If you want your money back, the Health Care Complaints Commission is not the place to start. The Commission says on its own website that it is not able to order providers to pay compensation, to issue a refund or to reduce fees. It looks at the quality of care and the conduct of practitioners, which matters a great deal, but it is a different job from settling a bill.
So before writing to anyone, it helps to be clear about the outcome you are after. The sections below sort the options by that outcome, then explain how the NSW system is set up and what happens after you lodge.
Most problems are best raised with the practice first
A practice can do things no regulator can. It can explain a decision, adjust a denture, replace a filling, remake a crown, apologise, or decide to waive or refund a fee. The HCCC's own advice on fee concerns is that the first thing to do is discuss the situation with your provider, and it notes that an agreement on how to pay, such as instalments, may be possible.
Put your concern in writing, ideally by email so the date is recorded. Keep it short: the treatment you had and when, what went wrong or was not what you expected, and what you would like to happen. Attach the treatment plan or itemised account if you have one, and ask for a reply by a reasonable date.
Many complaints turn out to come from a gap in explanation rather than a problem with the treatment. Our guide to reading a dental treatment plan may help you check what was proposed, and a second opinion from another dentist can tell you whether the work needs attention or simply looks different from what you imagined.
Match the outcome you want to the right body
An explanation
Ask the practice, in writing. You are entitled to understand what was done and why. If the reply does not make sense to you, another dentist reviewing your records and X-rays can usually give a clearer view than a regulator, and sooner.
A clinical fix
Only a dentist can repair or redo dental work. That means the original practice, if you are both willing, or another practice. Regulators do not provide treatment.
A refund or compensation
For refunds, the HCCC refers people to the Office of Fair Trading on 13 32 20. For compensation for harm, it advises getting legal advice. Neither the HCCC nor Ahpra can deliver either.
Action about a practitioner's care or conduct
This is what the health complaints system is for. In NSW, concerns about the conduct, performance or health of a registered dentist are handled by the HCCC together with the Dental Council of New South Wales. The focus is public safety, not settling an individual dispute.
Health complaints and money complaints go to different places
The HCCC's page on fees says the government does not regulate the fees private health providers charge, and that the Commission cannot help people get refunds, compensation or changes to a bill. For money matters, it points elsewhere:
- Refunds for services not delivered or faulty: the Office of Fair Trading, 13 32 20.
- Health fund benefits and cover: the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, 1800 640 695. This service sits within the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
- A concern that a practitioner claimed for services that were not provided: the Department of Health's Provider Benefits Integrity Hotline, 1800 314 808.
Frustration about cost often comes from expecting dental care to be funded like a GP visit. Our explainer on why dental care is not bulk billed in Australia covers the reasons. If the final bill differed from what you were told, the written treatment plan or quote you received beforehand is your most useful document.
| Body | Handles | Cannot |
|---|---|---|
| The practice | Any concern; explanations, adjustments, redoing work, and at its discretion waiving or refunding a fee | Act as an independent reviewer |
| Health Care Complaints Commission | Quality of care and treatment, professional conduct of practitioners | Order compensation, refunds or fee reductions |
| Dental Council of New South Wales | Conduct, performance and health of registered dental practitioners, jointly with the HCCC | Award compensation or change a bill |
| Ahpra and the Dental Board of Australia | The national register of practitioners and professional standards | Settle billing disputes |
| NSW Fair Trading | Consumer disputes and refunds | Judge clinical standards |
| Information and Privacy Commission NSW or the OAIC | Privacy concerns about health information | Review treatment or fees |
| Private Health Insurance Ombudsman | Health fund benefits, cover and claims | Change what a dentist charges |
How the co-regulatory system works
Most states send complaints about registered practitioners to Ahpra. NSW is different. Here, complaints go to the HCCC and the health professional councils, supported by the Health Professional Councils Authority. According to the Authority, the Commission and the councils consult each other on every complaint made about a registered practitioner in NSW and agree on which body will manage it.
In broad terms, the HCCC investigates and prosecutes the most serious matters, while the Dental Council manages others and works with practitioners on safety concerns. The council is the decision maker and can use urgent interim powers, including suspension or conditions on practice, where public safety is at risk. You do not need to work out which body should take your complaint. You lodge it once and the two decide between them, which is why you may hear from both.
Ahpra still has a role. It keeps the national register for the Dental Board of Australia, and anyone can search it free of charge to confirm a dentist's registration and whether any conditions apply.
Consent concerns are about care, not just paperwork
If you feel you agreed to treatment without understanding what it involved, the risks, the alternatives or the likely cost, that is a concern about the quality of your care, and it can be raised with the practice and then with the HCCC.
Age affects who gives consent. The HCCC states that children under 14 are considered to lack capacity to consent to their own treatment, so a parent or guardian consents for them, and that from 16 a young person's consent is generally viewed as sufficient. This can matter when a teenager attends an appointment alone.
Anxiety can make a consent conversation feel rushed. If that is part of what happened, our guide to managing fear of the dentist has practical ways to slow an appointment down and ask the questions you need.
Records and privacy
You can ask your dental practice for a copy of your records directly. The HCCC notes it cannot retrieve health information for you, so the request goes to the provider. Our guide to transferring records and X-rays to a new dentist explains how.
For a privacy breach, the HCCC refers people to the Information and Privacy Commission NSW. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner says a dentist that holds health information is covered by the federal Privacy Act even if it is a small business. Both pathways exist, so if you are unsure, contact either one and ask them to confirm or redirect you.
What happens after you lodge with the HCCC
Complaints must be made in writing. Each is allocated to an assessment officer, and the Commission aims to assess complaints within 60 days. Assessment is the stage where it decides what happens next, which may include resolution, referral to the Dental Council, investigation, or no further action. The Commission will usually need to seek a response from the practitioner.
If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a review in writing within 28 days of the date of the decision letter. Concerns about how the Commission handled your complaint, rather than the outcome, go to the NSW Ombudsman. Discrimination concerns go to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board.
A complaint made in good faith cannot expose you to legal action or liability. Knowingly making false allegations to the Commission is an offence, so stick to what you can support. Anonymous complaints are possible, but the Commission says it may then be difficult to gather the information it needs.
The Commission's consumer pages do not set out a deadline for lodging. If timing is a worry, call its Inquiry Line on 1800 043 159 before you write. Either way, records and memories are easier to work with when a concern is raised early.
Questions we are often asked
Can I complain to more than one body?
Yes. One appointment can raise a clinical concern, a fee dispute and a privacy concern, and each goes to a different place. Mention in each complaint who else you have contacted.
Should I complain to Ahpra about a NSW dentist?
In NSW, complaints are handled by the HCCC and the Dental Council rather than Ahpra. Ahpra's register is still the place to check a dentist's registration.
Who do I contact if I think I was overcharged?
Start with the practice and ask for an itemised account. If that does not settle it, the HCCC points to Fair Trading for refunds, the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman for health fund issues, and the Provider Benefits Integrity Hotline if you believe something was claimed that was not provided.
When you mainly want a clear view of your teeth
Sometimes what a person needs is not a regulator but an independent look at their mouth. At Lumi Dental we can review earlier work, take new records and explain what we see in plain language, including when the earlier treatment looks reasonable. After an examination you will usually receive a written treatment plan, often by email.
You can see our current offers for new patients, or contact us with a question before booking at our Melrose Park practice.
This article is general information only and is not legal or financial advice. It does not take account of your circumstances, and complaint pathways and contact numbers can change. For advice about your own situation, contact the relevant body or speak with a solicitor, and speak with a registered dental practitioner about your own treatment.
