Singapore Dental Implant and MRONJ Risks Survey: Leveraging Medisave Claims

Surgical dental procedures in Singapore can be partially financed through Medisave, which is available to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

This study uses anonymised Medisave claims as a data source to operationalise an epidemiological assessment of dental implant prevalence and implant-related risks in the local population.

The primary focus of this study is to determine the prevalence of dental implants and to characterise implant placement among population subgroups with known systemic risk factors, including patients exposed to anti-resorptive agents (ARA), who are at risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Dental surgical claims are analysed to identify implant-related procedures and other dental surgeries that serve as proxies for severe oral disease and tooth loss. Age and sociodemographic stratification will be performed to examine patterns of implant utilisation and associated risk profiles across the lifespan and for risk projection.

By leveraging claims data, this study enables population-level assessment of implant prevalence and MRONJ-relevant risk groups. The findings will also inform and project the long-term dental and implant maintenance needs, particularly among older adults and medically complex patients requiring dental clearance prior to medical treatment.