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Dental Check-Ups in Singapore
A check-up at NoFrills Dental is $50 before GST and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Most adults should have one every six months. The examination is the part that finds problems while they are still small and cheap: decay before it reaches the nerve, gum disease before the bone goes, a cracked filling before the tooth splits. A scale and polish is usually done at the same visit.
Medically reviewed by the NoFrills Dental Medical Team. Last updated 4 August 2026.
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Before GST. A scale and polish at the same visit is $80 to $120.
Examination, clean, and time to explain what was found.
Three to four monthly if you have gum disease or heavy tartar.
What happens at a dental checkup?
A dental check up is an examination, not a formality. Here is the order it usually runs in.
- What you have noticed. Sensitivity, a rough edge, bleeding when you brush, food packing in one spot. Symptoms tell the dentist where to look first.
- Tooth by tooth examination. Every tooth and every existing filling or crown, checking for decay, cracks, wear and restorations that are starting to fail.
- Gum assessment. Bleeding, swelling, recession and pocket depths. This is how gum disease is caught, because it does not hurt until it is advanced.
- Soft tissue check. Tongue, cheeks, palate and the floor of the mouth, looking for ulcers or patches that should not be there. See mouth spots and sores and mouth cancer for what that check is for.
- X-rays if they are needed. Not automatically, and not at every visit.
- What was found, and what it costs. You are told what needs doing now, what can be watched, and what the fee is before anything is booked.
Watch: why check-ups matter, with Dr Li KexinDr Li Kexin on why the routine visit matters, from the NoFrills Dental channel.
How much does a dental check-up cost in Singapore?
The examination itself is $50. What moves the total is whatever is done at the same appointment, which is usually a clean and occasionally an x-ray.
| What a routine visit looks like | Fee |
|---|---|
| Consultation and examination | $50 |
| Scaling and polishing, if needed | $80 to $120 |
| X-ray, single tooth | $50 |
| Typical visit with a clean, before GST | From $130 |
NoFrills Dental fees, before GST. Singapore GST has been 9 per cent since 1 January 2024, per the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Treatment found at the check-up, such as a filling from $100, is quoted before it is started.
Subsidies and plans we work with
CHAS covers basic treatment including scaling, polishing and fillings for cardholders, and the subsidy is deducted at the counter. Full rates are in our 2026 CHAS subsidy guide, with separate rates for Merdeka and Pioneer Generation cardholders. MediSave does not cover routine check-ups; it applies to surgical treatment such as wisdom tooth surgery. Parents can use the Baby Bonus Child Development Account, and we work with a number of corporate and personal insurance plans.
How often should you actually go?
Six months is the interval that suits most adults, and it is the default we use. It is a starting point rather than a rule: the right interval depends on how fast you build tartar, whether you have had gum disease, whether you smoke, and how well controlled any diabetes is. Three to four months is common after gum treatment; some low risk patients are safely seen once a year.
The case for the routine visit is not really the clean, it is the examination attached to it. Decay between the teeth and early gum disease are both silent, and both are cheap to treat early and expensive to treat late. Our scaling and polishing page goes into what the evidence says about cleaning intervals specifically.
Do you need x-rays at every check-up?
No. X-rays are taken when there is a reason to take them: a first visit with no recent films, a high decay risk, gum disease that needs bone levels checked, a symptom the eye cannot explain, or a tooth being watched. Bitewing images show the surfaces between the teeth, where decay is invisible from the outside and often found years before it would have hurt. Your dentist decides the interval, and you are told why before an image is taken.
What we are actually looking for
| What is checked | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Decay, including between the teeth | Caught early it is a small filling. Left alone it becomes root canal treatment or a crown. |
| Gum condition and pocket depths | Bleeding gums are usually gingivitis, which is reversible. Pockets mean periodontitis, which is not. |
| Existing fillings and crowns | Restorations fail at the margins first, and decay under a filling is silent. |
| Bite, wear and jaw joints | Grinding flattens teeth and cracks them. Jaw pain and clicking belong to TMJ. |
| Soft tissues | Ulcers that do not heal within two to three weeks need looking at, not waiting out. |
| Bad breath and its cause | Persistent bad breath usually has a findable cause, most often the tongue or the gums. |
Tell us if it has been a while. We will plan the visit around that.
After your check-up
You leave with three things: what was found, what it will cost, and what to do differently at home. If treatment is needed it is scheduled rather than rushed, and anything urgent is separated from anything that can wait. Cleaning advice is specific to your mouth: which spots you are missing, whether floss or interdental brushes suit your gaps, and what to change in the daily routine.
Children are welcome, and early visits are mostly about making the chair unremarkable before anything needs doing. If you are considering braces or Invisalign, the check-up is where that conversation starts.
Where to book
Check-ups run at every NoFrills Dental clinic: Suntec City, Marina Square, Marine Parade and Tanjong Katong in Singapore, and Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur. Addresses and opening hours are on our clinics page, and the dentists are listed on our clinical team page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental check-up cost in Singapore?
A consultation and examination at NoFrills Dental is $50 before GST. If you have a scale and polish at the same visit that is a further $80 to $120, and a single tooth x-ray is $50. A typical first visit with a clean comes to $130 or more before GST, and CHAS cardholders have their subsidy deducted at the counter.
How long does a dental check-up take?
Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The examination itself is quick; most of the time goes on the clean, on any x-rays that are needed, and on explaining what was found and what it means.
How often should I have a dental check-up?
Every six months suits most adults. Three to four monthly is usual if you have been treated for gum disease, build tartar quickly, smoke, or have poorly controlled diabetes. Your dentist sets the interval from what is actually happening in your mouth.
What happens at a dental checkup?
At a dental check up the dentist asks what you have noticed, examines every tooth and existing filling, checks the gums for bleeding and pockets, looks over the soft tissues of the mouth, takes x-rays if they are needed, and then explains what was found. A scale and polish is usually done at the same visit.
Do I need x-rays at every check-up?
No. X-rays are taken when there is a reason: a first visit without recent films, decay risk, gum disease, a symptom that the eye cannot explain, or a tooth being monitored. Decay between the teeth is invisible from the outside, which is what bitewing x-rays are for.
Can I use CHAS, MediSave or insurance for a check-up?
CHAS subsidises basic treatment such as scaling and polishing and fillings for cardholders. MediSave does not cover routine check-ups, since it applies to surgical procedures. Many corporate and personal insurance plans cover routine dental, and we work with several of them, so bring your card or policy details.
I have not been to a dentist in years. Is that a problem?
It is common and it is not a lecture. The first visit is an assessment: we tell you what is there, what needs doing now, what can wait, and what it will cost. If there is a lot to do it gets planned over several appointments rather than all at once.
Related reading
Sources: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, GST rate change (iras.gov.sg); Ministry of Health Singapore, dental services and subsidies (moh.gov.sg).
Due for a check-up?
Book at any NoFrills Dental clinic. We examine, explain what we find, and quote before anything begins.
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We use your details only to reply to this enquiry. Clinics: Suntec City, Marina Square, Marine Parade and Tanjong Katong.