Starting a Dental Clinic Business in Singapore

How Should You Set Up a Dental Clinic Business in Singapore?

Setting up a dental clinic business in Singapore is very similar to a traditional clinic. You can obtain the medical practice of license from the Ministry of Health (MOH). Then, submit the applications of the report to the Central Licensing Branch under MOH.

The doctor graduates who have a medical license to practice can open a dental clinic in Singapore. Well, the clinic needs to be registered under a business entity. One also needs to register with ACRA – Accountability and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore.

Setting Up a Dental Clinic in Singapore

Following are the steps to set up a dental clinic in Singapore:

– A fiscal location

Once the business has been registered, then setting up a clinic in a good location is important.

– Approval for the clinic’s premise

• If you are going to shift your office to an existing place which requires some kind of renovation work then you should apply for a building work permit to comply with the regulations through BCA (Building and Construction Authority of Singapore).
• Then, after the completion of building work, you need to apply for a certificate of statuatory compliance or temporary occupation permit from BCA before shifting to the place. Also, keep in mind that you must hire only certified architects and contractors for renovation work.
• It is mandatory that you must obtain a fire certificate (FSC) before occupying the place for a dental clinic. An architect or engineer can help you get a fire certificate from the Singapore Civil defence force.
• If you want to place a business board on the building, you must get the license for advertisement from BCA.

– Approval for dispensary of medical drugs

If you wish to have a dispensary for the medical drugs, then it is mandatory to obtain a certificate of registration of a pharmacy with a health science authority. If you plan to keep machines like X-ray or any other irradiating equipment, then you should apply for L3 license from National Environment Agency. This license is applicable to one type of irradiating machine. Hence, you need to apply for a new license for a new type of machine.

One of the Most Important Elements in Your Clinic is Its Name

– Name of the clinic

• One of the most crucial steps in completing the set up of a dental clinic requires naming the clinic. It is important to include the term, “dental clinic or dental care’’ in the name of the clinic. Besides, ensure that the name of the clinic should not be similar to any existing dental clinic in Singapore.
• The approved name of the clinic should be exactly the same on the signboard. Additionally, signboard must not contain irrelevant words or pictures.
• If you wish to add extra logo/pictures on the signboards or on the clinic stationery such as invoices, bills, receipts, these things need an approval.

– Appointing a Manager

You must appoint a clinical manager who will responsible for the administrative works of the clinic. It is mandated that the manager must be a medical practitioner registered with the medical council.

– Obtaining an important license

Following is the list of some important license which is a must to operate a dental clinic:

• Risk-based licensing. This type of license is important for healthcare institutions as it is used to comply with the licensing requirement of the institutions. Healthcare institutions are divided into 3 types depending on the type of services they provide. High risk, moderate risk, and low risk.
• You must make all the applications of the license along with the license fee at least two months. You should do that before starting the dental practice with the inspection and the audit branch under the Ministry of Health.
• If you plan to open branches of the institutions, then each branch must have its own license.

Don’t Forget to Submit the Important Documents

– Submitting the documents

You must submit the following list of important documents to the Ministry of Health:

• Fire Safety Certificate obtained from the Fire Safety department
• Drawn to a scale-floor plan of the clinic premises
• The license of the company registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority
• Submit the authorized letter signed by the CEO/Director of the company
• If you share your premises, then submitting the consent letter from the licensee. Those who have agreed to share the premise for clinical purpose.

It takes around 7-15 days to issue the license and it is valid for 2 years. There are many professional services who are ready to assist you in applying and obtaining the license.

If you are interested to start a dental clinic business in Singapore, read more from a local corporate service provider in Singapore who can assist you along the way.