Whangārei children’s
dental care
Prices
Children aged 5 to 12:
Full check-up – $39
Fillings – from $193 each
Extractions – from $227 each
Space maintainer including x-ray (required) – $194
Teenagers once they start high school until the day before they turn 18:
Basic dental care – FREE
Including annual check-up and clean, fillings, extractions, and, if approved by the Ministry of Health, more extensive restorative work.
Duration
Appointments – 30-45 mins
Why it’s important for your children to see a kids’ dentist
Taking proper care of baby teeth is important for chewing and avoiding toothaches. Baby teeth also give adult teeth the room they need to come in. If baby teeth have to be extracted because of decay, that space is lost, and children may develop costly and complicated orthodontic issues. It’s a good idea for children to see the dentist every 6 to 12 months.
We’ve also found that if a child has a positive experience with the dentist at a young age, they take better care of both their baby and adult teeth and are relaxed at the dentist’s office their whole life.
Services we offer
We treat children from the age of 5 through their teenage years. Children’s dentist services include extractions and space maintainers, stainless steel crowns, and white fillings.
We also offer orthodontic consultations. Having this kind of consult early helps us discover any potential jaw growth issues and correct them with early interceptive appliances – hopefully avoiding more expensive orthodontic and dental treatments later.
Kowhai Dental doesn’t participate in the Ministry of Health’s paediatric dental services – that’s why we’ve listed prices for children’s dental care above if your child is between 5 and 12 years old. We’re committed to providing high-quality family dental care at affordable prices.
All teenagers up to their 18th birthday receive free dental care through the Ministry of Health.
Your child can usually see the dentist within two weeks of booking, which minimises the wait time you might experience if you go through the public dental service.
A little about our children’s dentists
Our team of children’s dentists has seen many adult patients who were scared of dentistry so have made it their goal to help patients overcome this fear. They especially like to help children have positive visits to the dentist.
What a visit with our children’s dentists is like
Our team works hard to gain your child’s trust. They use a ‘tell-show-do’ technique so children understand what is happening next and there are no sudden surprises. They take their time to explain all the equipment and techniques in kid-friendly terms. Your child won’t hear terms like ‘pain’, ‘hurt’, ‘needle’, ‘shot’, or ‘blood’ when they have their appointment.
If you have any questions about the family dentist services we offer, please get in contact today.
FAQ
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It’s a good idea to have your child’s teeth checked every 6 to 12 months. After your initial appointment, our team can advise you on when to come back.
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If your child has been scared of dentist visits in the past, our children's dentist can help change how they feel. We take our time to explain everything that’s going to happen and don't proceed until your child is comfortable and feels at ease. We know that children can be scared, so we work hard to minimise these fears.
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Young people from newborn until the age of 18 are entitled to free basic dental care, however at Kowhai Dental, we only get funding from the Ministry of Health to see high school aged children. We do not hold a contract with the Ministry to receive funding for children younger than that. For free treatment for children younger than high school age, we recommend calling 0800MYTEETH to find the nearest dental therapist in your area. We understand it can be difficult to be seen by a dental therapist in a timely manner due to demand, so we are offering our services in a private capacity to give you another option.
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Usually around seven years of age or when your child’s four front top teeth have come in.