Medisave
Medisave Claims for dental treatment in institutions approved by the Ministry of Health Singapore
What is Medisave ?
Medisave Scheme is a Singapore National Healthcare Savings Scheme. Singaporeans or permanent residences who are employed with CPF will have to put aside a part of their income into the Medisave Account.
What medical procedures can be claim under the Medisave Scheme ?
Medisave savings can be used to claim for hospitalization, day surgeries and certain out patients treatment. However they can only be used in medical /dental institutions approved by the Ministry of Health. For exact details of what can be claims under the Medisave scheme, choose a clinic or hospital accredited by Ministry of Health, they will assist you accordingly.
Are there withdrawal limits for MediSave ?
Medisave withdrawal limits are set by the government and these limits are revised periodically to met the health care demands of Singapore . The main objective of Medisave withdrawal limits is to safe guard excessive or unwise use of Medisave funds . This will ensure that sufficient funds are available for medical needs during old age. Our clinic staff will advise you on the withdrawal limits for the various dental procedures claimable under the Medisave Scheme
Can Medisave be used by members of my family ?
Medisave funds can also be used for a Medisave Account holder dependants. Dependants refers to spouse, children, parents and grandparents.
Medisave claims for Dental Surgery : General information for patients.
Medisave claim for dental surgery
Mount Elizabeth Dental Surgery Pte Ltd is a day surgery clinic facility accredited by the Ministry of Health (Singapore). Our dental clinic, located at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Mount Elizabeth Hospital is fully equipped for dental surgery in both in-clinic and hospital settings. For Singaporeans and Permanent Residents of Singapore with a Medisave Account , certain types of dental procedures can be paid partially with Medisave.
What are the common dental surgery procedures that are Medisave claimable ?
Some of the common procedures claimable under the Medisave Scheme are :
- Surgical extraction of teeth/roots
- Wisdom teeth removal ,
- Removal of cyst/tumour
- Biopsy
- Correction of tonque tied
- Dental implant surgery
- Bone grafting
- Jaw surgery
Notes :
The complexity of the dental procedures will determine The amount that is deductable from the Medisave account will depends on the complexity of the case and the withdrawal limits set by the Ministry of Health. The amount claimable is stipulated in surgery tables set by the Ministry of Health in Singapore.
How much can I claim from my Medisave Account for wisdom tooth surgery or dental implant surgery ?
Some of the common procedures and the amount deductable from Medisave account are listed here :
Notes.
The above table is only a simple guide and the final amount may vary depending on the complexity of the case and final approval from the Ministry of Health.
The final amount deductable from the Medisave Account is dependant on the final approval by the Ministry of Health
How can I claim from my Medisave account for dental surgery ?
Firstly you must ensure that you have a CPF/Medisave account . Secondly check that you have sufficient funds ins your medisave account.
On the day of surgery, you must bring along your Identity Card to show proof that you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident. Do not worry about how to claim from your medisave account . Our clinic staff are trained to do the necessary paper work for Medisave claims .
Notes.
The above table is only a simple guide and the final amount may vary depending on the complexity of the case and final approval from the Ministry of Health.
The final amount deductable from the Medisave Account is dependant on the final approval by the Ministry of Health
How can I claim from my Medisave account for dental surgery ?
Firstly you must ensure that you have a CPF/Medisave account . Secondly check that you have sufficient funds ins your medisave account.
On the day of surgery, you must bring along your Identity Card to show proof that you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident. Do not worry about how to claim from your medisave account . Our clinic staff are trained to do the necessary paper work for Medisave claims .
What if I do not have sufficient funds in my Medisave Account ?
In the event of insufficient funds , you can use your immediate family ‘s Medisave Account . Immediate family, according to Ministry of Health includes spouse and parents.
Useful links
www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/cost/medisave/Withdrawal_limits.html
ROOT CANAL TREATMENT OR TOOTH IMPLANT
Wearing a denture to replace missing teeth is no longer a desired option in the fast evolving modern society. Sometimes a tooth may be so severely damaged from tooth decay or trauma that the nerve of the tooth is dead or non-vital. Patients and dentist are faced with this difficult decision , to save the tooth with root canal treatment and crown or just extract the tooth and replaced it with a tooth implant or dental implant.
Root canal treatment and dental implant are both proven method of dental treatment with high success rate . Both treatment modality are relatively complex treatment involving a lot of time and are more costly than dentures . So should you have a root canal treatment and crowning be done or is it better to have a tooth implant instead.?
There are 6 instances whereby dental implants are preferred over root canal treatment and crowning.
1) Badly broken down tooth
Before opting for a root canal treatment the dentist have to decide whether the there is enough tooth structure after root canal treatment for crowning. Even with enough tooth structure for crowning, the dentist have to assess whether the final crown tooth is strong enough to withstand daily biting forces. One of the most common and heart breaking failure mode of root canal treated tooth is root fracture. When root fracture occurs, the whole tooth has to be extracted and be replaced with a tooth implant instead.
The picture on the left shows a molar that is badly broken down. There is not enough tooth structure for crowning and even if crowning is done, root fracture is inevitable. In such cases, dental implant is the best option.
2) Tooth fracture
Fracture lines that run across a tooth is an good indication that a tooth is severely weaken . If the fracture line extends deep into the gum , the tooth is generally not restorable and has to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant instead.
3) Root canals that cannot be treated
In order for a root canal treatment to be successful , the root canals in a tooth must be completely patent for cleaning and filling. If the root canal are not patent for root canal treatment, bacterial will be left behind, setting stage for recurrence of infection and root canal failure.
Contraindications for root canal treatment
1) Broken root canal instrument that are obstructive and cannot be retrieved. The peri-apical xray on the left shows a broken root canal instrument in the root . Since the obstruction cause by the broken instrument is preventing the cleaning of the apical region of the root canal system , tooth extraction and replacement with a tooth implant is the next best option.
4) Root fractures
Its not uncommon for heavily filled teeth to sustain microscopic fractures in the root . These microscopic fractures are often difficult to diagnose as they are not visible to the naked eye. Root canal treatment in tooth with root fractures has a very poor prognosis. This is because the constant ingress of bacterial through root fracture will inevitable lead to root canal failure.
Root fractures are usually diagnosis with the help of operating microscope. The picture on the left taken from our clinic operating microscope shows a microscopic fracture extending across a molar tooth and into the root.
Treatment required : extraction of the fractured molar and tooth replacement with a dental implant
5) Root Decay
Tooth with extensive root decay are not restorable. In other words, even if root canal treatment is done, due to the lack of tooth structure to retain and support a crown, failure will occur . Instead of spending considerable time and money for root canal treatment and crowning, extraction of the bad tooth and replace with a tooth implant ,is a better option as the prognosis is very much better.
The xray on the left shows an extensive root decay almost amputating the tooth crown from the root . In case like this, extraction of the tooth and replace it with a tooth implant or dental implant is the treatment of choice.
6) Advance Gum Disease
One of the most question ask by patients with loose teeth due to gum disease is whether root canal treatment can save the tooth .
The answer is no because root canal treatment merely replaces an infected nerve and pulp tissues with a clean root filling material. It will not cure gum disease nor cause the bone supporting the loose tooth to grow back. Gum diseases is due to the loosening of tooth root attachment to the bone as a result of bacterial plaque on the tooth or root external surfaces . Some patients are also genetically prone to bacterial plaque induced gum disease.
The picture on the left shows a loose lateral and central incisors due to advance gum diseases and resulting bone lost. In such cases, root canal treatment is of no use . The tooth should be removed as soon as possible so as to preserve as much jaw bone as possible for dental implants.
