Nearly 9 in 10 people said they are concerned about the cost of dental care in Singapore, according to a survey conducted by the Singapore Dental Association (SDA).
Some 1,438 members of the public aged between 25 and 60 were interviewed for the survey. The results were released yesterday (11 Sep).
One third of the respondents also said that they would try to seek cheaper “alternative routes” of getting dental care should there be further cost increases, such as going to Johor Bahru or Bangkok for treatment.
Most of them – 71 per cent – visited private dental practitioners. The 29 per cent who visited public healthcare institutions also voiced concern about long waiting periods.
And 76 per cent said they are concerned about the rising cost of living in Singapore.
The chairman of the SDA standing committee Dr Tang Kok Weng told the media, “We share the public concern about the rising dental treatment fees.”
SDA hopes there are no “external factors” that could increase the cost of dental care in Singapore, Dr Tang added.
A quick check on the Internet indeed shows that dental care treatments in Johor Bahru cost a lot less than those in Singapore.
For example, a molar root canal treatment in JB would typically cost about S$500 but in Singapore, it can easily go up to $1,000. Some Singapore private clinics even charge up to S$1,500 – 2,000.
And even for normal treatment like scaling and polishing, it costs merely about S$40 to $50 in JB but in Singapore the price would be doubled.
With prices easily halved in JB, it’s no wonder more Singaporeans are contemplating going to JB for their dental treatments.
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