What payment options and insurance support do you offer?

Options include cash and card, flexible payment plans, private health insurance support, and status as a preferred provider for many major Australian health funds.

Do you accept dental insurance?

Yes. The practice is a preferred provider for many leading Australian health funds, helping patients maximise rebates and enjoy greater savings on treatments.

Are your dental treatments suitable for children?

Yes. The team provides gentle, friendly dental care for patients of all ages including children and is experienced in making younger patients feel at ease.

Do you offer cosmetic dentistry, implants, and treatment for children?

Yes. Cosmetic dentistry covers whitening and veneers; implants provide a stable, long-term solution that restores function and comfort; childrens dentistry emphasises prevention and gentle treatment to build positive habits.

How do I know if I need dental implants?

Implants may suit those with one or more missing teeth seeking a permanent, natural-looking replacement. The team assesses suitability during a consultation and explains all options.

Dentist Palmerston: General, Cosmetic and Emergency Care

A full dental clinic at Coolalinga, a short drive south on the Stuart Highway.

Acacia Dental Surgery is the dentist Palmerston families book at Coolalinga. The clinic is open five days a week with appointments until 7 pm on Mondays and Fridays, parking at the shopping centre is free, and general, cosmetic and emergency dentistry are all handled at the one address.

Complete Dental Services for Palmerston

Your Smile, Our Expertise

Acacia Dental Surgery provides complete dental care focused on long-term oral health, from routine visits to advanced treatment. Everything is handled at the Coolalinga clinic, so a Palmerston dentist appointment covers the whole job rather than one part of it.

What Do Palmerston Patients Book Us For?

We’re ready to accommodate you, anytime.

Most of it is ordinary: a check-up and clean at the six month mark, a child’s first appointment, a filling, a crown that has finally given up, or a tooth that has been aching for a week and is no longer willing to be ignored. That is what most Palmerston dental appointments look like, and it is the work the clinic does every day.

The rest is the planned work. Children’s dentistry for a family that has just moved to the area, a crown or bridge to replace something that has cracked, veneers or whitening before a wedding, or dentures and a reline for a parent who has been putting it off.

You do not need to know which of those you need before you book. The first appointment is an examination and a conversation, and the treatment plan comes out of that.

What Are the Opening Hours for Palmerston Patients?

Those are the hours of the Coolalinga clinic, and there is no separate after-hours service outside them.

Book by phone on (08) 8983 2780 during opening hours, or online at any time through the booking link on this page. Online booking shows what is currently free, including the late Monday and Friday appointments, and it is the quickest way to see what is available this week.

The two late finishes are there for people who cannot take time off during the day. A 6 pm appointment on a Monday or a Friday finishes before the clinic closes, which means a check-up, a clean, a filling or a review after work without leaving early.

For a first appointment, bring photo identification and your health fund card, a list of your current medications, and a Medicare card if the appointment is for a child.

Opening Hours

Monday and Friday

8am-7pm

Tuesday to Thursday

8am-5pm

Weekends

Emergency Dental Care for Palmerston

Call Acacia Dental Surgery on (08) 8983 2780 as early in the day as you can.

The reception team treats emergency calls as a priority and will tell you the earliest available appointment, aiming for same-day care where the clinical situation requires it. Severe toothache, a broken or knocked-out tooth, facial swelling, a lost filling or crown and a gum abscess are all reasons to come in.

If the problem starts while the clinic is closed, call again when it reopens and your appointment will be prioritised. For severe pain overnight, contact the Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department or seek urgent medical advice rather than waiting it out.

Two services cover most emergencies. Emergency dental care handles pain, trauma, infection and lost restorations. Root canal treatment is the treatment when the problem is inside the tooth itself.

Getting to Acacia Dental Surgery from Palmerston

Palmerston is 13 minutes north of the clinic. Take the Stuart Highway south and Coolalinga Shopping Centre is directly on the highway, with the clinic on the ground level of the centre. The Palmerston dentist trip is a single straight run rather than a route through the city.

Parking is free at the shopping centre, so an appointment does not start with a parking fee. If you are coming during the school run or the morning peak, allow a few extra minutes and the front desk will hold your appointment.

Five Things You Can Check Before You Book

Each of the five statements below is something you can verify yourself before you commit to an appointment at the Palmerston dental clinic people drive to from the Stuart Highway.

Registration.

Every dentist at Acacia Dental Surgery holds current registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. You can check any registration at ahpra.gov.au.

No amalgam.

Every restoration is composite resin or porcelain, and there is nothing extra to pay for a tooth-coloured one.

Your fund.

The practice is a preferred provider for Medibank, NIB, HCF, Westfund and CBHS, and claims for all major Australian funds are made at the practice.

Late appointments.

The clinic stays open until 7 pm on Mondays and Fridays.

Parking.

Parking at Coolalinga Shopping Centre is free.

Who Makes Up Palmerston's 37,176 Residents?

Making Quality Dental Care Affordable!

Palmerston had 37,176 residents at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 31. That is younger than the Northern Territory as a whole, which sits at 33, and younger than Australia, which sits at 38. By local government area the gap is wider still: 31 in Palmerston, 35 in the Darwin local government area, and 39 in Litchfield.

