Stop Searching. Start Choosing.
Top5.nz

Best Dentists on the North Shore

We assessed 21 dentists on the North Shore 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 3,730 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 13 August 2026. How we rank →

lightbulb

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 on the North Shore

The top 5 dentists on the North Shore are North Shore Dental, Coast Dental, Northmed Dental, Elite Dental Care, and Auckland Family Dental Milford, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you choose.

  • 1

    North Shore Dental

    ★ 4.9 804 reviews +15 Top5 Score 185
    5★ 755 4★ 29 3★ 7 2★ 4 1★ 9

    North Shore Dental gets nervous children and anxious adults through fillings, hygiene appointments, and emergency repairs feeling looked after rather than dreading the next visit. When a tooth breaks, they move quickly, fitting urgent cases within a day or two and completing the repair the same afternoon.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients and children needing calm, reassuring care

    • ✓ Explains each step to children so there are no surprises during treatment
    • ✓ Emergency broken tooth appointments often completed same day
    • ✓ Named dentists and hygienists like Gerard, Suzannah, and Clare build long-term patient relationships

    location_on 761 Beach Road, Browns Bay, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    Coast Dental

    ★ 4.9 566 reviews +18 Top5 Score 181 +1
    5★ 542 4★ 11 3★ 4 2★ 1 1★ 8

    Coast Dental covers hygiene cleans, tooth extractions, and same-day emergency appointments, with named hygienists like Gabby and Jelena drawing repeat patients who book their next clean before leaving. Jelena and Gabby both take time mid-appointment to explain what they are doing and offer personalised home-care tips, so patients leave with a clearer sense of what to do between visits.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients wanting clear explanations during routine hygiene visits

    • ✓ Hygienists explain each step and check comfort throughout the clean
    • ✓ Same-day bookings available when patients call with tooth pain
    • ✓ Patients actively rebook follow-up cleans within three to six months

    location_on 160 Carlisle Road, Northcross, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 3

    Northmed Dental

    ↑ 1
    ★ 4.9 397 reviews Top5 Score 176 +1
    5★ 378 4★ 8 3★ 1 2★ 2 1★ 8

    Northmed Dental carries patients through fillings, extractions, wisdom tooth removal, and multi-year orthodontic work, with named clinicians like Dima, Wendy, AJ, and Michael each drawing strong repeat loyalty. Payment plans have made lengthy treatment courses accessible for patients who would otherwise have delayed care, and sedation is available for those who find dental visits difficult.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients needing complex or long-term treatment with flexible payment

    • ✓ Sedation available for nervous or anxious patients during procedures
    • ✓ Payment plans offered to spread cost of longer treatment courses
    • ✓ Multiple extractions completed quickly with fast, low-pain recovery reported

    location_on 12/3 Akoranga Drive, Northcote, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Elite Dental Care

    ★ 4.9 348 reviews Top5 Score 174
    5★ 330 4★ 8 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 8

    Elite Dental Care handles routine cleans, fillings, crowns, dentures, and orthodontic braces, with lead dentist Ramneek known for laying out options clearly and referring patients to specialists when the case calls for it. Anxious patients are actively accommodated, including being allowed to listen to music during treatment, and international patients have trusted Ramneek to build multi-appointment care plans timed around their travel to New Zealand.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients wanting a dentist who explains options and avoids upselling

    • ✓ Braces provided with thorough explanation at each appointment
    • ✓ Nervous patients accommodated with music during procedures
    • ✓ Specialist referrals made when treatment exceeds the clinic's scope

    location_on Unit 1/84 Don McKinnon Drive, Albany, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Auckland Family Dental: Milford

    ★ 4.9 332 reviews +2 Top5 Score 174 +1
    5★ 315 4★ 7 2★ 2 1★ 8

    Auckland Family Dental Milford draws patients through hygiene cleans, crown repairs, night guards, and general dentistry, with named clinicians like Kave, Grace, Michael, Tiffany, and Nick each building strong individual followings. Their hygienists pick up problems mid-clean, with one catching a cracked tooth before it needed a root canal, and dentists take a holistic approach that extends to general wellbeing advice alongside the clinical work.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients wanting empathetic, personalised ongoing dental care

    • ✓ Dentists take time to explain treatment and offer wellbeing advice
    • ✓ Anxious patients report feeling reassured and willingly returning for visits
    • ✓ Multiple named clinicians each attract loyal long-term repeat patients

    location_on 2 Dodson Avenue, Milford, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?

