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Best Dentists in Napier and Hastings

We assessed 32 dentists in Napier and Hastings and ranked the top 5 on their public review record: rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The 10 listed below hold 760 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 15 July 2026. How we rank →

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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 Napier and Hastings

The top 5 dentists in Napier and Hastings are The Dentists Taradale, David Marriott Dental, Dentiq, Lumino Havelock North, and Lumino Taradale, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you choose.

  • 1

    The Dentists - Taradale

    ★ 4.9 227 reviews Top5 Score 168
    5★ 217 4★ 3 2★ 1 1★ 6

    The Dentists Taradale works well for people who dread the chair, with staff including Mei and Sean consistently helping nervous patients feel at ease through fillings, surgery, scale and polish, and structural repair work. Dentist and assistant pairings like Mei and Phoebe work closely together, and patients say the team takes time to explain what needs doing before starting any procedure.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients needing thorough, supported dental care

    • ✓ Dentist and nurse pairs explain each step before starting treatment
    • ✓ Anxious patients report feeling genuinely supported throughout appointments
    • ✓ Treatment plans are clearly communicated across multi-visit procedures

    location_on 18 Meeanee Road, Taradale, Napier

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  • 2

    David Marriott Dental

    ★ 4.8 98 reviews Top5 Score 154
    5★ 88 4★ 5 3★ 1 1★ 4

    David Marriott Dental covers cleanings, fillings, crowns, extractions, and dentures, with multiple reviewers noting they felt nothing during procedures and left more comfortable than they expected. They also accommodate urgent same-day appointments and offer payment plans including WINZ quotes, which makes getting treatment done easier regardless of budget.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients nervous about pain wanting same-day care

    • ✓ Same-day cancellation slots available for urgent dental needs
    • ✓ Payment plans and WINZ quotes offered to spread treatment costs
    • ✓ Patients report pain-free fillings and extractions across multiple visits

    location_on 300 Southampton Street West, St Leonards, Hastings

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  • 3

    Dentiq

    ★ 4.7 105 reviews Top5 Score 150
    5★ 95 4★ 2 3★ 1 1★ 7

    Dentiq handles fillings, crowns, extractions, operculectomies, and gum work, with Dr Sundar known for explaining each procedure in detail and actively managing pain and comfort throughout. Patients travel from outside Napier specifically to stay with the practice, and the team follows up after treatment to check recovery progress.

    Reviews most often describe: Families wanting thorough, pain-aware care across complex procedures

    • ✓ Dentist explains treatment options clearly before any procedure begins
    • ✓ Patients report feeling little to no pain during sensitive procedures
    • ✓ Flexible appointment scheduling fitted around patients' existing routines

    location_on 20 Gloucester Street, Greenmeadows, Napier

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  • 4

    Lumino Havelock North | Lumino The Dentists

    ★ 5.0 32 reviews Top5 Score 144
    5★ 31 4★ 1

    Lumino Havelock North keeps patients coming back over many years, with dentists including Sarah and Lauren carrying out fillings, tooth repairs, and general care while explaining each step before touching anything. When something goes wrong between appointments, they get people seen within hours of calling, which takes the stress out of dental emergencies.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients wanting a calm, long-term dental relationship

    • ✓ Dentists explain each step clearly before beginning any procedure
    • ✓ Emergency appointments available within hours of phoning the clinic
    • ✓ Whole team from receptionist to dentist known for gentle, careful treatment

    location_on 57 Middle Road, Havelock North

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  • 5

    Taradale Dentist, Napier - Lumino The Dentists

    ★ 4.7 62 reviews Top5 Score 144
    5★ 57 4★ 1 1★ 4

    Lumino Taradale gets results across fillings, full smile restorations, and hygiene appointments, with dentists including Andrew and Paola and hygienist Elsie each drawing repeat praise for patient comfort and attention to detail. Beyond fixing immediate problems, the team takes time to explain treatment clearly at every stage and patients report outcomes that exceeded what they expected going in.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients wanting thorough, restorative dental results

    • ✓ Nervous patients consistently leave feeling relaxed during treatment
    • ✓ Dentists explain each stage clearly before and throughout procedures
    • ✓ Visible restorative results achieved within a defined treatment timeframe

    location_on 20A Puketapu Road, Taradale, Napier

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Before you choose a dentist in Napier and Hastings

Drawn from 162 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 general government subsidy. A standard check-up and clean runs between $100 and $250, and basic fillings range from around $150 to $400. Crowns can cost $1,500 to $2,500 or more, and root canals sit in a similar range depending on complexity. If cost is a barrier, WINZ offers emergency dental grants, and one local practice reviewed here explicitly offers payment plans for working patients.

