Posted at 10:36h in Dr Gerald Tan's Feed Show In the world of dentistry today, there’s a lot of unknown factors where dental implant costs are concerned. When you buy a car, you want to know exactly what you’re paying for – be it the car make and country of origin, OMV/COE price, or fuel-efficiency. For instance, a 4 series BMW coupe, will naturally cost much more than a Mazda sedan. The same transparency doesn’t apply to dental implant costs in Singapore:
This post will reveal all the insider pricing information for dental implants that only dentists know about. It will help you make a well-informed decision about dental implants in Singapore. Before you start, you need to find a dentist you are comfortable with.
Dental implant costs in Singapore range from around $4,000 – $6,000 in total for a routine non-complex case. Most dentists will be happy to give you free cost estimates. The fee you pay is Medisave claimable, up to a limit of $1,250 for one dental implant. The Ministry of Health website also provides a rough estimate of dental implant costs in Singapore. As of 2015, public hospitals charge $1,600 – $1,944 per surgical implant fixture placement. Private private clinics on the other hand can charge around $2,000 – $4,815. These costs are for the implant surgery alone and do not include any associated costs as broken down for you below.
What are you paying for in the final price for a dental implant? Here’s an example of a bill breakdown:
A surgical guide is a piece of guiding plastic that’s placed in the mouth during surgery. This will enable dentists to place the dental implant in the right angle. Bone grafts are required when there isn’t enough healthy bone to place the dental implant. The cost will vary based on how much bone graft will be required. Sinus lifting is a bone-grafting procedure that’s aimed to increase the amount of healthy bone to place the dental implant.
The cost of a single dental implant in Singapore can range from $1,250 to a staggering $15,000. As you can see from the breakdown in 2, additional procedures can increase the cost significantly (eg. whether bone grafting is needed). Other factors that can affect the total cost include:
If anything, there is no one size fits all solution for dental implant surgery.
Some of my patients are the perfect candidates for dental implant procedures. They have good oral health, and ideal gum and bone quality to place the dental implant. This means the procedure will be straightforward and hence cheaper. However, some patients have pre-existing problems, which often requires additional costly procedures. Do note that more expensive doesn’t always mean better! It would be helpful to discuss the proposed treatment plan with your dentist so you will have a clear understanding of what you will be paying for. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion. A different dentist may be able to provide an alternative treatment approach that will suit your expectations.
A costly dental implant case is often attributed to the following patient factors:
For instance, the best crowns are made with many layers of custom colouring, so that it exactly mimics the colour, shape, and texture of the neighbouring teeth. This task will require a highly skilled lab technician. Your dentist may decide to have the crown made by a world-famous ceramist based in USA/Japan/ Europe. The lab fees for this alone could cost as much as $2,000 – $3,000.
The cheapest dental implants advertised in Singapore are usually mini-implants. On average, mini dental implant surgery costs about $700 – $1,500. These type of surgeries are inexpensive because they are reserved for very simple cases. Mini implants are NOT substitutes for “normal” dental implants. Conventional dental implants are much stronger as they provide a larger surface area to bond with the bone.
You can usually claim up to $1,250 in Medisave for one dental implant, subject to a maximum of $7,500 for 8 implants. No dentist can guarantee the success of any Medisave claim. We can only submit the request, but the final claimable amount is still subject to the approval of MOH. To make a Medisave claim, just bring your Singaporean Identity Card to prove that you are a Singaporean Citizen or Permanent Resident. The clinic staff will do the rest, including submitting all the needed paperwork.
Certain scenarios where you may be able to get some subsidies include:
You can always seek out a free quote estimate from a few dentists to get a better insight into the cost. What is the cost of a bone graft?The cost of a bone graft will vary depending on the type of graft your dental surgeon uses, the duration of the surgery, and the amount of pre-existing bone mass in your jaw. On average, though, you can expect to spend from $300 to $3,000 per graft. These costs are also affected by other factors.
Is dental bone graft worth it?Is a bone graft worth it? A bone graft is certainly worth it for patients wanting to replace teeth lost to trauma, gum disease or extraction. Bone grafts will be essential in restoring the damaged bone in the jaw and building up to be strong enough to replace the missing tooth or teeth.
How much does bone graft on one tooth cost?Bone Graft Cost
A simple dental bone graft for a single implant area that uses synthetic bone can range between $300 to $800 in cost. Should the bone graft use bone harvested from the patient, hospitalization is required, and related cost is higher.
Is bone grafting necessary for implants?When referring to dental implants, a bone graft may be needed to ensure the jaw can support the posts for many years to come. Research shows you can lose as much as 25% of your jawbone's density within the first year of losing a tooth, so it's not uncommon to need bone grafting before replacing your missing teeth.
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