Singapore Boosts Dental Subsidies for Tooth Preservation

Key Takeaways

• Enhanced subsidies for tooth-saving procedures like root canals and crowns will be available under the Chas scheme starting Q4 2025.
• Up to 1.7 million Chas cardholders, including new Orange cardholders, will benefit from expanded subsidies.
• Flexi-MediSave usage for dental care will be extended to those aged 60+ from mid-2026.
• Fee benchmarks for dental procedures will be introduced to prevent price gouging.
• Public sector wait times for dental care remain lengthy, prompting efforts to shift patients to private clinics.

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Subsidy Enhancements for Tooth Preservation
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced increased subsidies for dental procedures aimed at preserving natural teeth, addressing affordability concerns highlighted by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. From Q4 2025, subsidies for root canals, permanent crowns, and other preventive treatments will rise, reducing out-of-pocket costs for Chas cardholders. For example, Merdeka Generation (MG) cardholders undergoing molar root canal treatments at Chas clinics could see payments nearly halved to $370, with Flexi-MediSave potentially covering the full cost.

Health Minister Ong emphasized the importance of maintaining functional teeth, noting that “only about half of our older population have [the recommended] 20 natural teeth” needed for effective chewing. The policy shift aims to discourage extractions, which are cheaper upfront but harm long-term oral health and nutrition.

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Expansion of Subsidies to More Cardholders
Subsidies for 10 preventive dental procedures, including scaling and fillings, will extend to Chas Orange cardholders (household income per person: $1,501–$2,300) for the first time. Previously, these subsidies were limited to Pioneer Generation (PG), Merdeka Generation (MG), and Chas Blue cardholders. Subsidy caps for permanent crowns will rise significantly, with PG, MG, and Chas Blue cardholders receiving up to $625, $620, and $615, respectively—a $487.50 increase for the highest-tier beneficiaries.

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Flexi-MediSave and Fee Benchmarks to Curb Abuse
From mid-2026, Flexi-MediSave—a medical savings scheme for those aged 60+—can be used for root canals and crowns at Chas clinics and public institutions. To prevent providers from inflating prices to “cream off the subsidy,” MOH will introduce fee benchmarks for common procedures by Q4 2025. Health Minister Ong stated this measure will ensure transparency, helping patients “gauge how much they have to pay” and identify outliers.

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Addressing Public Sector Wait Times
Long wait times at public dental institutions remain a challenge. At the National University Centre For Oral Health Singapore (NUCOHS), patients wait five months for root canals or dentures. Associate Professor Patrick Tseng, a senior adviser at NUCOHS, noted that fee benchmarks could redirect patients to private clinics with shorter wait times, allowing public centers to focus on complex cases. Dental chain Q&M’s COO Raymond Ang agreed, suggesting benchmarks might make private care more appealing if polyclinics are full.

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Expert Opinions on the Policy Shift
Dental professionals welcomed the changes but highlighted lingering challenges. Dr. Angela Tran of Casa Dental noted that many elderly patients still opt for extractions due to the high cost of root canals ($400–$1,000) and crowns ($1,000+). Enhanced subsidies, she said, could encourage tooth preservation. However, Prof Tseng stressed that benchmarks must be paired with public education to build trust in private-sector pricing.

The reforms reflect a broader push to integrate oral health into Singapore’s preventive care framework, aligning with the Healthier SG initiative. By reducing financial barriers, MOH aims to improve long-term health outcomes and reduce the strain on public dental services.