What’s the cost of a scale and clean in Australia?
A scale and clean can cost you as much as $350 without health insurance, but it’s free with most basic extras policies.
Key takeaways
- A scale and clean costs between $150 and $350 if you don't have health insurance.
- It's included in most basic extras policies with no out of pocket fees.
- Scale and cleans often have shorter waiting periods, or no waiting period at all in health insurance.
What is a scale and clean?
A dental scale and clean helps prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral issues by removing plaque and tartar buildup that your tooth brush or dental floss may miss.
The whole procedure normally takes about 30 minutes in a dentist chair and can be booked as part of a regular check-up. It can sometimes include deep cleaning which generally consists of 2 parts:
- Scaling – this involves removing plaque from under the gumline.
- Root planing – this involves removing plaque and build-up from the roots of your teeth.
How often you need a scale and clean depends on your oral hygiene habits and plaque accumulation. Generally, it's recommended every 3 to 6 months.
What does a scale and clean cost?
With a $3-a-week extras insurance policy, a scale and clean is unlikely to cost you anything. Here's a breakdown of scale and clean costs with and without insurance.
With extras cover
General dental covers a scale and clean, and costs around $12 per month. Many health funds offer no gap dental check-ups (which includes a clean and polish or scale and clean) – so you won't have any out-of-pocket expenses.
Without extras cover
Scale and clean costs between $150 and $350 without health insurance, though prices vary depending on the dentist you go to.
Extras cover that includes deep cleaning
Here are some Finder partners that offer a benefit for a scale and clean. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $105,000 income and living in Sydney.
"I'm a bit fanatical about my teeth and like to get them cleaned 4 times per year instead of the usual 2. I took out a high coverage extras policy that gives me unlimited coverage for routine dental - including scale & clean."
Is a scale and clean covered by Medicare?
Only for eligible children. Dental care in general is only covered by Medicare for children as part of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). You'll have up to $1,158 per eligible child over 2 consecutive calendar years for basic dental services, including scale and cleans. The cap is indexed each 1 January.
Any dental care or procedures you need as an adult unfortunately won't be covered by Medicare.
Are there any waiting periods for a scale and clean?
Most extras health policies will have a fairly short waiting period for a scale and clean. This is the minimum time you need to wait after buying your health insurance before you can make a claim on a particular treatment or condition.
Scale and cleans are fairly routine and aren't considered a major procedure. So the average waiting period is around 2 months, however, we've also seen a number providers with no waiting period at all.
FAQs
More resources on Finder
More guides on Finder
-
Tooth filling cost in Australia
Learn about the tooth filling types, procedure and costs. Discover how your private health insurance can help cover the expense and save you money.
-
Bite me! How much do dentures cost?
Find out how much dentures cost in Australia and how you can get cover with mid-level health insurance.
-
Tooth crown health insurance
Getting a crown fitted is an important way to protect vulnerable teeth, and the right extras policy will help keep the bill manageable.
-
No gap dental
Did you know many Australian health funds can provide you with discounts on preventative oral treatments through no gap dental programs?
-
How much is a tooth extraction?
Have you been putting off that niggling tooth pain? See how much it costs to have your tooth extraction on public vs private.
-
How much does wisdom teeth removal cost?
Need to have your wisdom teeth removed? Find out how much it will cost in this handy guide.
-
Does Medicare cover dental treatment?
Most general dental treatments are not covered by Medicare unless you are an eligible patient, usually with a concession card.
-
Major Dental Insurance
finder.com.au outlines how the private and public health system in Australia handles major and complex dental procedures.
-
Health insurance for endodontic services
We’ve got all the info on what endodontics services are, how Australian health insurance providers handle them and what policies will cover you.