Other suburbs

South Auckland chevron_right West Auckland chevron_right

Before you choose a dentist on the North Shore

Drawn from 305 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 once you turn 18. A standard check-up and clean runs between $100 and $250, while fillings range from around $150 to $400 depending on size and material. Crowns can cost $1,500 to $2,500 or more, and root canals often sit in a similar or higher range. Reviews from North Shore practices confirm this spread, with some patients noting costs felt reasonable and others describing fees as pricey but comparable to other local clinics. Children under 18 are entitled to free basic dental treatment through the Community Dental Service or a private dentist enrolled in that scheme. If you cannot afford urgent treatment, Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) offers emergency dental grants to eligible people, so it is worth calling them before putting off care. ACC covers dental treatment if the damage was caused by a physical accident, but decay, worn fillings, and routine work fall entirely outside that scheme.

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 be registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) and hold a current annual practising certificate, which you can verify for free on the public register at dentalcouncil.org.nz before you book. The register also covers dental hygienists, dental therapists, and clinical dental technicians, so you can check the specific practitioner doing your treatment, not just the practice name. If something goes wrong, the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) investigates complaints about any health or disability provider under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994, and complaints can be lodged directly on the HDC website. For conduct matters, the Dental Council of New Zealand can also investigate, impose conditions, suspend, or remove a dentist's registration, giving you two separate pathways depending on the nature of your concern.

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

Ask for a written treatment plan with itemised costs and clearly stated alternatives before agreeing to anything beyond a basic check-up, since a good practice will offer this without being prompted. One review in this set described being advised to get a filling before a fuller investigation revealed the real problem was a different tooth needing a root canal, which is a reminder that a full-mouth X-ray at the start of a new patient relationship is reasonable and worth requesting. A second opinion is entirely normal in New Zealand for any treatment costing several hundred dollars or more, and a trustworthy dentist will not pressure you against seeking one. X-rays, photographs, and written findings are your evidence: if a dentist recommends significant work but cannot show you what they are seeing, that is a reason to pause.

What are the warning signs of a dental practice you should avoid? expand_more
  • –Pressure to commit to expensive treatment on the day, without time to review a written quote or consider alternatives.
  • –No itemised cost breakdown provided before work begins, leaving you uncertain what you agreed to pay.
  • –Poor communication after you have paid in full, such as failing to follow up on a lab item like a night guard or crown without you repeatedly chasing.
  • –Receiving treatment, including fillings, without prior X-rays or adequate diagnostic checks, which reviews in this set flagged at more than one practice.
  • –Rude or dismissive front-desk staff, since reception behaviour tends to reflect the culture of the whole practice.
  • –Unresolved workmanship issues, such as fillings falling out, with no straightforward path to getting them fixed or refunded.
What should you ask before booking a dentist? expand_more
  • –Ask what the first visit will cost in total, including X-rays and any examination fee, so there is no surprise charge when you arrive.
  • –Ask whether you will receive a written treatment plan with costs and alternatives before any procedure is carried out.
  • –Ask how the practice handles after-hours dental emergencies, since several reviews highlighted same-day or next-day access as a deciding factor.
  • –Ask whether you will see the same dentist at each visit, as continuity matters for complex or ongoing treatment and for building trust over time.
  • –Ask how they support nervous patients, because reviews across multiple North Shore practices specifically praised dentists who explained each step, moved at the patient's pace, and checked comfort throughout.
  • –Ask whether they are enrolled in the Community Dental Service scheme if you have children under 18, since not every private practice participates.

Dentists ranked 6 to 10 on the North Shore

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

  • 6

    Bayside Dental Centre

    ↑ 1
    ★ 4.9 254 reviews +4 Top5 Score 170 +1
    5★ 235 4★ 13 3★ 1 1★ 5

    Bayside Dental Centre turns apprehensive patients through extractions, hygiene cleans, and ongoing dental treatment, with clinicians like Yasmin, Karime, and Xena named repeatedly by patients who say they have changed how they feel about dentist visits. A follow-up call after treatment and pricing that came in well under competitor quotes on extractions are two details patients specifically point to when recommending the practice.

