Our dental services
Eligible patients who live in the Western NSW Local Health District can access free public dental (oral health) services.
Our permanent dental clinics are located in:
Bathurst
Cowra (children only)
Dubbo
Forbes
Mudgee
Orange
Parkes
Our teams also provide outreach dental services to other communities, including mobile dental services.
Who is eligible
All children aged under 18 years who live in Western NSW LHD and have a Medicare card can access free dental care at our public dental clinics. Children may also be eligible for the Australian Government's Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), which is like Medicare, to help pay for dental care provided by any service provider.
Adults can access our free public dental services if they live in Western NSW LHD, have a valid Medicare card and hold one of the following Australian Government concession cards:
- Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Contact us
To make an appointment or find out more call the Dental Contact Centre on 1300 552 626.
Please have your Medicare card ready, and your concession card if you are 18 years or older.
What to expect
When you contact us, we will ask some questions about your dental problem and your general health.
In most cases, you will be placed on a waiting list and contacted as soon as an appointment is available. The wait time will depend on how urgent your dental needs are compared to others also waiting for the service.
If your dental condition gets worse while you’re waiting for an appointment, contact us again to be reassessed.
Let us know if your contact details change while you are waiting for an appointment.
Our service plan and reports
Our local service plan builds on the NSW Oral Health Strategic plan, to meet the needs of our local communities. We also report regularly on how our service is performing.
If you would like a copy of the Western NSW LHD Oral Health Strategic Framework please email the Oral Health Contact Centre at WNSWLHD-OHContactCentre@health.nsw.gov.au
During 2023-2024 our patient surveys told us:
97% of patients:
- felt treated with respect and kindness by staff
- received enough information about treatment and had their questions answered
- would recommend our dental service to family and friends.
96% of patients:
- had confidence and trust in the staff at the dental clinic
- felt involved in decisions about care and treatment
- felt helped with any worries about dental care.
Aboriginal patient visits 2023-2024
Western NSW LHD sets targets to ensure our Aboriginal communities are supported with their dental health. In 2023-24 we exceeded our targets, with 25% of patients using our service identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
97% of patients said they were treated with respect and courtesy by staff and 97% said they would recommend the service to family and friends.
