Dental health

It’s really important to look after your teeth.  Once you have your adult teeth you only get one chance to look after them.  Not only is it painful if you don’t, it can look bad, can give your really bad breath, and it can be really expensive to fix.

You have two main options when it comes to looking after your teeth:

•    Private dental services

•    Public dental services

Private dental services

If you are over 18 and do not have a Health care card or Pensioner concession card, you have to go to a private dental clinic. To find your nearest dentist, look in the Yellow Pages under “Dentists or google dentists in your local area.

Public dental services

Public dental services are dentists that are subsidised by the state government to offer basic care to children and adults holding a Health care card or pension card. They may charge a small fee, depending on the treatment, but overall, they are much cheaper than a private dentist. Public dental services differ in each state. Check out your state for contact numbers and the location of your local community dentist.