Smile Dental have a number of ACC registered dentists across Auckland.
Does ACC cover dental treatment ?
ACC is the government agency that compensates individuals who have sustained injuries through accidents. This includes dental injuries. ACC may be able to help towards your treatment costs if you have a dental injury caused by an accident, a sporting injury, or as a result of dental treatment.
What support can I get?
In most cases, the dentist will treat you and ACC will pay part of the cost. If your injury is more serious, we may be able to help in other ways, for instance, if you need time off work. Many preventable dental injuries happen on the sports field. A well-fitted mouthguard is a sporting essential. See ACC Sportsmart protective equipment and our sports injury prevention section for more information, or ask your dentist about this.
What do I need to do?
- If you suffer a dental injury, see your dentist about the injury as soon as possible. Make sure that your treatment is carried out by a registered dentist.（Smile Dental have a number of ACC registered dentists across Auckland.）Treatment carried out by a dental technician is not covered by ACC.
- Your dentist will help you complete an ACC claim form, which they’ll send to us. In most cases， the dentist will treat you on the first visit and charge you part of their normal fee. We’ll pay the rest of the cost.
- If you need to take time off work due to your injury, discuss this with your doctor or nurse. They’ll complete a medical certificate for you, if they confirm that you do need time off work.
- If you need further treatment, you may need to see a specialist or revisit your dentist . If you are likely to need treatment from a specialist we must approve this treatment as necessary and appropriate first. Your dentist will discuss your treatment with you and can show you the ACC Schedule of Dental Treatment Costs Contributions. You need to ensure you are fully informed of what your financial responsibility is before undergoing any dental treatment.
How does ACC decide if I am covered?
ACC may cover dental injuries caused:
- by a sporting injury
- by an accident
- as a result of medical or dental treatment.
ACC doesn’t cover dental claims if the:
- damage to your teeth or dentures is due to normal wear and tear
- damage happened to your dentures when you were not wearing them.
- treatment was carried out by a dental technician
- The amount that ACC can contribute depends on the kind of injury and the condition of your mouth, dentures, and teeth before the injury happens.
What information does ACC need from me?
Your dentist will need to complete an ACC42 Dental Injury Claim form. This form has more specific details about your dental injury. For more information on making a claim with ACC, please click here. If you have further questions or to book your teen in, contact us on 0800 476 453 (0800 4 SMILE) or find your nearest dental practice HERE.