Breaking ground for oral health
An artist's impression of the National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore, which will be opened in 2019
The symbolic groundbreaking of the National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore on 21 September heralds a new era of oral healthcare for Singapore residents when it opens in 2019.
The ceremony, officiated by Guest-of-Honour Singapore Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong, was attended by about 200 people including guests from the healthcare industry and senior management of NUS, National University Health System (NUHS), National University Hospital and the Ministry of Health (MOH). NUS Chairman Mr Wong Ngit Liong, NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, NUHS Chief Executive Professor John Eu-Li Wong and NUS Dentistry Dean Associate Professor Grace Ong were among the guests.
"With this latest development, the public can look forward to receiving subsidised specialised dental care, complementing the services provided by the National Dental Centre Singapore. Singaporeans living in the western part of Singapore will also find it more convenient to access oral healthcare services at this new Centre, said Mr Gan, in his speech.
Participants of the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on 21 September were (from left): MOH Chief Dental Officer Assoc Prof Patrick Tseng, Assoc Prof Ong, Mr Wong, Prof Tan, Mr Gan, Prof Wong, MOH Director of Medical Services Assoc Prof Benjamin Ong and NUHS Deputy Chief Executive (Clinical Enterprise) Adjunct Assoc Prof Joe Sim
The Centre will also house NUS Dentistry, the only dental school in Singapore.
"For the Faculty of Dentistry, this marks the start of the most exciting transformational period in the Faculty's rich history, since its founding in 1929. I also believe that the Centre will position us well to contribute to a major upward inflection in oral health and dental care in Singapore and beyond, said Prof Tan, who is also NUHS Chairman.
The Centre for Oral Health's patient-centric facilities will be tailored to serve the oral health needs of the elderly, and those who have special needs and co-existing medical conditions rendering routine dental treatment more complex. These include hoisting aids to move patients onto dental chairs and wheelchair-accessible treatment rooms. Prof Tan also said "we are concurrently stepping up training to enlarge the pool of trained geriatric dentists in Singapore, as part of the "software necessary to effectively address the needs of the country's ageing population.
The new Centre will be able to support an increased annual undergraduate intake, from 54 to 80 in 2021. It will include the use of innovative educational technology in the areas of virtual reality and interactive haptic simulations to complement conventional methods of clinical training.
"To prepare the graduates to face the growing needs of the elderly, the Faculty will be ramping up its gerodontology curriculum to increase the undergraduates' exposure to geriatric dentistry. More opportunities for inter-professional learning will also be made available as team-based care gains traction as we make healthcare more patient-centric, said Assoc Prof Ong, who is also Chair of the University Dental Cluster.
NUS Dentistry's close proximity to the Centre's clinical services will also offer undergraduates excellent training opportunities and broaden their experience in emerging areas such as geriatric dentistry. This allows the curriculum to be more adept in responding to local public health needs associated with the increasingly ageing Singapore population. Those aged 65 years and above are projected to rise from 11 per cent in 2014 to 24 percent in 2030, according to Mr Gan.
Looking at a model of the new Centre are (from left): NUS Provost and Deputy President (Academic Affairs) Prof Tan Eng Chye, Mr Wong, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Prof Wong, Assoc Prof Ong and Mr Gan
The Centre for Oral Health will also provide more opportunities to expand the current research network in the field of oral-systemic health. It is expected to champion research collaborations between oral healthcare professionals, and medical and allied health colleagues from fields such as nutrition, geriatrics and paediatrics.
In addition to providing a comprehensive range of dental services, the Centre is well-poised to work closely with other NUHS medical departments, for the improved care and management of patients with medical conditions such as cancer and dementia.
Beyond Kent Ridge, there will be expanded continuity of care through collaboration between the new Centre and the intermediate and long-term care facilities and home caregivers. At present, NUS Dentistry is working with five nursing homes within the NUHS Regional Health System network to enhance their oral hygiene regimes and oral healthcare for their residents. The new Centre will see continued and expanded engagement with such nursing homes.
The Centre will be NUHS' third national specialty centre, joining the National University Heart Centre, Singapore and the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore on the Kent Ridge Campus. As Singapore's second specialist dental centre, the Centre for Oral Health will undertake 40 per cent of the National Dental Centre of Singapore's subsidised patient load when it becomes operational.
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