Quick answer
HealthHub says to bring your child when their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. For a baby, the check is short. NDCS says it should not last for more than one to two minutes.
The useful number: From P1, HPB’s school dental service gives free check-ups and basic care in school. You give consent at P1.
Who is this for?
Parents of babies and young children in Singapore. It sums up the official advice on the first dental visit, brushing and costs.
This guide does not diagnose. If you are worried about your child’s teeth, ask a dentist or your doctor.
When should we go?
- HealthHub: go “when their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever comes first”.
- Another HealthHub page puts it simply: “Bring your child for early dental checks, as early as 1 year old”.
- You do not need to wait for a problem. The first visit is a check and a chat.
What happens at the first visit?
- Questions: “The dentist will ask you questions related to your child’s health, diet, habits and oral hygiene routine”.
- For a baby, the check is often done “holding your baby’s hands while the dentist examines your baby in a knee-to-knee position”.
- It is quick: NDCS says it “should not last for more than one to two minutes”.
- The dentist says how your child’s teeth look and when to come back.
When do baby teeth come in?
HealthHub: “Your baby’s first teeth can come in anytime between four to 12 months of age”. “The first to emerge are usually the lower front teeth”.
- Bottom front teeth
- 6 to 10 months
- Top front teeth
- 8 to 12 months
- Top teeth next to the front ones
- 9 to 13 months
- Bottom teeth next to the front ones
- 10 to 16 months
- Top first molars
- 13 to 19 months
- Bottom first molars
- 14 to 18 months
- Top canines (eye teeth)
- 16 to 22 months
- Bottom canines (eye teeth)
- 17 to 23 months
- Bottom back molars
- 23 to 31 months
- Top back molars
- 25 to 33 months
- There are 20 baby teeth. “Most children will have a complete set of baby teeth by the time they are three years of age”.
- No tooth yet at 18 months? HealthHub says to see a dentist.
- The front teeth are usually the first to fall out, at about 6 to 7 years.
How do we brush, age by age?
Tap an age to open it. Words in quotation marks are HealthHub’s.
From birth
- “Begin cleaning your baby’s gums daily with a clean, wet cloth from birth”.
- Look for early decay: “regularly take a peek under your child’s upper lip”.
- A bottle at bedtime: “relying on it to fall asleep can harm their teeth”.
First tooth to age 3
- HealthHub updated its toothpaste advice on 17 June 2026. A rice-grain smear of 1000 ppm toothpaste “should be limited to those at high-risk for dental caries”.
- So ask the dentist at the first visit whether your child needs it.
- Floss once your child’s teeth touch each other.
Age 3 and up
- HealthHub: “use a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste”, with at least 1000 ppm fluoride.
- “Brush at least twice a day for two minutes each time and floss daily”.
Under 6
- “Mouthwash should not be used by children under the age of six”.
Spit or rinse after brushing? None of the official pages we read says. Ask your dentist.
Brushing teeth is a step on the morning routine chart and the bedtime routine chart.
What dental care does school give?
- “YPDS offers free dental screenings and basic dental care through our school dental clinics and mobile dental clinics”.
- Check-ups are at P1, P3 and P5, and in Secondary 1 and 3.
- HPB: “parental consent is required at Primary 1 and Secondary 1”.
- Not offered: orthodontic treatment, root canal treatment for permanent teeth, or treatment prescribed by a non-YPDS dentist.
- Harder cases go to HPB’s Student Dental Centre or a hospital, where “additional charges apply for services at the tertiary institutions”.
- The Student Dental Centre “provides oral healthcare services to pre-schoolers and pupils”, by appointment. A Singapore Citizen pays S$10.80 for an examination.
What does a check-up cost?
For a Singapore Citizen child. Listed by type of clinic, not ranked.
| Where | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| School dental clinic (HPB) | Free screening and basic care | Check-ups at P1, P3 and P5, as well as Sec 1 and Sec 3 |
| Student Dental Centre (HPB) | Examination S$10.80 | By appointment, fees from 1 September 2025 |
| SingHealth Polyclinics | Examination S$11.50 to S$21.30 | A guide; may change |
| National University Polyclinics | Consultation S$12.80 to S$20.70 | From 17 August 2026; X-rays and treatment cost extra |
| Private dental clinic with CHAS | CHAS pays up to S$20.50 with CHAS Blue, or S$13.50 with CHAS Orange, a consultation | The clinic sets its own fee |
CHAS: “All Singapore Citizens are eligible for CHAS”. But “CHAS subsidies are not applicable at the polyclinics”. NDCS’s baby programme publishes no fee; NDCS says “Yes, you can use Baby Bonus”.
MediSave does not pay for routine check-ups. CPF says it covers only “selected complex dental procedures that involve surgery and are performed for medical reasons”.
What does this guide not tell you?
It does not check your child’s teeth or say what treatment they need. Fees change: check with the clinic before you go.
Printables for this guide
Bedtime routine chart
A picture chart for bedtime in six steps, from tidying up to a story and a chat about the day. 7:30pm start, lights out by 8:30pm.
Morning routine chart
A picture chart of the school morning in eight steps, from waking up to shoes on. Rest time is built in: 6:30am start, out by 7:25am.
Book the first check
Book at a polyclinic or a dental clinic near you. Take the Child Health Booklet along.
Read HealthHub’s first-visit page →Frequently asked questions
When should my baby first see a dentist?
HealthHub says when their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever comes first.
When does my baby’s first tooth come in?
HealthHub says any time from 4 to 12 months, usually a lower front tooth. No tooth by 18 months? See a dentist.
Should my toddler use fluoride toothpaste?
From age 3, HealthHub says a pea-sized amount, at least 1000 ppm. Under 3, a rice-grain smear is for children at high risk of decay. The dentist decides.
Is the school dentist free?
HPB’s Youth Preventive Dental Service gives free screening and basic care at school and mobile dental clinics. Hospital referrals cost extra.
Can we use CHAS at a polyclinic?
No. CHAS says its subsidies do not apply at polyclinics. Polyclinics have their own subsidised fees.
Can we use MediSave for a check-up?
No. CPF says MediSave covers only selected complex dental procedures that involve surgery, done for medical reasons.
Keep this guide for the next big decision.
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Sources & assumptions
- HealthHub — Paediatric dentistry: child's first encounter ↗
- HealthHub — How can I prevent tooth decay in my child? ↗
- HealthHub — Baby teeth, teething and oral health ↗
- HealthHub — Guide to oral care for your toothy toddler ↗
- NDCS — Infant Oral Health Programme FAQ ↗
- HealthHub — Youth Preventive Dental Service (YPDS) ↗
- HealthHub — Student Dental Centre ↗
- SingHealth Polyclinics — Charges and payment ↗
- National University Polyclinics — Fees and charges ↗
- CHAS — Frequently asked questions ↗
- MOH — Enhanced financing support for CHAS dental procedures ↗
- CPF — Can I use my MediSave to pay for dental treatments? ↗
- HealthHub — Tiding over teething ↗
- American Dental Association — Primary tooth development (eruption chart) ↗
- HealthHub — When do baby teeth start falling out? ↗
Ask a dentist or your doctor about your child’s teeth.