A median age of 31 describes a city of young families, and it is why the practice keeps late appointments twice a week. An appointment that runs after 5 pm fits around a school pickup and a working day in a way that a mid-morning slot does not.

Median Age Comparison

Palmerston 31

Darwin local government area 35

Litchfield 39

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census of Population and Housing, QuickStats for Palmerston and the Greater Darwin area.

Preferred Provider Status at Acacia Dental Surgery

Medibank · NIB · HCF · Westfund · CBHS

A preferred provider arrangement is an agreement between the practice and the health fund. For each service the fee is settled with the fund beforehand, and the rebate comes in above the fund’s standard rate for the same treatment. Claims go through at the practice on HICAPS, so you pay the difference on the day instead of the full amount up front.

Acacia Dental Surgery is a preferred provider for:

What Are Your Options If Treatment Costs More Than You Expected?

The first option is knowing the number before you start. A written estimate is given before any work begins, setting out the recommended treatment, the alternatives and the cost of each part. Nothing is added to it without your agreement.

Where treatment runs over several appointments, flexible payment plans let the cost be spread rather than paid in full at the chair. Direct health fund claiming through HICAPS runs alongside them, and Acacia Dental Surgery accepts Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule for eligible children. Call (08) 8983 2780 and the reception team will go through the options for your treatment.

What Does the National Data Say About Delaying Dental Care?

It says that the people who wait are the people who delay, and that cost is the main reason they give. Across Australia, 32 per cent of adults aged 18 and over avoided or delayed dental care because of cost.

Patient Profile	Avoided or Delayed Care Due to Cost
By Usual Dental Routine
Visiting for a check-up	21%
Waiting for a problem	56%
By Insurance Status
With dental insurance	19%
Without dental insurance	47%

The Value of Check-ups: Problems are usually found while treatment is still simple.

The Cost of Waiting: Problems surface as pain, after months of developing quietly.

Meet the Dentists at Acacia Dental Surgery

Acacia Dental Surgery Team

The clinical team at Acacia Dental Surgery provides dental care focused on long-term oral health. As your local dentists, the team prevents and treats problems such as cavities, restores teeth with fillings, and helps you keep your smile healthy and comfortable. You can read more about the practice and its clinicians on the about page.

Download the Acacia Dental Surgery Magazine

The magazine sets out each treatment the practice offers and what to expect from it, from routine visits to advanced cosmetic and restorative work. Download it before your appointment and bring your questions with you.

What Else Do Palmerston Patients Ask?

Answers to the questions patients ask most often before booking at Acacia Dental Surgery.

What kind of dental care do you provide?

Acacia Dental Surgery provides complete dental care from prevention through to advanced treatment. That includes routine check-ups and preventative care, fillings and gum treatment, crowns, bridges and dentures, teeth whitening, veneers and cosmetic treatment, dental implants, and emergency care for urgent problems.

How do I book an appointment?

Call (08) 8983 2780 during opening hours or book online at any time through the booking link on this page. Online booking shows the times currently free, including the late Monday and Friday appointments, and is the quickest way to see what is available this week.

Do you offer emergency dental services?

Yes. Ring (08) 8983 2780 and your call goes to the front of the queue. The reception team will give you the earliest available appointment, aiming for same-day care where the clinical situation requires it. The clinic’s published hours apply, and any urgent problem that starts while it is closed should be raised again when it reopens.

What happens during my first visit?

The first visit is focused on understanding your oral health and what you need. The dentist carries out a comprehensive examination, reviews your dental and medical history, takes digital X-rays where they are clinically indicated, and explains the findings in plain language. If treatment is recommended, you receive the options and a written estimate before anything proceeds.

How often should I visit the dentist?

We recommend a check-up and clean at least every six months for most adults and children in good oral health. Patients with specific risk factors, such as a history of gum disease or frequent cavities, may be seen more often. Your dentist will recommend the interval that suits you at your first appointment.

What should I bring to my first appointment?

Bring a photo ID, your health fund card, a list of anything you are taking, and a Medicare card if the appointment is for a child. Records or X-rays from a previous practice help if they are to hand, and the dentist takes what is needed without them.

How do I get to the clinic and where do I park?

The clinic is at Shop 4, 452 Stuart Highway, Coolalinga NT 0839, inside Coolalinga Shopping Centre. Take the Stuart Highway south from Palmerston and the centre is directly on the highway. Parking is free and the clinic is on the ground level.

Dentist Palmerston: Book a Time That Fits Your Week

Book online at any time, or call the clinic during opening hours and the reception team will find a time that works around your day. New patients are welcome and no referral is needed.

Your Oral Health, Our Focus

Comprehensive Dental Services in Palmerston

At Acacia Dental Surgery, you receive complete dental care focused on long-term oral health. Our team handles everything from routine visits to advanced dental implants, with clear communication and consistent results at every stage.

Build and maintain strong oral health. We provide check-ups, cleans, fillings, extractions, and preventative care to keep your teeth and gums in good condition all year.

Improve the look of your teeth with proven treatments. We offer professional whitening, veneers, and full treatment plans designed for natural, lasting results.

Replace missing teeth with a stable, long-term solution. Dental implants restore function, support your bite, and help you eat and speak with confidence.