Best Dentists in Dunedin
We assessed 20 dentists in Dunedin and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 640 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 13 August 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Dental fees in NZ are unregulated and vary widely between practices, so the same treatment can cost very differently across town. Ask for a written treatment plan with itemised costs before agreeing to anything, check whether the dentist is registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand, and ask how after-hours emergencies are handled.
Top 5 Dentists in Dunedin
The top 5 dentists in Dunedin are #1 Chew Dental, #2 Dunedin Dental, #3 Bell Hill Dental, #4 Synergy Dental, and #5 Pitt Street Dental, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you choose.
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1
Chew Dental
★ 4.8 117 reviews +6 Top5 Score 158 +25★ 111 3★ 2 1★ 4Chew Dental draws a steady stream of dental-anxious patients who leave willing to book again, covering routine care, wisdom tooth surgery, and implant consultations. Dentists like David, Fred, and Natalia talk through options and costs before proceeding, and patients consistently note they were not pushed toward procedures they did not need.
location_on 2 Jenkins Street, Green Island, Dunedin
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2
Dunedin Dental
★ 4.9 86 reviews Top5 Score 1565★ 83 4★ 1 3★ 1 2★ 1Dunedin Dental builds long-term treatment plans for patients arriving with significant dental backlogs, seeing cases through from heavy remedial work to ongoing maintenance. Dentists Joel and Raquel are named repeatedly for taking time to explain findings in plain language and adapting their approach to patients with sensory sensitivities or dental anxiety.
location_on Dunedin Dental Building 1/169 Princes Street, Central City, Dunedin
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3
Bell Hill Dental
★ 4.9 82 reviews +4 Top5 Score 155 +15★ 80 1★ 2Bell Hill Dental gets anxious and long-lapsed patients through fillings, extractions, root canals, and tooth repairs without pain, often on the same day they call. Dentists like Ally, Claudia, Harriet, and Kerri take time to walk patients through each step in plain language before proceeding, which reviewers credit for turning dreaded appointments into ones they willingly rebook.
location_on 109 Princes Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin
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4
Synergy Dental
★ 4.6 102 reviews +1 Top5 Score 152 +65★ 91 2★ 2 1★ 9Synergy Dental fits people who have avoided dentists for years, offering extractions, fillings, tooth repairs, and hygiene cleans, with late appointments that remove the need to take time off work. Dentists John, Hannah, and Robin are named for adapting to anxiety, low anaesthetic tolerance, and complex health needs, and the EMS water-based cleaning system has brought back patients who previously could not tolerate standard plaque removal.
location_on 8 Water Street Level 7 John Wickliffe House, 265 Princes Street, Dunedin
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5
Pitt Street Dental Dunedin | Lumino The Dentists
↑ 5★ 4.6 66 reviews +15 Top5 Score 147 +115★ 56 4★ 2 3★ 3 2★ 1 1★ 4Pitt Street Dental brings anxious and long-lapsed patients through routine hygiene, tooth repairs, and cosmetic work like composite bonding, with named clinicians Ken, Bhavya, Lee, Charlotte, and Abby each cited for putting nervous patients at ease. Weekend and same-day emergency slots mean out-of-towners and urgent cases get seen without a weeks-long wait.
location_on 10 Pitt Street, Dunedin North, Dunedin
Before you choose a dentist in Dunedin
Drawn from 171 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does dental treatment typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
Adult dental care in New Zealand is largely user-pays, with no public subsidy for most adults. A standard check-up and clean runs between $100 and $250, while fillings range from $150 to $400 depending on size and material.
Crowns cost between $1,500 and $2,500 or more, and root canals sit in a similar bracket. Children under 18 get free basic dental care through the Community Dental Service, and WINZ emergency dental grants are available for eligible adults facing urgent treatment costs.
How do I check that a dentist is registered and what to do if something goes wrong? expand_more
Every practising dentist in New Zealand must hold a current annual practising certificate issued by the Dental Council of New Zealand, and you can verify this for free on the public register at dentalcouncil.org.nz before you book. Dental hygienists and dental therapists are registered separately under the same Council, so check the correct category for whoever will be treating you.
If something goes wrong, the Health and Disability Commissioner investigates complaints about care quality and patient rights, while the Dental Council handles conduct and fitness-to-practise matters. For billing disputes or minor concerns, raising the issue directly with the practice first is the standard first step in New Zealand.
How do I avoid being sold treatment I do not need? expand_more
Ask for a written treatment plan with itemised costs and alternatives before agreeing to anything, since a trustworthy practice will provide this without hesitation. Reviewers specifically noted appreciating dentists who did not push procedures that were unnecessary, which is a useful benchmark when assessing your own experience.
