Surgery Ltd |
A Aiyer |
12 Brown Street, Inglewood |
(06) 756 8717 |
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South Taranaki |
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Dental Care High Street |
A Fraser |
24 High Street, Hāwera |
06) 278 5562 |
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ü ü |
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Stratford Dental * |
M Costelloe |
82 Miranda Street, Stratford |
(06) 765 5839 |
|
ü |
ü ü |
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Eltham Dental Centre Ltd |
J Joseph |
PO Box 48 (193 High Street), Eltham |
(06) 764 8732 |
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ü ü |
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Hāwera Dental Surgery |
B & J Martin |
PO Box 181 (5 Furlong Street), Hāwera |
(06) 278 3279 |
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ü ü |
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Taylor Dental Practice |
C Taylor |
Ōpunake Health Centre, Napier St, Ōpunake |
(06) 759 1047 |
|
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Disability Assistance
Wheelchair access
Document Downloads
-
Enrolment Form
(PDF, 209 KB)
If your child/children are not enrolled with our service please complete the attached document and email to: community.dental-admin@tdhb.org.nz
Contact Details
Emergency After Hours Dentist: 06 753 7866 (Fees may apply)
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This page was last updated at 9:14AM on October 20, 2025. This information is reviewed and edited by Community Oral Health Service l Taranaki.