Financing dental implants in Singapore

Dental implants are arguably the best thing that happened to Dentistry in the last fifty years. Wrong, I take that back. The discovery of osseointegration is the best thing that happened to Dentistry. What's osseointegration? It is the process of bone healing that integrates with titanium that enable titanium screws ie dental implants, to take the load of biting and chewing. Before Branemark discovered osseointegration, dental implants have already been in existence for thousands of years, dating back to the days of Egyptian pharoahs. It was an expensive thing to do then (that's why dental implants are found in Pharoahs and not the slaves) even though they didn't work, and it still is fairly expensive today. However, there is much greater value for money today because the science has evolved to a stage where success is very consistent and predictable. It's not a 100% success and no surgical procedure ever will be, but it is pretty close. Today, you gon't have to be a Pharoah to afford total teeth replacement but the cost of dental implants in Singapore is still substantial.

What are the ways to finance total teeth replacement with dental implants in Singapore?

1.Direct payment.

The most direct way naturally is cash, cheque or credit card and Medisave. With the change in Medisave rules in 2014, the limit for dental implants has been raised to $7850 for each session. With the amount per implant limited to $950, you can claim up to 8 implants at a go, which is enough to support a full arch upper prosthesis. So, if you want to maximize usage of your Medisave, you can choose to do implant surgery one jaw at a time. The rest of the cost will still need to be paid out of pocket. The fabrication of the prosthesis itself is not a surgical procedure and cannot be financed from your Medisave account at all.

2. Credit Card Interest-free installment plans 

Most clinics accept interest free installment plans offered by credit card issuers. If you have a sufficient credit limit on your credit card, you can charge it to your credit card and pay in installments over six or twelve months. This way, the clinic lose a bit in the service charge to the credit company but they don't run the risk of their patients defaulting on payment.

3. Paying the clinic in installments

Most clinics are not able to offer installment plans on their own. Clinics are not banks and are not equipped with the knowhow of managing debts like installments. However, for the smaller practices where the patient knows the dentist and staff well and there is a certain level of trust, installment plans can be worked out. This is usually not done officially as the clinic has no recourse if the patient defaults on payment after a while. To my knowledge, this has only been done once in a blue moon for patients who have a long term relationship with the practice. So, if you have been visiting the same dentist for many years and have a good rapport with the dentist and staff, you can perhaps explore this avenue. 

4. Volunteering as a teaching/learning case.

Dental implantology is taught only briefly in the undergraduate curriculum in dental school. Most dentists would not have done any implants as a student. So, how do dentists learn to do implants. Some go back to school to do a postgraduate course in dental implantology while others attend privately organized courses. Which ever route the dentist takes to learn implantology, there will always be a first patient. As such, if you volunteer to be his first patient, the cost will be significantly lower. This is possible because the dentist is not charging you his professional fee as he is learning, and implant vendors usually will subsidize or sponsor the implant components. It cost much less but it will not be free because the course instructors will need to be paid to run the course, the clinic expenses still needs to be paid and the techician that fabricates the prosthesis will be charging full rates. However, you can expect the costs be be reduced by up to 50%. Total teeth replacement is a much more complex procedure and the course instructor will need a "demo" patient to show to the course participants. So, if you are suitable to be a "demo" patient, you can shave a big chunk off your bill. There are some trade-offs in being a patient in a training course. As part of the course, other dentists (other than the dentist treating you) will be observing your surgery, and so you'll lose some privacy. To ensure that the participating dentist learn, the procedure will take a longer than usual due to the explanation that goes along with the procedure. There will also be more visits than usual for record taking which may not be needed routinely. You need to decide beforehand whether you are prepared to put up with the inconveniences and loss of privacy.

Total teeth replacement with dental implants in Singapore is an expensive procedure. Fortunately, it is never an urgent or emergency treatment. There are more economical alternatives that you can use until you are ready to commit to the treatment mentally as well as financially. Feel free to explore ways of financing the treatment with your dentist and you may find that the cost may be made more manageable.