If you don't have an HMO or dental insurance, you have two options: pay per visit, or join a clinic membership plan. Memberships sound like a sales device, so let's do the honest arithmetic on ours — including the cases where it doesn't make sense.
What is a dental membership plan?
A dental membership is a yearly fee paid directly to the clinic that covers a set of preventive visits and gives a discount on other treatment. Unlike insurance or an HMO, there's no third party, no claims, no verification wait and no network — you pay the clinic, you use the benefits at the clinic. It exists for the large number of Filipinos whose employer doesn't provide dental cover, or whose HMO covers only one cleaning a year.
What does Smile Savers include?
For ₱3,500 a year, members get:
- Two (2) comprehensive dental exams
- Two (2) professional cleanings
- Two (2) small dental fillings
- 50% off in-office teeth whitening
- 10% off other regular-priced treatments
- Priority booking
Is a dental membership worth it? The arithmetic
Priced individually at Modern Smiles' published fees, the inclusions are worth about ₱9,000: two consultations (₱1,500 each), two cleanings (from ₱1,500 each) and two small fillings (from ₱1,500 each) — before you count the 50% off in-office whitening and the 10% discount on anything else you need during the year. At ₱3,500 for the year, you save around ₱5,500, or about ₱290 a month, for preventive care that would otherwise cost roughly three times as much paid visit by visit.
The break-even point is simple: if you'd come for two checkups and two cleanings anyway (₱6,000 at list price), the membership already pays for itself before you use a single filling or discount. If you'd realistically only come once a year, the saving shrinks to a few hundred pesos plus whatever the discounts are worth to you.
Who benefits most from Smile Savers?
- Families — each member on a plan keeps preventive care predictable and budgeted, and children's six-monthly visits stop being a decision.
- People catching up — if you're overdue, the exams and cleanings are the exact on-ramp you need, and small cavities found at the exam are covered by the two fillings.
- Anyone planning bigger work — the 10% discount applies to treatments beyond your inclusions, and whitening is half price. On a ₱30,000 treatment that's ₱3,000 back, close to the whole membership fee.
- HMO members whose card covers one cleaning — the membership fills the second half of the year.
When does a membership not make sense?
Be honest with yourself about three things. If you already have an HMO that covers two cleanings and fillings, you'd be paying twice. If you live or work far from your registered branch and realistically won't make two visits, pay per visit instead. And if you need a large amount of treatment right now — several crowns, implants, braces — the membership helps a little through the 10% discount but it isn't a financing plan; ask about installments for that. We'd rather tell you not to join than have you buy a card you don't use.
Membership vs HMO vs pay-per-visit
An HMO is paid by your employer, covers the basics, and needs 1–5 days of verification before each first visit. A membership is paid by you, covers more preventive care than most HMO plans, and works immediately with no paperwork. Pay-per-visit has no commitment and suits people who genuinely only need an occasional visit. Many of our patients combine an HMO for the covered basics with Smile Savers for the rest.
The fine print, plainly
Membership is valid for one year from joining. Benefits are non-transferable and don't carry over to the following year. Services are availed at your registered branch. The two cleanings cover mild to moderate cases; if a severe case, deep cleaning or periodontal treatment is needed, an additional ₱1,500 applies. The 10% discount applies to regular-priced treatments not covered by inclusions and can't be combined with other promos. Guide prices last reviewed October 2026.
How to join
No online payment needed — join at any branch or call 0917-1649099. The ₱3,500 rate took effect 1 September 2026.
Common questions
Can I buy a membership for a parent or my children?
Yes. Each person needs their own membership; benefits aren't shared across a family.
Does the membership cover X-rays?
Not as an inclusion; X-rays are taken only when clinically needed and are discounted 10% as a regular-priced treatment.
Can I use the whitening discount right away?
Yes, once your membership is active, subject to a dental check first to make sure whitening is suitable for you.
See full Smile Savers details or book your first member visit.
Written by the Modern Smiles patient care team · Last reviewed October 2026. Prices are Modern Smiles' published guide fees.