Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the official opening of Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic, 21 June 2016

Mr Peter Seah, Chairman, Singhealth

Professor Ivy Ng, Group CEO SingHealth

Associate Professor Poon Choy Yoke, Director, National Dental Centre Singapore

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Good Morning

1.         I am pleased to join you at the official opening of the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic (GSDC) at the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS).

Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic (GSDC)

2.         This facility is Singapore’s first that offers a comprehensive range of complex oral and dental specialist care for a group of frail elderly and special needs patients.

3.         Providing specialist oral health care for frail elderly can be challenging as many of them may be afflicted with complex medical conditions. Often, these seniors may not be able to take care of themselves due to cognitive impairment, poor vision and significant limitations in mobility often requiring as the use of wheelchairs.  These challenges are also seen in younger Singaporeans with special needs such as those with congenital conditions, developmental issues and physical disabilities.  At the GSDC, specific customisations and designs are made to the care delivery processes, infrastructure and equipment.  For example, for the less mobile and frail patients who have difficulties being transferred to a dental chair, the wheelchair tilting system allows the dental team to treat the patients in their wheelchairs.  These customisations ensure that oral health specialist services can be provided to these patients in an accessible, appropriate and patient-oriented way.

4.         Once the patients’ oral health conditions are stabilised at the GSDC, they are referred back to their primary oral health care providers, including CHAS dental clinics, to continue the provision of routine maintenance and preventive care. For example, a senior who has recently suffered from a fall can be assessed and treated at this specialist clinic for the management of his toothache while he is wheelchair-bound and too frail to be transferred. With improvements to his medical condition and mobility, he can be discharged from this clinic for routine dental care by his regular primary care dentist.

5.         Since opening its doors in September 2015, the GSDC at NDCS has seen more than 4,000 patient visits. Referrals came from Singapore General Hospital, polyclinics, eldercare facilities as well as community hospitals.

6.         A second geriatric and special needs dentistry clinic is being planned at the upcoming Centre for Oral Health at the National University Health System.

Caring for an Ageing Population

7.         With an ageing population, we must also incorporate oral health and dental care as part of the overall strategy in enabling good health for our citizens, especially our seniors.

8.         Under the Healthy Living Master Plan announced in April 2014, The Ministry, in collaboration with Health Promotion Board and other partners, aim to keep Singaporeans active and healthy so that they can enjoy their golden years with less ailments and suffering.

9.         Free oral health screenings have been driven at grass-roots level together with the Singapore Dental Association and other community partners so as to improve oral health awareness amongst Singaporeans.

10.      I am happy to note that more than 20 dentists, oral health therapists and dental surgery assistants from NDCS have helped to screen 130 senior citizens since May 2015.

11.      And as part of the SingHealth Regional Health System, the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic will collaborate with community partners such as Tanglin-Cairnhill constituency to provide oral hygiene education, screening and care for the elderly and their caregivers.

Building on our Manpower Resources for Quality Oral Healthcare services

12.      We must also invest in training dental healthcare professionals to better serve our seniors and undertake more research in disease trends in geriatric dentistry.

13.      Oral health specialists providing care for medically complex frail elderly and younger Singaporeans with special needs must be further trained.  MOH has offered scholarships for dentists who are keen to take up the challenges of geriatric and special needs dentistry. Seven scholarships have been awarded and four dentists have since completed their specialty training. With an ageing population, I encourage more dentists to apply for this scholarship.

14.      Oral healthcare specialists here at the NDCS have the advantage of being able to provide seamless and multidisciplinary care within the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, working closely with the SGH and other national specialty centres on this Campus.

15.      As a teaching partner with the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education, the NDCS must continue to focus on the education and training of dental specialists, oral health therapists, radiographers, dental technicians and dental surgery assistants.

Summary

16.      In closing, I would like to stress that we must continue to work together to build a strong system to provide oral and dental health for our citizens, young and old. I encourage the National Dental Centre (Singapore) and the Centre for Oral Health to jointly lead this effort, working collaboratively with our community, the public as well as private sector to achieve this goal.

17.      On this note, let me congratulate the management and staff on the official opening of the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic. Thank you.