Dental programs

The following groups are eligible for public dental services at Doutta Galla Community Health:

Children and young people:
All children aged 0 – 12 years
Young people aged 13 – 17 years who are health care or pensioner concession card holders or dependants of concession card holders
All children and young people up to 18 years of age in residential care provided by the Children Youth and Families division of the Department of Human Services
All youth justice clients in custodial care, up to 18 years of age

Adults

People aged 18 years and over, who are health care or pensioner concession card holders or dependants of concession card holders
All refugees and asylum seekers

Priority Access

If you are eligible for public dental services, you may also have priority access to dental care.

People who have priority access will be offered the next available appointment for general care and will not be placed on the general care wait list. Where you have denture care needs, you would be offered the next available appointment for denture care or placed on the priority denture list, where applicable.

The following groups have priority access to care:

Emergency Care: An assessment is made and appropriate treatment is offered or a referral to the Royal Dental Hospital is offered.

General Care: A full course of general care including checkups, cleaning, fillings, extractions and prevention. Referrals can be made to specialist dental care at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

Dentures: Acrylic Dentures and acrylic denture repairs are available at both the Kensington and Niddrie Clinics

Fees for public dental services apply to:

People aged 18 years and over, who are health care or pensioner concession card holders or dependants of concession card holders
Children aged 0 – 12 years who are not health care or pensioner concession card holders or not dependants of concession card holders

Fee schedule

People aged 18 years and over, who are health care or pensioner concession card holders or dependants of concession card holders:

Fee of $24 per visit to a maximum of $96 for a general course of care, which includes an examination and all general dental treatment
Flat fee of $24 for an emergency course of care, which includes assessment and treatment of the tooth/gums/false teeth that is causing pain
Fees for dentures are dependant on the type of dentures required – up to $120 for a full upper and lower acrylic denture
Children aged 0 – 12 years who are not health care or pensioner concession card holders or not dependants of concession card holders:

Flat fee of $29 per child for a general course of care, which includes an examination and all general dental treatment. Fees per family will not exceed $116
Fees for specialist services will be dependant on the treatment required.

Fee exemptions

Exemption from fees for public dental services applies to the following:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Homeless people and people at risk of homelessness
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Children & young people aged 0-17 years who are health care or pensioner concession card holders or dependants of concession card holders
All children and young people up to 18 years of age, who are in Residential Care provided by the Children Youth & Families Division of DHS
All youth justice clients up to 18 years of age in custodial care
Registered clients of mental health and disability services, supported by a letter of recommendation from their case manager or staff of special developmental schools
Those receiving care from undergraduate students
Those experiencing financial hardship

Dentists, Dental Therapists, Oral Health Therapists and Dental prosthetists provide treatment with Dental Assistants to assist them.

Adults: For general care and dentures you must put your name on the waiting list. Please phone 8378 3566 for the Niddrie clinic and 83781670 for the Kensington Clinic.

Preschoolers and Youths: If you have not used the service before you will be given the next available appointment, as there is no waiting list. Once you have completed a course of care you will be placed on an appropriate recall.

Specialist dental care is not available directly from the clinic, however referrals maybe made to the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne for eligible clients.

Phone 8378 3566 or 8378 1670 for assessment of emergencies and dental trauma. Treatment will be provided at the clinic or you will be referred to the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne.

After business hours please phone the dental hospital on 9341 1040 or go to the emergency department of your local hospital.

Please tell us your preferred language when you make your appointment. We can then arrange for an interpreter to be at your appointment.