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A dental estimate can leave you weighing up two different questions: what care do I need, and how will I pay for it? A small repayment on its own does not answer the second question.

The short answer: compare the total amount you would repay, the payment dates, fees and eligibility rules—not just the advertised instalment. Maylands Dental Centre currently lists Zip, Humm and Fund My Dental among its payment options. They are not interchangeable, and this guide does not recommend one lender over another. Confirm which product is available for your proposed treatment before applying. [1] [2]

Start with the dental plan rather than a credit limit. Healthdirect recommends asking whether treatment is needed, whether its benefits outweigh its risks, what it costs and whether there are less expensive alternatives. Those are questions for your dentist; a finance approval is a separate decision. [3]

What should you have before comparing dental payment plans?

At Maylands Dental Centre, we discuss the treatment you require and supply an estimate of fees at your appointment. Keep that estimate alongside any finance information, so you are comparing the same dental costs rather than different advertised borrowing limits. [4]

Ask for the treatment item numbers and check any health fund benefit directly with your insurer. Healthdirect explains that dental extras cover, benefit amounts and annual limits vary between policies. A payment plan does not tell you what your insurer will contribute. [3]

For a useful comparison, write down the treatment estimate, any benefit your fund confirms, any amount you will pay directly, and the amount you would need to finance. If a benefit is still an estimate, label it that way rather than treating it as money already received.

Our guide to understanding a Maylands check-up and clean quote explains the fee questions to separate before you consider how to pay.

How do Zip, Humm and Fund My Dental compare?

The clinic’s pages establish which options it lists; your provider’s current contract establishes the terms offered to you. Use the following as a question list, not a personalised quote or a statement that you qualify.

Zip: establish the exact product first

Our payment-options page names both Zip Pay and Zip Money and describes weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayment choices. Do not assume that information for one Zip product applies to the other. Ask which product is being offered for your estimate, then check its own fees, repayment requirements and full terms before deciding. [1]

A useful question is: “Which Zip product are we discussing, and where can I read the current agreement for that product?” Keep the answer with your comparison rather than comparing a generic “Zip” label with a specific loan offer.

Humm: check the agreement and the full repayment schedule

The Maylands Humm page describes two payment options with different loan amounts and terms. It lists establishment, monthly and late-payment fees, and says applications are subject to eligibility criteria, assessment and approval. Repayments may be fortnightly or monthly. [5]

Before accepting an agreement, request the repayment schedule, all applicable fees and the total amount payable. Read the provider’s current agreement in full. Being offered an application does not mean it has been approved, and the clinic’s page is not a substitute for your finance contract.

Fund My Dental: confirm the payment frequency in writing

The Maylands Fund My Dental page identifies the service as a financing platform provided by The Tooth Market. It describes weekly payments but also refers to monthly instalments. Rather than assuming which applies, ask for the actual schedule and current terms for your proposed arrangement. [6]

Ask when the first payment is due, how often the remaining payments fall due, how many there will be, and whether there are fees. This guide does not repeat the page’s approval-speed claims or instalment figures: neither tells you the full cost of your own agreement.

Why is the total cost more useful than a small instalment?

Moneysmart warns that buy now pay later fees can include establishment, account-keeping, payment-processing and late fees. Bank fees may also arise if there is not enough money in the linked account. Which charges apply depends on the arrangement, so check the contract rather than assuming every provider charges the same way. [2]

Compare each option using the same headings:

• Amount financed: what dental cost is included, and what will you pay separately?
• Payment schedule: the first due date, frequency, number of payments and final payment.
• Full cost: the total repayments and all applicable charges, not just the regular instalment.
• Changes: what happens if the treatment estimate changes, you repay early or a refund is due?
• Missed payments: the fees, provider contact process and hardship support.

These are questions to put to the provider, not claims that every product has each charge or feature. Do not accept a blank answer as meaning there is no fee.

Could an application affect your credit record?

Moneysmart says applications may trigger a credit check, and late or missed payments can be reported and reduce your credit score. It also warns that managing several buy now pay later services can make payments harder to track. Check how the specific provider handles applications and reporting before submitting one. [2]

Build any proposed repayment into your existing household budget, including rent or mortgage payments, bills and other debts. A lender’s available limit is not a reason to borrow that amount or add treatment to a dental plan.

What if borrowing does not fit your budget?

Return to the dental questions before looking for another lender. Ask your dentist about the need for the proposed treatment, its benefits and risks, and less expensive alternatives, as healthdirect recommends. Do not make your own decision about delaying care based on a repayment comparison. [3]

Healthdirect also outlines public dental pathways and eligibility rules, with a link to Western Australia’s Dental Health Services. Eligibility and access must be checked with the service; a private payment plan is not the only information worth exploring. [3]

If you are already having trouble making repayments, Moneysmart advises contacting the provider about hardship support. It also links to financial counselling and the National Debt Helpline. [2]

What should you ask Maylands before applying?

You can contact Maylands Dental Centre or call (08) 9370 5464 to ask about the payment options currently available for your estimate. Start with: “Can we confirm the dental costs and any payments due directly to the clinic before I look at finance?” Our clinic and team page introduces the practice.

Keep the two decisions separate: discuss treatment, risks and alternatives with your dentist, and decide whether a finance contract fits your circumstances only after reading its full terms. This is general information, not personal financial advice or a finance offer.

Sources and date checked

Checked 9 November 2026. Clinic availability and provider terms can change. This article uses the clinic’s own payment information and Australian public guidance; it does not assess individual eligibility, promise approval or quote a treatment price.

1. Maylands Dental Centre — Payment options.
2. ASIC Moneysmart — Buy now pay later services (updated 14 July 2026).
3. healthdirect — Cost of dental care.
4. Maylands Dental Centre — appointment and fee-estimate information.
5. Maylands Dental Centre — Humm.
6. Maylands Dental Centre — Fund My Dental.

Images are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of Maylands Dental Centre, its team or patients. They do not depict a finance approval, a treatment or an outcome.