Essential dental treatment costs covered
Special Needs Grants for essential dental treatments and services include (but are not limited to):
Treatment | Explanation |
Consultations | Ad-hoc consultations (and associated x-rays) to investigate a particular oral health need or concern e.g. toothache or sensitivity. Note The Special Needs Grant cannot be used to cover the cost of ad-hoc consultations if no immediate need for essential dental treatment is identified. |
Extractions | Removal of a tooth beyond repair or restoration. |
Fillings (tooth restoration) | Treatment to restore a tooth to full function, often by removing damaged tooth tissue and filling the space with a filling material. Note The cost of a filling cannot be covered by a Special Needs Grant for essential dental treatment when it is for aesthetic purposes only i.e. to correct chips, cracks or misshapen teeth that are not, or will not, cause an oral health issue. |
Root canal treatment (excluding molars) | Treatment to eliminate bacteria from an infected root canal, prevent reinfection, and save the tooth. Root canals are generally only performed on incisors, canines, and pre-molars. This treatment is not generally suitable for molars. Note The cost of molar root canal treatment cannot be covered by a Special Needs Grant for essential dental treatment unless exceptional circumstances exist. |
Treatment of infection | Treatment of a tooth abscess or gum infection. Treatment may be done in stages, with the infection being treated first and the repair or restoration completed once the infection has healed. Temporary treatments needed to enable permanent treatment of the oral health issue are also covered e.g. packing the tooth or providing antibiotics. |
Some dental treatments and services are not essential and cannot be included in a Special Needs Grant for essential dental treatment.
However, the following treatments can be included in specific circumstances:
- molar root canal treatment in exceptional circumstances
- clean, scale and polish required to treat a gum infection
Molar root canal treatment in exceptional circumstances
It may be appropriate to cover the cost of this treatment if the client has exceptional circumstances that mean a molar root canal is the only treatment option for them. This is usually when extraction of a tooth is not recommended for medical reasons. For example:
- the client has had previous radiation therapy in the area or
- they must take medication that may lead to medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw if teeth are extracted
For more information see:
Legislation
- Dental Treatment clause 11.9 Special Needs Grants Programme
