Invisalign Costs In Singapore: A Dentist Tells All

I decided to write this post to share some insider knowledge about Invisalign pricing in Singapore. Special shout out to all you people looking for "Invisalign cost Singapore" or "Invisalign Singapore cost".

Also read:

An Orthodontist's Complete Guide To Invisalign In Singapore (2018)

1. How much does Invisalign cost in Singapore?

In Singapore, Invisalign costs range from about $8000 - $9500 in total for treatment by an orthodontist (braces specialist). Many dentists do complimentary consultations, and will be able to give you cost estimates.

Some clinics are able to quote much lower prices (ie in the $4500 to $6000 range) because they do not include pre-treatment and aftercare expenses, such as:

• Dental X-Rays
• Retainers
• Bite guards
• Bite adjustments

2. What accounts for the difference in Invisalign costs?

Invisalign costs in Singapore vary mainly due to:

• Complexity of treatment: A longer treatment time and more aligner trays will increase costs
• Pre-treatment and aftercare expenses
• Overhead costs of the dentist: Rental in town is expensive :-)
• Invisalign lab fees: Clinics who do more cases of Invisalign per year pay less lab fees to Invisalign.

In general, treatment that takes 1 year will be far less costly than treatment that takes 2 or more years.

3. Invisalign lab fees are variable

Align Technology, the owner of Invisalign, assigns dentists to 1 of 7 tiers:

• Bronze (performs least number of Invisalign cases a year)
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Platinum Elite
• Diamond
• Black Diamond (performs most number of Invisalign cases a year)

Some clinics who perform more cases of Invisalign a year are able to pay cheaper lab fees to Invisalign.

4. i7 Invisalign, Invisalign Lite, or Full Invisalign treatment?

Example of Invisalign costs in Singapore.

When dentists sometimes quote you a cheaper fee for "simpler cases", it may be because your teeth require less aligners, which equates to cheaper lab fees.

For example, very very simple cases that "confirm guarantee chop" can be corrected in 7 aligners may be suitable for i7. Your dentist will determine if you are eligible for this.

I say confirm guarantee chop, because if it so happens that a patient turns out to be non-adherent to treatment, there will not be any spare aligners to "play around with", and you may end up paying much more. Consequently, some clinics in Singapore do not offer i7 and Invisalign Lite as it requires the dentist to be very firm with his patient in ensuring compliance.

On the other hand, Invisalign Full allows your dentist to order more aligners in case there needs to be any further "tweaks" to your teeth. Invisalign Full also allows for unlimited refinement, whereas Invisalign Lite only allows for one.

Ahh.....the age-old debate. The dilemma in choosing between specialists and non-specialists, or even between which specialty should carry out a particular treatment is commonplace in Singapore. Just check out some of the questions posed on our QnA:

Is there any difference in doctors with FAMS qualification when it comes to treating severe acne?

Are general dentists allowed to do braces in Singapore?

The answers to these questions can be contentious amongst doctors alone, which probably makes it all the more confusing for you as a consumer/patient.

Compared to dentists, orthodontists spend 3 additional years learning about the mechanics and methods of moving teeth around. On the other hand, orthodontic training does not focus on Invisalign, and many dentists with an interest in orthodontics also gain much practical experience with Invisalign cases over the years.

Personally, I feel that the main advantage with seeing an orthodontist is that they can better explain ALL your options for correcting your teeth, including techniques other than Invisalign.

At the end of the day, it really boils down to finding a sincere doctor who takes a genuine interest in treating you. It may be helpful to arrange a consultation with both a dentist and orthodontist, and select your treatment provider based on your comfort level with the doctors.

6. If Invisalign is a lab that uses software to plan and manufacture my retainers, surely the dentist I choose won't make a difference?

It's true that Invisalign has a software that "maps" out and recommends teeth movements to your dentist - once your dentist clicks "accept" on all the suggestions, the Invisalign lab then proceeds to 3D print and deliver your aligners to the clinic.

But before you go "aha!", hear me out - there's a common joke amongst orthodontists that it's a teenager in India providing these recommendations (actually, this is probably true).

Good dentists will check that every single adjustment is correct, and will frequently make multiple alterations to the proposed treatment by Invisalign.

Inexperienced dentists may simply accept most, if not all the recommendations made by the Invisalign lab without much vetting.

7. Are there any subsidies or discounts for Invisalign treatment in Singapore?

You can't make use of Medisave to pay for Invisalign treatment as it's not considered a surgical procedure. Nor is it covered under any form of dental insurance in Singapore, unfortunately.

If you decide to send in a free enquiry on DXD however, we promise that we'll ask our dentist friends to give you their best possible price.

I hope this post was helpful in your search for a good Invisalign provider in Singapore!