Health Ministry to ensure that dental health care remains affordable for all Singapore

The Health Ministry will continue to ensure that dental health care remains affordable for all Singaporeans, especially the needy and the elderly. 

And one way to do this is through the existing Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) which aims to provide Singaporeans aged 40 and above better access to primary healthcare by bringing affordable services closer to them. Those with per capita household income of $1,500 will qualify. 

Under the scheme, private general dental practitioners are engaged to provide common outpatient dental treatment. Eligible patients will receive a subsidy that will bring the net charges closer to what is charged at government polyclinics. 

The list of dental treatment covered by the scheme has also been expanded to include dental procedures such as crowns, bridges, dentures and root canal treatment. 

And to promote greater transparency of dental charges, Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong hopes that more private dental clinics will publish their range of charges on the Health Ministry's website. 

Mr Gan has also asked the Singapore Dental Association to come up with a directory of information and services. 

The public and profession would be able to refer to the directory for detailed and unbiased information on the various types of dental treatment procedures, range of charges, outcomes and even risks. 

Mr Gan said to meet the demands of a fast aging population in Singapore, the care and provision of both medical and dental treatment will become more complex. 

He stressed that there will be a greater need for dental professionals here to update and upgrade themselves on the management of the elderly. 

Mr Gan was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) attended by dentists and related oral health professionals.