
Payment Plans and Health Insurance
Quality dentistry can be expensive — let’s not pretend otherwise. That’s why we believe in total transparency when it comes to our pricing. While our website provides you with guiding estimates, you’ll receive a personalised treatment plan from your first appointment with us, so you know what costs to expect right from the very beginning.
We care deeply about your dental health, which is why we offer payment plan options. They’re simple, flexible and are tailored to suit you and your budget. No complicated contracts, no credit checks, no interest just a helping hand for those who need it. We also process most health insurance at the time of your appointment with HICAPS, saving you time.
Denticare
We’re committed to ensuring quality dentistry is accessible to everyone. We proudly offer DentiCare Payment Plans to help our patients get the best care. DentiCare Payment Plans are interest free, simple, flexible and are tailored to suit you.
0% Interest
Pay absolutely no interest on your spend total - ever.
20% deposit
Applications are submitted online and only take about 5 minutes to complete, at the time of your appointment.
Pay later
Receive the treatment you need and pay over 12 or 24 months. Your choice of weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments.
Big things, little things
We offer payment plan options for treatment starting at $2000 and up to $15,000. This means you can pay for smaller treatment plans, as well as larger treatment plans. Find out more
The details provided above are only an indication of the potential financial options offers. We encourage our clients to manage their financial decisions carefully and to seek third party advice if necessary. Please contact us for further guidance on payment plan options.
Book a consultOn-the-spot Claims
We process most health insurance with HICAPS on the spot, saving you time. Swipe your card and just pay the gap. Not sure if your health insurance provider is accepted? You can check below.
If you have any questions at all call at 1300 2 ADAWN and we’ll talk you through it.
- HCF
- Australian Unity
- Australian Unity
- Medibank – Private
- NIB Health Funds
- ACA Health Benefits Fund
- Australian Unity
- HIF
- CBHS Health Fund
- AHM
- HBF
- Peoplecare
- Navy Health
- Defence Health
- CUA
- Police Health
- TUH
- Uni Health
- Rail and Transport Health Fund
- Doctors health fund
- Healthcare insurance
- Nurses Midwives health
- ADF Family health
- Westfund
- Frank Health Insurance
- Queensland Country Health Fund
- Phoenix Health Fund
- Teachers Health
- Reserve Bank Health Society
- Health.com.au
- GMHBA
- Emergency Services Health
- One Medi Fund
- CBHS Corporate Health
- Suncorp
- Territory health Fund
- Qantas Insurance
- AAMI
- Mildura Health Fund
- Health partners
- AIA Health Insurance
- Union Health
- Latrobe Health Services
- Transport Health
Not using insurance? Here’s what to expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is dental work so expensive?
A dental surgery is essentially a mini operating theatre. The cost of overheads typically accounts for around 80% of dental fees. These overheads may include dental training and education, technology, safe materials and equipment, sterilisation costs, staff costs, and specific treatment costs.
Why do dental fees vary so much?
Each dental practice sets their fees according to their unique overheads. They may take into consideration: the skill and experience level of the practitioners, treatment time, quality of materials and products used, rent and utilities expenses, staff support systems and warranties provided.
How can I save on dental costs?
Although it can feel expensive at the time, regular preventative dental care can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Oral health is an investment and delaying dental treatment can lead to devastating effects. If your budget is tight, we recommend looking into our payment plans instead of delaying your visit to the dentist. You’ll thank yourself later.
How much will I be out of pocket for my treatment?
Even though we can process your claim on the spot, the decision of how much an item of treatment is rebated lies with your health insurance company, as determined by your level of cover and its business rules. This is not determined by Adawn. Our primary duty is to our clients and our objective is to provide our clients with the best possible care that suits their needs. Hence, we are proudly not affiliated with any health insurance company.
Do you offer no-gap Dentistry?