    Reviews most often describe: Nervous patients and families wanting warm, unhurried care

    • ✓ Follow-up call made to patients after dental procedures
    • ✓ Painless extractions at noticeably lower prices than quoted elsewhere
    • ✓ Kids look forward to visits thanks to warm, relaxed chair-side manner

    location_on 86 Clyde Road, Browns Bay, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 7

    The Tooth Doctor

    ↓ 1
    ★ 5.0 217 reviews +7 Top5 Score 170
    5★ 216 4★ 1

    The Tooth Doctor draws patients through extractions, thorough examinations, and multi-clinician care, with Adrian, Anna, Tristan, and Sophia each named by patients who travelled from as far as Whangarei to return. Step-by-step explanation is built into every appointment, with clinicians walking patients through findings, reasoning, and next steps rather than leaving them to guess.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients who want every step clearly explained throughout treatment

    • ✓ Clinicians explain each treatment step in detail before proceeding
    • ✓ Patients report no pain during extractions and smooth recovery
    • ✓ Multiple named dentists each build strong individual patient loyalty

    location_on Lower Ground - Northcare Accident and Medical 5 Home Place, Rosedale, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 8

    East Coast Bays Dental

    ↑ 1
    ★ 4.9 233 reviews +5 Top5 Score 169 +1
    5★ 224 4★ 3 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 4

    East Coast Bays Dental builds the kind of patient loyalty that has people crossing Auckland, some for over 20 years, to stay with named dentists like Kent, Jane, and Sandra for check-ups, fillings, deep cleans, and complex crown-edge repairs. Kent in particular works through treatment decisions with patients rather than dictating them, adjusting appointments to suit those with long commutes.

    Reviews most often describe: Loyal long-term patients trusting named dentists across years

    • ✓ Patients explain they crossed Auckland to keep their named dentist
    • ✓ Dentists talk through options before starting so patients can decide
    • ✓ Fillings and procedures described as painless across many appointments

    location_on Level 1/15 Mercari Way, Albany, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 9

    Smile Dental - Albany

    ★ 4.5 380 reviews Top5 Score 168
    5★ 310 4★ 25 3★ 7 2★ 5 1★ 33

    Smile Dental brings anxious patients through extractions, fillings, and hygiene cleans with clinicians like Babu, Marcus, Cynthia, and Yuan each named by patients who left in less pain than they arrived. Saturday appointments are available, and urgent toothache cases have been assessed and resolved on the day, without needing a follow-up visit.

    Reviews most often describe: Anxious patients needing calm explanations and same-day treatment

    • ✓ Saturday appointments available for patients who work weekdays
    • ✓ Dentists check in during treatment and explain each step clearly
    • ✓ Urgent toothache cases resolved on the day without follow-up needed

    location_on 119 Apollo Drive, Albany, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?
  • 10

    Sunnynook Dentist

    ★ 4.9 199 reviews Top5 Score 167
    5★ 195 4★ 1 3★ 1 1★ 2

    Sunnynook Dentist carries patients through extractions, fillings, root canals, crowns, and emergency toothache treatment, with named clinicians like Lakshay, Seema, Sherin, Anusha, Zareen, and Andre each drawing strong individual loyalty. Patients who have avoided dental care for years describe being put at ease without judgement, and several have driven from West Auckland or followed specific dentists from previous practices to stay with the team.

    Reviews most often describe: Patients needing complex work done with gentle, unhurried care

    • ✓ Emergency patients seen ahead of the queue to relieve acute pain
    • ✓ Extractions and wisdom teeth completed with no pain reported by patients
    • ✓ Patients travelled across Auckland to stay with a named dentist here

    location_on 117 Sunnynook Road, Forrest Hill, Auckland

    map Map Is this your business?

Related North Shore rankings

All Auckland rankings arrow_forward

About this ranking

How are the top dentists on the North Shore chosen? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for dentists on the North Shore. 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 13 August 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 on the North Shore. 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 199. Check where you rank or read how rankings work.