• NDCS launched a mobile dental clinic for nursing homes, sponsored by Lion Corporation. The clinic aims to screen 1,900 seniors by 2028.
• The clinic provides dental screenings, basic treatments like extractions and x-rays, features wheelchair access and caters to seniors with limited mobility.
• The initiative addresses a "critical gap" in senior oral healthcare, complementing NDCS's tele-dentistry programme, and aims for wider reach including those with special needs.

A new initiative by the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) aims to make dental care more accessible to seniors in nursing homes here.

A new mobile dental clinic will be able to travel between such facilities, providing seniors there with dental screening services and basic treatment such as tooth extractions and X-rays.

To better cater to seniors, the mobile clinic includes features such as a wheelchair lift for wheelchair users and knee-break dental chairs, which bend at the patient’s knees – unlike traditional dental chairs where the legs are fully extended when sitting – and are more accessible for those with limited mobility.

Sponsored by Japanese multinational Lion Corporation to the tune of $2.05 million, the mobile clinic aims to screen 1,900 seniors across 10 nursing homes by 2028, beginning with Bright Hill Evergreen Home in Punggol, where the clinic was launched on Sept 26.

The home currently cares for more than 400 patients, with 52 per cent being bedbound and 48 per cent using wheelchairs.

There are currently 88 nursing homes in Singapore, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

The launch was attended by Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam.

Speaking at the event, NDCS chief executive Goh Bee Tin said the new mobile dental clinic helps address a “critical gap”.

Citing data from the 2019 National Adult Oral Health Survey, Professor Goh noted that 12.5 per cent of those aged 65 or older are completely toothless, while 64 per cent do not have enough teeth to perform oral functions such as chewing and speaking.

Meanwhile, 31 per cent have untreated dental caries and 33.8 per cent have severe periodontitis, or gum disease.

“Most concerning is that nearly one in three seniors remains unaware of what causes dental caries and how to prevent gum disease,” she said.

Seniors in intermediate and long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, face “significant oral health challenges”, she said, which highlighted the critical need for accessible oral care in these environments.

The clinic complements other NDCS programmes such as T-Docs, its tele-dentistry initiative providing preventive care for vulnerable seniors, said Prof Goh.

“Where T-Docs screens for oral health issues requiring physical intervention, our mobile dental clinic can provide on-site diagnosis and treatment,” she said.

In the longer term, the clinic hopes to expand its reach to serve those with special healthcare needs, she added.

NDCS clinical and regional health deputy CEO Lui Jeen Nee said the mobile dental clinic, which can accommodate about eight patients a day, aims to serve residents in about four or five nursing homes in its first year.

It will begin with such homes in eastern Singapore before moving to other regions, Professor Lui added.

Although other mobile dental clinics exist, this new initiative differs in that on top of screening and basic dental treatments, it also equips non-oral healthcare professionals with the skills to provide basic oral care and education in nursing homes through its oral health education programme, she said. “In addition, the mobile dental clinic plans to collaborate with community-based dental clinics to ensure seamless continuity of care for seniors beyond initial interventions,” she added.

Ms Cheng Siok Khoong, CEO of Bright Hill Evergreen Home, said that by bringing screening and other dental services directly to its residents, the mobile clinic will help them “maintain proper nutrition and social confidence, which are fundamental for ageing well”.

Among those who got their teeth examined at the mobile dental clinic was Madam Toh Yeow Leng, 87, who said her last dental check-up was “many years ago”.

“Before I moved to the nursing home, visiting the dentist meant having to take the bus and spend a long time travelling,” said Madam Toh, who has lived in Bright Hill Evergreen Home for two years.

“Now, it is much more convenient to have the service here in the home.”

The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.