Standard Medisave cannot be used for root canal treatment in Singapore, because root canal is a non-surgical outpatient procedure (MOH, January 2025). Flexi-MediSave can: from 1 June 2026, patients aged 60 and above may use up to $400 a year for root canal treatment and permanent crowns at CHAS dental clinics, including Trust Dental Surgery. CHAS subsidies of up to $594.50 per root canal apply first, at any age, for eligible cardholders. The only route to standard Medisave is a surgical procedure such as an apicoectomy.
Which Scheme Applies to Root Canal Treatment?
Three government schemes are regularly confused when patients ask whether a root canal is “Medisave claimable”. They have different rules, different age limits and different amounts:
| Scheme | Who | Root canal treatment? | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Medisave | Any age, Singapore citizens and PRs | No — non-surgical root canal is not a listed surgical procedure | — |
| Flexi-MediSave | Aged 60 and above (own or spouse’s account) | Yes, from 1 June 2026 at CHAS dental clinics and public institutions; also permanent crowns | Up to $400 per year, shared across all Flexi-MediSave uses |
| CHAS subsidy | CHAS Orange, Blue, Merdeka Generation, Pioneer Generation cardholders | Yes, at CHAS dental clinics | Fixed amount per tooth: $217.50–$336 front tooth, $308.50–$472.50 premolar, $389.50–$594.50 molar |
| Standard Medisave (surgical) | Any age | Only for surgical endodontics such as an apicoectomy | Set by the procedure’s surgical table code |
Why Standard Medisave Doesn’t Cover Root Canal
Medisave’s dental coverage sits inside the hospitalisation and day-surgery framework: a dental treatment is claimable only if it is a surgical procedure on the Table of Surgical Procedures — wisdom tooth surgery, implant placement, gum or jaw surgery. Root canal treatment removes the infected pulp from inside the tooth through the crown of the tooth; no incision or surgery is involved, so it has no surgical code and cannot be paid from a standard Medisave account, regardless of the patient’s age or which clinic performs it.
In January 2025 the Ministry of Health told Parliament it had received many requests to allow Medisave for root canal treatment and that the matter remained under review. The change that followed, announced in September 2025, was made through Flexi-MediSave rather than standard Medisave, and it applies to seniors only.
Flexi-MediSave for Root Canal: The 2026 Rules
Flexi-MediSave is the outpatient arm of Medisave for Singaporeans and PRs aged 60 and above. The annual limit was raised from $300 to $400 on 1 October 2025, and from 1 June 2026 the scheme was extended to CHAS dental clinics for two treatments: root canal treatment and permanent crowns. Nothing else at the dentist — scaling, fillings, dentures, extractions, X-rays, implants — can be paid with Flexi-MediSave.
The practical points:
- Age: you must be 60 or above. A spouse aged 60 or above can also let you use their Flexi-MediSave.
- Where: CHAS dental clinics and public healthcare institutions. Trust Dental Surgery’s Jurong West and Clementi clinics are both CHAS-accredited.
- How much: up to $400 per calendar year. This is shared with any other Flexi-MediSave use (for example a chronic-condition visit at a CHAS GP), so if part of the $400 has been used, only the remainder is available.
- Order of deduction: the CHAS subsidy is applied to the bill first; Flexi-MediSave can then be used against the balance.
- The crown counts too: the permanent crown usually placed after a root canal is also eligible, within the same $400 cap.
What You Actually Pay: Worked Examples
Root canal fees at Trust Dental Surgery are $650 for a front tooth, $750 for a premolar and $1,300 for a molar, before GST. The fee covers the root canal procedure; consultation, X-rays, any temporary filling and the crown are billed separately and, for CHAS cardholders, subsidised separately. Full pricing is in our root canal cost guide.
| Patient | Molar root canal fee | CHAS subsidy | Flexi-MediSave | Pays for the root canal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 45, CHAS Blue | $1,300 | − $584.50 | Not eligible (under 60) | $715.50 |
| Aged 45, no CHAS card | $1,300 | — | Not eligible | $1,300 |
| Aged 64, CHAS Blue | $1,300 | − $584.50 | − up to $400 | from $315.50 |
| Aged 70, Pioneer Generation | $1,300 | − $594.50 | − up to $400 | from $305.50 |
| Aged 64, no CHAS card | $1,300 | — | − up to $400 | from $900 |
All figures before GST (9%) and assuming the full $400 Flexi-MediSave balance is available. CHAS root canal subsidies are limited to two teeth per year; the permanent crown has its own subsidy (up to $625) and can also draw on any Flexi-MediSave remaining.
Surgical Root Canal Cases and Standard Medisave
Occasionally a tooth that has already had a root canal develops an infection at the root tip that cannot be resolved by retreatment. An apicoectomy — surgically removing the tip of the root through the gum — is a listed surgical procedure and can be claimed under standard Medisave at any age, up to the limit for its surgical code. This is the only situation in which the word “Medisave” and “root canal” belong in the same sentence for patients under 60. Your dentist will tell you if your case falls into this category; most do not.
How to Claim at Trust Dental Surgery
- Bring your NRIC and CHAS card (and your spouse’s NRIC if using their Flexi-MediSave).
- CHAS is applied first at the counter, at the fixed amount for your card and tooth type.
- Flexi-MediSave is deducted electronically on the day for eligible patients; there is no form to send to CPF yourself.
- You pay the balance by cash, card or PayNow. If your $400 for the year has already been used, the balance after CHAS is payable directly.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Update on the review of the use of MediSave for root canal treatment (8 January 2025).
- Ministry of Health, Enhanced financing support for CHAS dental procedures and financial governance of CHAS clinics (1 September 2025) — Flexi-MediSave up to $400 a year for root canal treatments and permanent crowns from mid-2026; CHAS dental subsidy enhancements from 1 October 2025.
- CPF Board, Using your MediSave savings.
- CHAS dental subsidy schedule, effective 1 October 2025 (chas.sg).
Related Reading
- Root Canal Cost in Singapore (2026) — full pricing by tooth, crown costs and CHAS net prices.
- Can I Use Medisave for Dental Treatments? — which dental procedures are and are not Medisave-claimable.
- 7 Signs You Need a Root Canal — symptoms to watch for.
- CHAS dental subsidies at Trust Dental Surgery.