Finding a dentist in Mooloolaba
Mooloolaba is best known for the beach, the Esplanade and the spit, so it's easy to forget it's also a proper residential suburb with year-round locals who need a regular dentist. The dental scene here is smaller than in Maroochydore next door, but the practices that are here are well established, and they're used to seeing holidaymakers who crack a tooth on the first day of their trip.
Mooloolaba Dental
The longest-running practice in town is Mooloolaba Dental at 51 Brisbane Road, which was set up as a family practice in 1981 and was known for years as Fenton Dental. It covers general and cosmetic dentistry, children's dentistry, implants, Invisalign and emergency care, and runs a sister practice called Swell Dental.
- Address: 51 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
- Parking: behind the practice. Enter from Brisbane Road heading south, or from Burnett Lane if you're coming from the north
- Saturdays: by appointment
If you'd rather compare a few options, Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Buderim and the Kawana corridor are all within a 10 to 15 minute drive and have plenty of general practices between them.
Typical dental costs around Mooloolaba
These are typical private fees on the Sunshine Coast before health fund rebates. Coastal practices in Mooloolaba and Noosa usually land in the middle to upper part of each range.
| Treatment | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Check-up, clean and X-rays | $220 - $360 |
| Emergency exam and X-ray | $100 - $200 |
| Tooth-coloured filling | $160 - $320 |
| Root canal, molar (excluding crown) | $1,700 - $2,800 |
| Crown, per tooth | $1,500 - $2,200 |
| 3-unit bridge | $3,500 - $5,500 |
| Single implant with crown | $5,000 - $7,000 |
If you need a dentist while you're visiting
- Ring a practice as soon as it opens and say you have a dental emergency. Same-day slots fill up early.
- Have your health fund card with you. Most clinics use HICAPS, so you can claim straight away.
- Take pain relief as directed on the packet, and avoid putting aspirin directly on the gum.
- If a tooth is knocked out, hold it by the crown, keep it in milk and get to a dentist within the hour.
- Go to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Birtinya, or call 000, for facial swelling, fever or trouble breathing or swallowing.
Public and subsidised dental
Queensland Health runs community oral health clinics on the Sunshine Coast for adults with a current Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card and for eligible children. Families on Family Tax Benefit Part A can also use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule at participating private clinics, which bulk bills basic dental care for kids up to a capped amount over two calendar years.
Choosing well
- Ask which health funds the practice is a preferred provider for.
- For cosmetic or implant work, ask to see before and after photos of the dentist's own cases.
- Get a written quote with item numbers for anything over a few hundred dollars.
- If you're only in town for a week, ask whether treatment can be split so the next stage is done back home.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a dentist in Mooloolaba open on Saturday?
Mooloolaba Dental at 51 Brisbane Road sees patients on Saturdays by appointment. Ring during the week to book, as weekend slots go quickly in the holiday season.
I'm on holiday in Mooloolaba and have a toothache. What should I do?
Call a local practice first thing in the morning and say it's an emergency, as most keep a few same-day slots. Bring your health fund card, since HICAPS lets you claim on the spot even far from home. For severe swelling, fever or trouble breathing or swallowing, go to Sunshine Coast University Hospital or call 000.
Are dentists in Mooloolaba more expensive?
Fees in Mooloolaba tend to sit around the middle to upper end of the Sunshine Coast range. Maroochydore, five to ten minutes away, has more clinics and a bit more price competition if you're shopping around.
Where is public dental on the Sunshine Coast?
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service runs community oral health clinics for eligible adults with a concession card and for eligible children. Clinics are in larger centres such as Maroochydore, Nambour and Caloundra, and the service will tell you which one to attend when you call.