The National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) launched a pioneering mobile dental clinic at Bright Hill Evergreen Home in Punggol, funded by a SGD 2.05 million (USD 1.64 million) sponsorship from Japanese multinational Lion Corporation. The initiative aims to provide dental screenings, basic treatments like tooth extractions, and X-rays to 1,900 seniors across 10 nursing homes by 2028, starting with four to five facilities in eastern Singapore in its first year.
The mobile dental clinic is designed for accessibility, featuring wheelchair lifts and knee-break dental chairs to accommodate seniors with limited mobility, such as the 52% bedbound and 48% wheelchair-using residents at Bright Hill Evergreen Home. It complements NDCS’s T-Docs tele-dentistry program, which screens for oral health issues, by providing on-site diagnosis and treatment for up to eight patients daily. The clinic also includes an oral health education program to train non-oral healthcare professionals in nursing homes, ensuring basic care and continuity through partnerships with community-based dental clinics. This holistic approach aims to improve seniors’ oral health, supporting proper nutrition and social confidence, as emphasized by Bright Hill’s CEO, Cheng Siok Khoong.
The initiative aligns with Singapore’s broader healthcare goals, addressing the needs of its 88 nursing homes, as noted by the Ministry of Health. Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam attended the launch, underscoring its significance in enhancing senior care. The clinic’s mobility eliminates the travel barriers faced by residents like 87-year-old Madam Toh Yeow Leng, who previously found dental visits challenging due to long bus journeys. By bringing services directly to nursing homes, the program ensures convenience and promotes aging well, tackling issues like severe periodontitis (33.8% prevalence) and lack of awareness about dental care among seniors.
(Source: The Straits Times)
