An independent public survey commissioned by the Singapore Dental Association’s (SDA) Standing Committee found that 89% of Singapore residents are concerned about the cost of dental care. In a press statement released on Wednesday (11 Sept), the SDA said that it shares public concern about rising dental treatment fees in Singapore.
A total of 1,438 members of the public aged between 25 to 60 years old, consisting of 1,412 Singaporeans and 26 Permanent Residents were surveyed.Some 71% of respondents visited private dental clinics while 29% went to public healthcare institutions.
The survey found that 76% of the respondents were concerned about the rising cost of living in Singapore while 89% of respondents were concerned about the cost of dental care in Singapore.
Of the 89% of respondents who were concerned about cost of dental care, one third of them said they would try to seek alternative routes of receiving dental care like heading to Johor Bahru or Bangkok for treatment if the cost of dental care further increases. Some added that they may turn to public healthcare institutions.
The SDA study was commissioned to examine public confidence in dentists and study the public’s concerns on dental costs. The SDA said that the survey was organised “in response to a recent series of media articles on dentists who have been convicted by the court or disciplined by Singapore Dental Council (SDC), which might put the dental profession as a whole in bad light.”
SDA Standing Committee Chairman Dr Tang Kok Weng said: “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.”
He added: “We share the public concern about the rising dental treatment fees. We hope that there is no external factors in the near future that may potentially increase the cost of delivery of dental care in Singapore.” -/TISG