How do I check that a dentist is registered and what to do if something goes wrong? expand_more

Every dentist practising in New Zealand must hold a current registration and annual practising certificate issued by the Dental Council of New Zealand, which you can verify free of charge on the public register at dentalcouncil.org.nz before you book. Dental hygienists and dental therapists are regulated separately by the same council, so if your appointment is with a hygienist or therapist rather than a dentist, check their registration category matches the work being done. If something goes wrong, your first step is raising the concern directly with the practice, and reviews here show that practices which respond well to complaints tend to resolve issues quickly. For unresolved or serious concerns, the Health and Disability Commissioner investigates complaints about any health provider under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act, and the Dental Council itself can impose conditions, suspend, or deregister a practitioner for conduct issues.

How do I avoid being sold treatment I do not need? expand_more

Ask for a written treatment plan with itemised costs and a clear explanation of why each item is recommended before agreeing to anything, and a good practice will show you x-rays or photos to justify the work. Reviews here flagged cases where patients were quoted for extensive treatment on a first visit without adequate explanation, and in one instance a patient was quoted for four times the work they came in for, so if a quote feels disproportionate, a second opinion from another registered dentist is entirely reasonable. Distinguishing necessary treatment from optional or cosmetic work is easier when your dentist explains what happens if you delay, because urgent issues like infection or structural failure carry real consequences, while cosmetic options carry none beyond appearance.

What are the warning signs of a dental practice you should avoid? expand_more
  • –Surprise charges that exceed the quoted price without prior explanation, as flagged in multiple reviews where patients were billed $60 to $70 more than the quoted amount for a standard clean.
  • –Pressure to commit to expensive treatment on the spot during a first visit, with no written plan and no time to consider alternatives.
  • –Rushed appointments where the dentist spends only a few minutes on a procedure billed as a full service, leaving patients feeling shortchanged on care.
  • –A dentist whose manner becomes cold or hostile when a patient raises concerns or returns with a problem, rather than engaging constructively with the issue.
  • –No follow-up contact after a complex procedure, which is a gap noted in contrast to practices that proactively call patients the next day.
  • –Referral to a specialist only after repeated failed attempts at a procedure, rather than recognising the limits of their scope early and referring promptly.
What should you ask before booking a dentist? expand_more
  • –Ask what the total cost of a first visit will be, including x-rays and any examination fee, so you are not caught by a bill higher than expected.
  • –Ask whether the practice provides a written treatment plan with itemised costs and alternative options before any work begins.
  • –Ask how they handle after-hours dental emergencies, since some practices here have offered same-day or early-morning appointments for urgent cases while others have had patients wait weeks.
  • –Ask whether you will see the same dentist at each visit, as continuity matters for building a treatment history and for anxious patients who need to rebuild trust.
  • –Ask specifically how they support nervous patients, because several practices in this area have explicit approaches for anxiety management that go well beyond a general assurance of being gentle.

Dentists ranked 6 to 10 in Napier and Hastings

They scored below the top 5 on the same public review record.

  • 6

    Parkside Dental

    ★ 4.8 38 reviews Top5 Score 143
    5★ 35 4★ 1 3★ 1 2★ 1

    Parkside Dental carries out wisdom tooth extractions, fillings, crowns, deep gum cleaning, and toothache treatment, with dentists including Kris, Zinah, and Gawin each drawing specific repeat praise from patients. Kris in particular caught a cancerous lip sore during a routine visit and arranged specialist referral promptly, and the practice follows up with patients by phone the day after treatment.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients wanting attentive care from named dentists

