Dental News - Survey indicates great concern over high dental care costs in Singapore

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 20. September 2019

save

SINGAPORE: A recent survey commissioned by a standing committee appointed by the Singapore Dental Association (SDA) has inquired into the public’s confidence in dentists and assessed the overall level of concern about dental care costs in Singapore. The data revealed that the majority of the study participants struggle to meet rising dental care costs in the country.

The survey interviewed a total of 1,438 members of the public aged between 25 and 60 years. All the respondents were Singaporeans, except for 26 permanent residents. More than two-thirds of the respondents (71%) visited private dental practitioners and 29% visited public healthcare institutions.

The findings indicated that a staggering 89% of the study participants were unhappy about current dental care costs, and a third of the participants said that they would seek treatment overseas or turn to public healthcare institutions in the event of a further dental care cost increase. Nearly a fifth of the respondents stated that they had not visited a dentist in the last three years. However, those who had visited a dentist at least once in the last year were happy about the service they had received and had not filed any complaints against their dentist.

“The public survey gave us an opportunity to get a glimpse into the thoughts of Singaporeans and permanent residents. We are glad to find out that, despite the media reports on dentists recently, the survey reveals a very high confidence level in our dentists with regard to safety and competency in the delivery of dental care,” said chairman of the standing committee Dr Tang Kok Weng. “We share the public concern about the rising dental treatment fees. We hope that there are no external factors in the near future that may potentially increase the cost of delivery of dental care in Singapore,” he concluded.

Besides the rising dental care costs, 76% of the respondents were concerned about the rising cost of living in Singapore.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Healthy Finland Survey: Rising concern over tooth erosion, persistent caries and periodontal disease

KUOPIO, Finland: Although oral health is a critical component of overall well-being, it often remains overlooked in public health. Seeking to gain valuable ...

Survey indicates dental product sales increase but price fall in Australia

SYDNEY, Australia: Last week, the Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA) released the results of its quarterly Australian Dental Products Business ...

Survey reveals Australian dental product suppliers face rising costs

CANBERRA, Australia: To allow manufacturers and suppliers of dental products to express their level of business confidence in the industry, the Australian ...

National health survey indicates state of Scotland NHS dentistry continuing to deteriorate

EDINBURGH, Scotland: The lamentable state of public health dentistry across the UK is now glaringly obvious and concern continues to be raised in various ...

Survey of Australian dentists’ fees indicates a small increase

SYDNEY, Australia: Each year, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) conducts a dental fee survey to gain a better understanding of how private practices ...

Sugar consumption pushes global dental costs over €12.8 billion

HALLE, Germany: According to a joint study conducted by researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Biotechnology Research ...

Dentists in Scotland voice concerns over expired personal protective equipment

LONDON, UK: Dentists in Scotland have recently voiced their concerns over receiving stocks of free expired personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the ...

Dentists express their concerns over DIY dentistry

FARMINGTON, Conn., U.S.: With the growth of direct-to-consumer marketing, there has been a trend towards do-it-yourself (DIY) dentistry, which encourages ...

“Proper resources and evidence-based practices are crucial for providing high-quality dental care”

Over the last five years, FDI has been developing resources to assist dental professionals in the planning and delivery of care for partially dentate ...

Dental calculus indicates plant consumption in Neanderthal diet

LEIPZIG, Germany: The ecology of Neanderthals is a pressing area of enquiry in the study of the evolution of hominins (modern humans and their fossil ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 15 September 2025
1:00 pm EST (New York)