Independent & Catholic schools

The government dental van doesn’t come to your school. We do.

The NSW program covers public primary schools only, in 11 of 15 local health districts. Independent and Catholic schools, and every Year 11 and 12 student, sit outside it. Pearly brings a fully self-contained dental clinic to any school, at no cost to you. In Queensland? The rules are different.

Pearly clinicians presenting to students at a school

On-site at your school

A full clinic in the van, no room needed
Consent collected and chased by us
Bulk-billed to Medicare, school never invoiced

Why you have never heard from the program

Is my school covered by the NSW program?

Coverage needs two filters cleared at once: a public primary school, inside one of eleven participating local health districts. Catholic and independent schools never clear the first. Four districts fail the second for every school in them: Sydney, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and Southern NSW.

There is no application form and no waiting list, because eligibility is set by school sector, not by need. That is the whole answer to “how do we get on the list”. There is no list.

Source: NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Program. Verified 23 July 2026.

Public primary school in a participating districtCovered
Public primary school in Sydney, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney or Southern NSWNot covered
Catholic school, anywhere in NSWNot covered
Independent school, anywhere in NSWNot covered
Secondary students, Years 7-10Not covered
Year 11 and 12 studentsNot covered

Not covered does not mean without support. Most families still qualify for the CDBS below, which is what Pearly bulk-bills against.

The Pearly mobile dental clinic

What Pearly runs instead

A full clinic that parks in the staff car park.

Mobile gets used loosely. A portable kit borrows your library, a power point and a sterilisation bench. Pearly’s van is a self-contained dental surgery: chair, suction, air, water, power and sterilisation on board.

  • Any sector and any year group, primary to Year 12
  • We need a level car park space, nothing from your buildings
  • Consent goes to parents digitally, we chase the non-responders
  • Medicare billed by us, families quoted before any private treatment
  • A written outcome home for every child, referrals handled

CDBS & funding

Free for eligible students. No cost to the school, ever.

No facility fee, no per-student charge, no minimum numbers. Pearly is funded through Medicare claiming for eligible children and quoted private fees families choose. The school is never invoiced.

Check CDBS eligibility

Fully covered · $0 to the school

$1,158

of dental care per eligible child over two consecutive calendar years under the CDBS, bulk-billed direct to Medicare. Eligibility needs a qualifying payment such as Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment or Carer Payment.

Not eligible? Students are still seen, and families get a written quote before any treatment.

Getting started

Three steps, one term.

1

Book a 15-minute call

Suburb, sector, year levels, rough numbers. We tell you honestly whether your cohort is a fit and propose term dates.

2

We handle consent

Digital consent straight to parents with reminders and follow-up. Your office is not chasing forms.

3

The van arrives

One to three days on site. Students seen in short blocks, a written outcome for every family, and no invoice to the school.

Cleared for your site

Cleared to be on site with students.

Every clearance a business manager asks about, held and supplied with the school agreement. Registration numbers are published and independently verifiable.

WWCC + Blue Card

Held by every clinician and assistant attending site, in NSW and Queensland.

AHPRA registration

All clinicians registered. Numbers on our clinical team page, verifiable on the public register.

Insurance

Professional indemnity and public liability, current, certificates on request.

Infection control

Sterilisation on board the van, to clinical standard, independent of your facilities.

Child safe practice

Written policy supplied with the school agreement. A second adult is always present.

Privacy

Consent and health information handled under the Privacy Act. Nothing clinical is relayed through the school.

Queensland schools

In Queensland? The rules work differently.

Queensland eligibility attaches to the child, not the school, so sector is not the barrier there. Delivery is: whether a van visits is decided by your Hospital and Health Service, and the pathway ends after Year 10.

Common questions

What school leaders ask us

We're a Catholic school in Sydney. Why has the dental van never come to us?

Two reasons apply at once. The NSW program covers public primary schools only, so Catholic schools are outside it by sector. Sydney Local Health District is also one of the four districts that does not run the program at all, alongside Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and Southern NSW.

Do we need to provide a room, power or water?

No. The clinic is inside the van and is fully self-contained, with its own chair, suction, air, water and power. A portable kit has to borrow a room and a power point. We do not.

How long does the van need on site, and where does it park?

One to three days depending on cohort size. We need a reasonably level car park space or hardstand with a walking path for students. A staff car park, a bus bay or the oval access road all work.

Can you run senior students around a timetable?

Yes, and it is easier than primary because seniors self-present. We schedule by year group or line in short blocks, avoid exam periods entirely, and Year 11 and 12 are excluded from the public program, so this is often their only on-site option.

What happens to a student whose family is not eligible for the CDBS?

They are still seen. Check-up, oral health education and emergency triage happen regardless. If treatment is needed, the family gets a written quote first and decides whether to proceed with us or their own dentist.

Do we have to send anything home ourselves?

Only an endorsement if you want one. We send consent to parents directly, answer their questions and chase non-responders. One short note in your newsletter lifts consent rates, so we usually ask for that.

What if a student needs treatment you can't finish on the day?

We triage it, contact the family directly, and book a return visit or write a referral. The school is never asked to relay clinical information.

Is there any cost to the school, ever?

No. No facility fee, no per-student charge, no minimum numbers. The school is never invoiced.