No. Some health insurance companies try to influence their member’s choice of dentist in a bid to reduce their costs (while increasing premiums). Health insurance companies may seek to subtly influence your choice of provider with schemes such as “members select” or “preferred provider” or by setting up their own clinics and recommending them to you. However, can you be sure you’re getting the best quality care when your dentist may be more worried about what the medical insurance companies say, than what you do?
Being affiliated in schemes such as preferred provider or ‘Member’s Select’ requires the dentist to sign an agreement with the health insurance company which then refers patients to that dentist. In exchange the dentist agrees to a set of fees for performing certain procedures. This creates incentives for the dentist to carry out certain treatments and not others. By not signing a contract with them, we keep the primary relationship with our patients and have no other influence in clinical decision making other than what is best for you. Therefore, we always offer all the options to you and suggest what is in your interest (rather than what is in our best interest or the interest of the health insurance company).
Is it worth getting private health insurance to cover my dental treatment?
The short answer is, probably not.
The longer answer is more interesting, however. As you may be aware, private health insurance is comprised of two components: hospital and extras cover. Tax benefits are only applicable for hospital cover, so the real question is “Is it worth getting extras cover?”
When considering this question, it’s a good idea to get a health insurance quote for hospital only, and extras only cover or to determine how much you are paying for extras cover. The next step is to identify how much the insurance company would give you back for all your health-related claims in a year (their rebate)- this includes not only dental but all allied health insurance like physio, optical, massage etc.
The most common dental item numbers that people claim twice a year are:
012- Periodic examination
114 - Removal of calculus (cleaning)
121 - Topical application of fluoride
022 - X-rays
Each company will rebate a portion of the invoiced fee, leaving you with an out-of-pocket payment often known as a gap. If the total rebate you are going to claim each year is more than the amount you pay on extras cover then it may be worth getting extras insurance. Please note, health insurance companies will place restrictions like waiting periods and annual limits to prevent you from claiming too much otherwise they will not make a profit for their shareholders.
Many people find that unless you claim a lot on other allied healthcare it’s generally not worth getting extras cover just to help cover your dental treatment alone as by the time you factor in your annual premium and the gap, you’ll likely be better off without extras and just paying out of pocket for what you need. This is also why most of us don’t take out extra’s health cover.
Ultimately the choice to have extras cover is one that each individual and family will make. Some decide that they won’t take on extras cover, but it’s important to remember that your teeth need looking after whether you have cover or not.
Whether you have insurance or not is up to you, but don’t let a medical insurance company decide what happens to your teeth, they’re far too important for that.
Is it true that most insurance companies do not cover major dental work?
In some ways looking after your teeth is a bit like looking after your car. Cars that are well maintained run better and seldom need expensive work done. The same is true of your teeth, a regular six monthly check up coupled with a good oral hygiene routine is very inexpensive, costing only a few hundred dollars a year. Most health insurance companies cover a large portion of regular checkup and cleans.
However, just like when you hear a grinding noise under the bonnet that you ignore and hope will go away (resulting in breaking down in the middle of an intersection during peak hour), ignoring problems with your teeth can lead to a bad toothache at the worst possible time (during an exam, or a job interview, a wedding, or an overseas trip).
When that delayed visit is finally undertaken, people are often surprised at just how much it costs to treat a bigger problem and how little they get back from their insurance companies. The rebates from insurance companies for major dental treatment, haven’t changed in decades, yet the cost of staff, materials and equipment have been increasing every year. This means you’re paying a bigger gap each year on top of your ever-increasing premiums. Many insurance companies do not cover major dental treatments well.
Do you recommend a specific health insurance company?
Adawn is not affiliated with any insurance companies. When asked this question by our patients we always suggest a health fund that is not-for-profit. This means that they reinvest their profits each year to pay benefits to their members and to cover operating costs, such as marketing, paying staff, rent and other overheads. Patients are wanting more and expecting better from their health insurance, which is why the health funds that are run to benefit their members are changing the health insurance landscape for the better. Health insurance should be about protecting the health of members, not making profits for others. More information on these health funds can be found here.