Using superannuation for dental treatment overseas.

Why Australians ask about using super for dental work

Major dental work in Australia costs more than most people have in savings. Private health extras cover does not pay enough to cover the cost. In public forums, Australians describe extras cover with a small yearly cap on crowns. They say crown fees cost more than that yearly cap. They also describe quotes for full mouth work that run well past what any extras policy would cover.

All-on-4 is a full arch of fixed teeth on four implants. An arch is one full row of teeth, upper or lower. In Australia, All-on-4 is quoted up to A$50,000 per arch. A single implant is quoted at A$3,000 to A$7,000. For costs this high, superannuation is often the only pool of money large enough. People ask about super long before they ask about a clinic.

How early release of super for dental treatment works, in general terms

Early release of superannuation on compassionate grounds is an application run by the Australian Taxation Office. If the application is approved, your super fund releases the money. These applications typically ask for evidence of the treatment. They typically also ask for a written quote from the provider who would do it. The rules change. So do eligibility and the evidence needed. The ATO and your fund set them, not Dental Link.

1. Ask your super fund first. Funds differ in what they require and how they release the money. Call yours before anything else.
2. Check the ATO's current rules. The ATO publishes its rules, and they change. Read the latest version, not a forum post.
3. Get a written quote from the clinic. That is the part Dental Link can help with.
4. Know the cost of using super. Super spent now is not there later. There may be tax consequences. Ask a licensed financial adviser.

We have deliberately not published dollar limits, processing times or eligibility criteria for early release on this page. Those are for the ATO and your fund to state. A figure copied from a third party site can be out of date by the time you read it.

What Dental Link supplies: a written clinic quote

Dental Link supplies one thing for a super application: a written quote from a clinic we match you with. The quote is at the clinic's own price. It lists, item by item, the treatment plan, the materials and the warranty terms. It also lists your appointments for each trip to the clinic. Implant treatment usually takes two trips. That quote is the document the super application asks for.

You get two quotes, from two vetted clinics. They usually arrive within hours of your X-rays reaching the clinics. You can take either quote to your fund.

Where to be careful when using super for dental work

• Anyone charging to "help you access your super". Your fund and the ATO run the process. No shortcut is worth paying for.
• A clinic that promotes the super route to you before it shows a licence, a lab and a written plan. How you pay and how the clinic is checked are separate questions.
• Committing to travel before your funding is confirmed. There are no deposits with us, ever. Get the quote first and the money second.
• Treating any figure on any website, including ours, as the number your fund will release.

Other ways people pay for dental treatment

When you have your free call with Dental Link, we ask how you plan to pay for treatment. How you pay changes the timing, not the treatment plan. The common answers are savings, superannuation and finance arranged at home. We do not offer finance. We take no commission on any funding route, and we do not prefer one route over another. We care that your payment timing is realistic, so the clinic dates we hold are dates you can keep.