7 affordable dental clinics for regular check-ups in Singapore

7 affordable dental clinics in Singapore

1. SingHealth, NHG, NUP polyclinics ($16.90 to $30.60)

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. 

SingHealth,National Healthcare Group (NHG), National University Polyclinics (NUP) polyclinics offer dental services at selected clinics, and it's easy to make an appointment online so you don't spend all day waiting in line.

Consultation fees for Singapore Citizens:

• SingHealth Polyclinics: ​$16.90 to $30.30 (Singaporean adults); ​$8.70 to $15.80 (children and elderly)
• National University Polyclinics: $18.20 to $30.60 (Singaporean adults); $11.70 to $18.50 (children and elderly)
• National Health Group Polyclinics: $17.50 to $29.50 (Singaporean adults); $11.20 to $17.80 (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.

How do I book a dental appointment at a polyclinic?

You can book dental appointments at polyclinics via the HealthHub app. Simply go to My Appointments > click on your NRIC > select Make new appointment. Then, it's just a matter of choosing the clinic you wish to visit and the service you want to make an appointment for. If all the slots at the polyclinic you want are already taken up (they're often snapped up as soon as they are released!), you can always submit a request for dental services using their online form.

Only 4 SingHealth polyclinics offer dental services:

• Bedok: 11 Bedok North Street 1, Heartbeat@Bedok #02-01/#03-01, Singapore 469662
• Eunos: 1 Chin Cheng Avenue, Singapore 429400
• Punggol: 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces #02-01, Singapore 820681
• Tampines: 1 Tampines Street 41, Singapore 529203

The following NHG polyclinics offer dental services:

• Ang Mo Kio: 21 Ang Mo Kio Central 2, Singapore 569666
• Geylang: 21 Geylang East Central, Singapore 389707
• Hougang: 89 Hougang Avenue 4, Singapore 538829
• Toa Payoh: 2003 Toa Payoh Lor 8, Singapore 319260 
• Woodlands: 10 Woodlands Street 31, Singapore 738579

Only 3 National University polyclinics offer dental services: 

• Bukit Panjang: 50 Woodlands Rd, 03-02, Singapore 677726
• Jurong: 190 Jurong East Avenue 1, Singapore 609788
• Queenstown: 580 Stirling Road, Singapore 148958

Tel: 6643 6969 (SingHealth) / 6355 3000 (NHG) / 6663 6847 (NUP)

2. NTUC Health Denticare ($85 to $180)

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 two mobile dental clinics, so it won't be a problem finding an outlet that's convenient for you.

Consultation costs $25 to $40, while scaling and polishing ranges from $60 to $140. So, your total bill should fall within the range of $85 to $180.

Subsidies are available if you hold CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation Cards:

CHAS subsidy	Scaling	Polishing	Total cost of scaling + polishing
CHAS Blue	$20.50	$30.00	$50.50
Merdeka Generation	$25.50	$35.00	$60.50
Pioneer Generation	$30.50	$40.00	$70.50

Note: CHAS subsidies are only applicable for up to two scaling and two polishing sessions each year.

Locations: 19 clinics islandwide

Tel: 6336 6222

3. Greenlife Dental ($100 to $190)

If you've been keeping your eyes peeled for dentists around your neighbourhood, you would have noticed the dental chain, Greenlife Dental. Consultation costs are $15 to $40 here, while scaling & polishing will set you back by $85 to $150, depending on the state of your oral hygiene. That makes for a total of $100 to $190 at Greenlife Dental, making it one of the more affordable dentists around. 

Location: 8 clinics islandwide

Tel: 6452 4222 (AMK), 6241 0123 (Bedok), 6250 0630 (Toa Payoh),  6299 3556 (Beach Road), 6777 1712 (Clementi), 6261 1161 (Tiong Bahru), 6765 5759 (Yew Tee)

4. Advance Dental Group ($90 to $170)

From 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 are $20 to $40 for consultation and $70 to $130 for scaling and polishing. All in all, that's $90 to $170 for your full visit. Subsidies are available if you hold blue CHAS, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation Cards.

Location: Over 20 clinics islandwide

Phone: +65 6233 2199 / WhatsApp: +65 3138 5321

5. Newport Dental ($95)

Newport Dental is a dental clinic with two 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. Patients may also add a stain removal procedure with the prophyjet, which brings the total cost 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

6. TS Dental Care ($80 to $120)

If you live around Jalan Besar, Kallang, or Lavender, try TS Dental Care at Kitchener Complex. Prices are transparent, with routine scaling and cleaning ranging from $80 to $120 before subsidies.

Location: 809 French Road 02-52 , Kitchener Complex, Singapore 200809

Tel: +65 6298 4863

7. Azure Dental ($132 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 location very convenient—it's just next to Sixth Avenue MRT Station.

Price-wise, prices start at $32 for consultation and from $100 for scaling and polishing. If your dental hygiene isn't the best and they need to do more complex cleaning, prices start from $160 for complex scaling and polishing procedures. In total, that's $132 to $192 for the entire visit, depending on the state of your teeth and gums. 

Location: 781 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269759

Tel: 6463 6318

8. More ways to save on dental treatments

Sure, one sure-fire way to save money on dentist visits is to hop across the border and get your teeth done in Malaysia. But not all of us fancy needing a passport just to get our teeth cleaned. Here are some 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. However, these credit cards are a safe 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.

ALSO READ: How much does it cost to get dental braces and Invisalign in Singapore?

This article was first published in MoneySmart.