    • ✓ Dentists explain procedures clearly before and after treatment
    • ✓ Phone follow-up from the practice the day after appointments
    • ✓ Quoted costs came in lower than patients expected beforehand

    location_on 514 Kennedy Road, Greenmeadows, Napier

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  • 7

    Smilehaus Dental

    ★ 4.9 31 reviews Top5 Score 142
    5★ 29 4★ 1 3★ 1

    Smilehaus Dental gets nervous patients through extractions, wisdom tooth removals, check-ups, and general dental treatment, with dentists Wynton, Josh, and Chanelle each named for keeping anxious adults and children calm throughout. They field same-day emergency calls, including early Saturday mornings, and follow up by phone the day after treatment to check how patients are recovering.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious and nervous patients needing gentle, reassuring care

    • ✓ Calls patients the next day to check in after treatment
    • ✓ Same-day emergency appointments offered including early Saturday mornings
    • ✓ Dentists take extra time with anxious children including autistic patients

    location_on 92 Te Mata Road, Havelock North

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  • 8

    Bay Dental Care

    ★ 4.7 54 reviews Top5 Score 141
    5★ 50 1★ 4

    Bay Dental Care turns anxious patients into willing returnees, with dentists Nick and Jae, hygienists Bridget and Maddy, and the wider team carrying out check-ups, cleans, and longer treatment courses in a way that repeatedly draws the phrase 'I don't dread coming anymore'. They follow up after treatment to check how patients are recovering, and communicate directly via email between visits.

    Reviews most often describe: Dentist-anxious patients wanting a warm, relaxed experience

    • ✓ Dentists and hygienists actively calm patients with dental anxiety
    • ✓ Staff follow up after treatment to check on patient recovery
    • ✓ Clear treatment plans given with no pressure to pursue every option

    location_on 507 Saint Aubyn Street West, Central, Hastings

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  • 9

    Napier Dental Practice | Lumino The Dentists

    ★ 4.7 43 reviews Top5 Score 139
    5★ 37 4★ 3 1★ 3

    Napier Dental Practice draws patients who have avoided dentistry for years, with Gwyn and Dave each named for taking time to explain exactly what they are about to do and checking comfort throughout. One reviewer who practised dentistry for around 50 years specifically endorses the standard of care, and multiple patients describe returning year after year for ongoing check-ups and treatment.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients rebuilding trust after bad dental experiences

    • ✓ Dentists Gwyn and Dave named by multiple patients for clear explanations
    • ✓ Patients report feeling at ease despite long-held dental anxiety
    • ✓ Long-term patients return annually for check-ups and ongoing treatment

    location_on 157 Tennyson Street, Napier South, Napier

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  • 10

    Hastings Dentist - Golden Apple Dental

    ★ 4.6 70 reviews Top5 Score 138
    5★ 61 4★ 1 3★ 1 1★ 7

    Golden Apple Dental gets people through extractions, fillings, wisdom tooth removals, and sensitive teeth assessments, with dentists including Pop, Taz, and Isha named for taking time to explain what is actually happening before doing anything. Patients who describe themselves as deeply anxious or traumatised by past dental experiences report feeling calm enough to return for ongoing care.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients needing extractions, fillings, and honest advice

    • ✓ Dentists explain findings and costs before starting any treatment
    • ✓ Multiple patients with dental anxiety report feeling at ease throughout
    • ✓ Wisdom tooth and extraction patients report minimal pain and fast turnaround

    location_on Hastings Health Centre 303 Saint Aubyn Street West, Hastings

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About this ranking

How are the top dentists in Napier and Hastings chosen? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for dentists in Napier and Hastings. 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. See how we rank for the full method.

How often are rankings updated? expand_more

Every category and city is recrawled on a rolling cycle, about once a month. This page was last checked on 15 July 2026.

Can a business pay to appear in this list? expand_more

No. Top 5 and Also Recommended positions are merit-only and cannot be purchased. Verifying a business is free. A subscription adds a website link on the card, a public profile page, and competitor and ranking history in the owner's dashboard, none of which affects ranking position. See what a subscription includes.

Why isn't my business listed? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for dentists in Napier and Hastings. 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. At the last update, the smallest review count among the 10 businesses listed here was 31. Check where you rank or read how rankings work.