© Provided by MoneySmart
cheap dentists singapore 2019
We’ve all had it hammered into our heads that we should see the dentist once every 6 months for regular checkups. But if we all followed that advice down to a T, we’d be walking around with holes in our pockets as cheap dentists in Singapore aren’t exactly easy to come by.
If you’re taking particularly good care of your teeth, you can stretch it to once in 18 months or 2 years. However, it pays to visit regularly as you want to catch problems like tooth decay early. Let them fester and they’d cost a lot more to solve.
So there’s no way around it – you should see a dentist regularly to do a basic check-up and teeth cleaning (scaling and polishing). Here are 10 of the most affordable dental clinics in Singapore where you can do that.
7 most affordable dental clinics in Singapore
Dental clinic | Location | Cost (consultation + scaling & polishing) |
Polyclinics | Islandwide | $15.80 to $27 |
NTUC Health Denticare | Islandwide | $72 to $145 |
Parkway Dental Practice | Orchard | $80 to $160 |
Advance Dental Group | Islandwide | $90 |
Newport Dental | Kallang | $95 |
Q & M Dental Group | Islandwide | $96.30 onwards |
Azure Dental | Bukit Timah | $128 to $192 |
SingHealth, NHG, NUP polyclinics ($15.80 to $27)
You don’t really need to go to a dental clinic if you’re just looking for a simple check-up and scaling & polishing job. Both SingHealth and National Healthcare Group (NHG) polyclinics have dental services, and it’s easy to make an appointment online so you don’t spend all day waiting in line. For National University Polyclinics (NUP), booking of appointments is via the HealthHub app or by phone.
Consultation fees:
- SingHealth: $15.80 to $27 (Singaporean adults); $7.80 to $14.10 (children and elderly)
- NUP: $16 to $27 (Singaporean adults); $9.30 to $16.80 (children and elderly)
- NHG: $16 and $27 (Singaporean adults); $8.10 to $16.80 (children and elderly)
Note: To discourage no-shows, NHG dental clinics charge a refundable Dental Appointment Deposit (DAD) of $8 when you book an appointment. The DAD will be forfeited if you do not make another dental appointment within 24 months of your last visit.
Locations (SingHealth polyclinics):
- 11 Bedok North Street 1, Heartbeat@Bedok #02-01/#03-01, Singapore 469662
- 1 Tampines Street 41, Singapore 529203
- 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces #02-01, Singapore 820681
Locations (NHG polyclinics):
- 21 Geylang East Central, Singapore 389707
- 89 Hougang Avenue 4, Singapore 538829
- 2003 Toa Payoh Lor 8, Singapore 319260
- 21 Ang Mo Kio Central 2, Singapore 569666
- 10 Woodlands Street 31, Singapore 738579
Locations (National University polyclinics):
- 190 Jurong East Avenue 1, Singapore 609788
- 580 Stirling Road, Singapore 148958
Tel: 6643 6969 (SingHealth) / 6355 3000 (NHG) / 6663 6847 (NUP)
NTUC Health Denticare ($72 to $145)
Formerly known as Unity Denticare, NTUC Health Denticare has a history of being a household brand for cheap dental care as part of NTUC Health (Singapore’s largest healthcare cooperative) since 1971.The group has 18 dental clinics and 2 mobile dental clinics, so it won’t be a problem finding an outlet that’s convenient for you.
Consultation costs $25 to $35, while scaling and polishing ranges from $50 to $110. So, your total bill should fall within the range of $72 to $145.Subsidies are available if you hold CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation Cards.
Locations: 18 clinics islandwide
Tel: 6336 6222
Parkway Dental Practice ($80 to $160)
If you’re working around the Orchard area, you’re practically surrounded by overpriced medical and dental clinics. So, Parkway Dental Practice at Pacific Plaza is probably your best bet.
A simple consultation plus scaling & polishing costs $80 to $160 here, making it one of the most affordable dentists in the Orchard area. If you’re a first-time visitor, they are now running a $88 package that includes consultation, scaling, polishing and x-ray.
