How can I finance braces and jaw surgery in Singapore?
I am a 22 year old male. My mother can only pay for braces if the installment plan allows for full installments from the start with no down payment. I've tried looking around for such clinics that offer such payment plans, but am having trouble. I've seen a dentist, who has also advised that I need underbite jaw surgery in order to correct my underbite, as it is a skeletal issue that cannot be solved with only braces. The surgery can be paid using my mother's medisave, however it is only claimable for up to 80-90% in Singapore. Since the cost will be in the thousands, the remaining 10-20% will be an issue as well for my mother. Are there any financing schemes available in Singapore that can help people in my situation?
Dear Martin,
Thank you for sharing your photo. It does seem that a combination of orthodontics (braces) together with orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) would be the ideal treatment for you.
For the braces treatment, most clinics would require a downpayment to cover some material cost once they are placed.
Perhaps you could enquire with regards to the minimum down payment required due to financial constraints? I'm sure some clinics will be open to customizing an installment plan just for you, to help you split up the payments.
It also depends on the type of braces you choose. Metal braces are more economical than ceramic (white) braces.
An alternative would be to seek a referral from the polyclinic to see an orthodontic resident at National Dental Centre or National University Hospital. Thereafter, if you are open to be placed on the training list and a waiting period of a few months to a year (this may vary), you will be able to receive a discounted rate at these institutions for orthodontic treatment by the orthodontic postgraduate residents, who are closely supervised by orthodontic specialists throughout the whole treatment. The cost will definitely be less than private clinics. You will need to contact them to enquire about the details of their installment plan.
With regards to the surgical fees, if you have an integrated shield plan (health insurance), your costs may be covered up to 100%. It depends on the type of plan you have, would be good to check with your insurance agent on this.
Hope this helps and all the best. :)
Kind regards,
Dr Geraldine Lee
Hi Martin,
2. In-clinic installments - I have heard that some clinics do allow direct installment payment arrangements, and as such, you would probably need to message a few more dental clinic to find out the possibilities about this.
It is after all not a life-changing or life-threatening condition, so a more sensible approach may be to just leave it alone for now (if it’s not causing major medical issues), and to go for the necessary surgery or braces only when you are working and able to finance them .
