The Queensland government is planning to sell two CBD buildings which house Brisbane's public dental hospital and the University of Queensland's dental school.
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The neighbouring buildings, one of which is heritage-listed, on Turbot Street will be offered to private buyers via expressions of interest in the coming days.
But Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has rejected suggestions the move constitutes an asset sale.
"This is not unusual, this government and the previous government routinely went to market with dozens of pieces of land which were previously schools or health services, with new facilities built in other places," Mr Springborg said.
"We're not privatising our public hospital, but who owns the building is a totally different thing."
Mr Springborg said the previous Labor government had slated the properties for sale in 2009.
The hospital, built in the neo-Georgian style, was developed in the 1930s under the then-government's plan to establish public dental services throughout the state.
The hospital has provided free dental care to Queenslanders, particularly pensioners, the disabled and the disadvantaged, since it opened in the 1940s.
Metro North Health and Hospital Service now operates the hospital from the heritage-listed property rent free.
The new owners of the building would be asked to honour the dental hospital's lease, which ends in December 2016, but the future of services beyond that date remains unclear.
The University of Queensland's dental school has already started vacating the Turbot Street premises for a new facility at Herston, next to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
The dental hospital could join the new school at Herston, Metro North chair Paul Alexandrer said.
He said there would be no lapse in services should the hospital move to different premises.
"We will not in any way reduced dental services," Mr Alexander told ABC News.
"It is not unusual for us to move services from one location to another inside the northside of Brisbane, so we will continue to keep looking for what is the best method for us to deliver these services."
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the possible move could provide Queenslanders with more modern dental health facilities.
"The process we will announce later this week will protect dental services by allowing time for existing tenants to relocate, providing more modern hospital and training facilities and secure the best deal for the owners of these site - the people of Queensland," he told the ABC.
