The new National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) is designed with the “Future Dental Journey” in mind, and puts patients at the core of care delivery. We will harness technology to enhance care efficiency and effectiveness, and empower patients to make informed care decisions.
Innovations such as intra-oral scanning and 3D technology enable our surgeons to work with greater precision on more complex restorative procedures. Patients can access their digital images to better understand their treatment plan, and use mobile apps to interact directly with their clinicians, to guide them to better manage their own care. To meet the needs of an ageing population, we will expand the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic, which is expected to see a 60 per cent increase in patients by 2025.
Vulnerable seniors living in the community or in nursing homes will be cared for through tele-consult and remote assessments to monitor their oral health status. The strategic co-location with the Elective Care Centre of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) allows for closer collaboration between the different specialties of medicine, to bring about truly person-centric care.
Our researchers are constantly identifying and testing new ways to improve and restore the oral health of our patients and the nation as a whole. The new NDCS will integrate clinical practice with research, allowing seamless collaboration between clinicians and researchers. To enhance the efforts of our clinician-scientists and clinician-innovators in developing new and effective treatments, the new NDCS will have space dedicated for lab work.
The National Dental Research Institute Singapore (NDRIS) will also be co-located at NDCS. The institute's three programmes – Singapore Oro-facial Initiative, Singapore Oral Microbiomics Initiative and Singapore Oral Population Health Initiative – aim to meet oral health priorities locally and globally by tapping on NDCS's clinical and research capabilities, and in partnerships with other academic and research institutions. The co-location will enable patients to participate in clinical trials of new devices and treatments.
As a teaching centre, the new NDCS will provide high quality training for residents and other oral care professionals - clinicians, allied health and ancillary staff.
With wide application of digital technology at the new NDCS, our residents will have opportunities to develop advanced dentistry skills, including digital planning for prostheses and reconstructive surgery. Other oral healthcare professionals will also benefit from the training facilities at the new NDCS.Under our growing Care Partnership Programme, NDCS will conduct workshops and lectures for partner General Dental Practitioners (GDPs), to align ourselves in the joint care of patients. Our partner GDPs will provide continuing care by following up with patients whose oral conditions have been stabilised at NDCS.
NDCS also aims to improve oral care knowledge and skills among healthcare providers in long-term care centres like nursing homes. They will be trained to deliver routine oral health care and detect oral conditions that may require dental treatment, either in the community or at NDCS.