Location: 9 Scotts Road, #12-02 Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210
Tel: 6836 9808
Advance Dental Group ($90)
Having started with just one clinic in 1986, Advance Dental Group has come a long way taking care of its patients’ dental health. It is now a growing chain of 13 dental clinics that offers a full range of treatments to attend to all dental needs on site. Fees start from $20 for consultation and from $70 for scaling and polishing. Subsidies are available if you hold CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation Cards.
Location:13 clinics islandwide
Tel: 8684 1000
Newport Dental ($95)
Newport Dental is a dental clinic with 2 dental surgeons, located in Kallang Wave Mall next to Stadium MRT (Circle Line).The location is a little out of the way unless you live in the Kallang and Marine Parade area, but the payoff is that the full consultation plus scaling and polishing will set you back by only $95. Most patients usually add a stain removal procedure which adds up to $130. Prices differ if you buy insurance from selected companies or are under the employment of SMRT or Sports SG.
Location: 1 Stadium Place, Kallang Wave Mall #01-08, Singapore 397628
Tel: 9863 6462
Q & M Dental Group Singapore ($96.30)
Like NTUC Health Denticare, Q & M Dental Group is one of those chain dental clinics that are now synonymous with affordable dental care.
Q & M actually started out as just 1 dental clinic in 1996, but it’s now a mega chain with over 70 dental clinics across the island with a pool of more than 200 dentists, including specialists.Prices aren’t as cheap as you’d expect. Consultation costs $21.40 and up; consultation with specialists costs $37.45 and up. Scaling & polishing ranges from $74.90. This means your total bill will be at least $96.30.Subsidies are available if you hold CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation Cards.
Locations: 71 clinics islandwide
Azure Dental ($128 to $192)
Bringing your kid to the dentist is usually a recipe for disaster, so we have a soft spot for Azure Dental for making the whole experience a pleasant, stress-free one. It is child-friendly, with booster seats for little ones to sit comfortably. There’s also free all-you-can-drink coffee and tea in the waiting area, which is great for parents while they wait for their kids’ appointments to be over. Those taking public transport will find its new location very convenient — it’s now just next to Sixth Avenue MRT Station.
Price-wise, it’s one of the higher ones on the list at $32 for consultation. Scaling and polishing services range from $96 to $160.
Location: 781 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269759
Tel: 6463 6318
More ways to save on dental treatments
Pre-COVID, there was one sure-fire way to save money on dentist visits: just hop across the border and get your teeth done in Malaysia. But now that JB visits are out of the question, here are sone ways to keep those costs down.
CHAS, Pioneer or Merdeka Generation Cards
Singaporeans with one of these subsidy cards can get discounted treatments at participating dental clinics as well as GPs:
- CHAS Blue
- Merdeka Generation
- Pioneer Generation
- CHAS Orange [for denture, crown & root canal only]
Look for the CHAS decal on the dentist’s website or storefront. You can find a list of CHAS dental clinics here.
Dental insurance benefits (if any)
Can you claim dental treatments under insurance? For Singaporeans with MediShield Life or an upgraded Integrated Shield Plan, the answer is generally no. Nor can you use Medisave to pay for routine dental checkups. These schemes are meant for surgical procedures under pretty extreme circumstances, e.g. if you get in an accident and need to undergo dental surgery. However, some workplaces do offer dental benefits under their group insurance policy, and these often cover basic procedures like checkups and scaling & polishing. So check the details of your corporate health insurance plan before you pay out of pocket.
Paying with the right credit card
You can earn points or cashback on your dental treatment with the right credit card. Unfortunately, most banks do exclude medical expenses from their list of exclusions. So far, it looks like the Amex True Cashback Card is the safest option for these transactions. If your dental clinic has a contactless payment terminal, you could try a credit card that gives you cashback on PayWave transactions.
The post 7 Affordable Dental Clinics for Regular Check-ups in Singapore appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.