Visiting the Gold Coast?
Dentist for international students & working-holiday visitors
On a student or working-holiday visa on the Gold Coast? Here's how dental care, OSHC/OVHC and costs really work — and how to get seen without a Medicare card.
The Gold Coast hosts tens of thousands of international students and working-holiday makers, and Surfers Paradise is where many of them live, study and work. Most arrive assuming their visa health cover includes the dentist. Usually it doesn't: Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) cover hospitals and GPs, and dental only if you've added an 'extras' package.
The good news: you don't need Medicare to see a dentist in Australia. You pay directly, prices are transparent (see our costs pages), and if you do have dental extras we claim them on the spot with HICAPS. Our team speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese, and we're a few minutes' walk from the language schools and hostels around Cavill Avenue.
Three things worth doing in your first month
- Check your OSHC or OVHC policy for the word 'extras' or 'dental' — if it's there, you're covered for part of most treatments
- Book a check-up and clean while nothing hurts — it's the cheapest visit you'll have, and it catches problems while they're small
- Save our number, (07) 5636 6068, so you're not searching for a dentist at midnight
Frequently asked questions
Ready for a healthier smile?
Book online in under a minute, or call our friendly team — we'll find a time that works for you.