X-rays and clinical photos should be shown and explained to you so you can see the evidence behind any recommendation. If a treatment feels premature or the cost is significant, a second opinion from another registered dentist is entirely reasonable and a good practice will not discourage you from seeking one.
What are the warning signs of a dental practice you should avoid? expand_more
- –Pressure to commit to expensive treatment in the same appointment, without time to consider options or seek a second opinion.
- –No written itemised quote before work begins, leaving you with surprise charges at payment.
- –Fees that differ significantly from what was discussed at booking, with no explanation offered.
- –Poor workmanship that fails shortly after treatment, combined with difficulty getting the practice to address it.
- –Unprofessional conduct from reception staff, including dismissive or mocking responses to patient enquiries.
- –Unusual payment practices, such as refusing card payments without prior notice or other policies that feel controlling rather than patient-focused.
What should you ask before booking a dentist? expand_more
- –Ask what the first visit costs in total, including any x-rays, so there are no surprises at checkout.
- –Ask whether they provide a written treatment plan with costs and alternative options before any work is approved.
- –Ask how they handle after-hours or weekend dental emergencies, since some practices offer this and others refer you elsewhere.
- –Ask whether you will see the same dentist at each visit, as continuity matters particularly for ongoing or complex treatment.
- –Ask how they support nervous or anxious patients, since several Dunedin practices have explicit approaches to this and it is worth knowing before you arrive.
- –Ask about appointment availability, including whether early morning or late evening slots exist, to avoid unnecessary time off work.
Also recommended dentists in Dunedin
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Knox Dental Centre | Lumino The Dentists
↑ 2★ 4.8 50 reviews +4 Top5 Score 147 +75★ 47 1★ 3Knox Dental Centre handles fillings, implant consultations, hygiene cleans, and routine check-ups, with multiple named dentists including Jacob, Chuen, Murray, and Grady each cited for walking patients through every step before proceeding. Early morning and late evening appointments on weekdays mean working patients can get seen without rearranging their day.
location_on 483 George Street, Dunedin North, Dunedin
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7
Dental Care Dunedin
↓ 2★ 5.0 37 reviews +6 Top5 Score 147 +25★ 37Dental Care Dunedin fits patients who need to be seen quickly, with same-day appointments arranged even for travellers leaving the country that evening, covering fillings, wisdom tooth extractions, implant repairs, and night guards. Dentist Jed is named repeatedly for making nervous patients feel at ease and for explaining what caused a problem so they leave knowing how to avoid a repeat.
location_on 504 George Street, Dunedin North, Dunedin
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8
Smile Co Dental
↓ 2★ 4.9 41 reviews +5 Top5 Score 146 +35★ 39 4★ 1 1★ 1Smile Co Dental draws patients who have avoided the dentist for years, sometimes decades, through fillings, molar repairs, hygiene cleans, and ongoing treatment planning. Dentists Nikki and Mariam are each named for explaining procedures in plain language, checking comfort throughout, and leaving patients relaxed enough to book follow-up appointments they had previously put off.
location_on 373 Princes Street, Dunedin
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9
The Dental Walrus
↓ 2★ 4.8 32 reviews Top5 Score 142 +15★ 30 3★ 1 1★ 1At The Dental Walrus, pricing that sits well below the Dunedin average means patients who have been putting off fillings, broken tooth repairs, and check-ups are actually getting seen. They take time to walk patients through each step using a mirror so nothing happens without warning, and same-day appointments for urgent cases, including travellers mid-trip, are a regular feature.
location_on 27I Albany Street, Dunedin North, Dunedin
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10
Smart Dental Care
↓ 1★ 4.9 27 reviews Top5 Score 141 +25★ 26 1★ 1Smart Dental Care delivers fillings, extractions, hygiene cleans, and multi-procedure sessions for patients with complicated dental histories, with clinicians like Asha, Catherine, and Jo each named for genuine mechanical skill and attention to detail. Patients who have spent years dreading the chair report leaving without pain and willing to return, crediting work that has outlasted results from other practices.
location_on 161 High Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin
About this ranking
What the 10 dentists listed above hold, at the 13 August 2026 check.
We first assessed dentists in Dunedin in June 2026 and have rechecked the ranking once since. Across the 14 locations we assess dentists in, the 140 businesses listed have a median rating of 4.9, and one-star reviews are 3.3% of their total.
What has changed since June 2026? expand_more
- Aug 2026
Scoring method updated. Pitt Street Dental entered the top 5, up from #10. Dental Care Dunedin left the top 5, down to #7.
- Jun 2026
First check. Chew Dental #1.
How are the top dentists in Dunedin chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for dentists in Dunedin. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for dentists in Dunedin. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.