Mr Lee Jon Yang and Ms Tan Hwee Min Celine from Singapore Dental Association accept the tooth stool (photo on the right) designed by Raechel and Sophia from Nanyang Polytechnc's School of Design and Media  (photo on the left)

“As we progress as a society, it is important for us to take care of the disadvantaged and marginalised to make sure nobody is left behind,” Dr Goh Siew Hor, President of the Singapore Dental Association, shares why SDA strongly supported this fundraising initiative.

Earlier this year, 25 students at the Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Design and Media designed and decorated 13 fiberglass tooth-shaped stools that took centerstage under the Charity Tooth Stools initiative.

A partnership between the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), this initiative was a wonderful opportunity for the students to leverage their design communication expertise to raise greater awareness about oral health and funds for the NDCS Tooth Fairy Fund.

The NDCS Tooth Fairy Fund helps ensure patients receive the oral healthcare they need, regardless of financial circumstances, as well as supports research and training under the SingHealth Duke-NUS Oral Health Academic Clinical Programme.

Each stool that garnered more than $4,000 in donations to the NDCS Tooth Fairy Fund was presented to the highest donor as a token of appreciation. To read more about the students’ efforts click here.

At the end of the campaign in October, the initiative had raised more than $55,000, exceeding their original fundraising goal of $52,000, thanks to strong support from NDCS staff, organisations and members of the public.

One such avid supporter was the Singapore Dental Association (SDA) who not only donated to the campaign, but also helped to raise awareness about the initiative among their members.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to contribute toward research and education for the benefit of patients and to improve existing oral healthcare delivery systems,” said Dr Goh Siew Hor, the President of SDA. “NDCS has always been a strategic partner to us, with collaborations on multiple fronts such as clinical education, professional development and thought leadership. It makes sense for us to support a trusted partner with a strong track record of clinical excellence and patient advocacy.”

Dr Goh also commended the students for their refreshing and creative interpretation of dental issues as well as their effort to breathe life to the cause.

Apart from SDA, there are 12 other generous donors who are now proud owners of a one-of-a-kind piece of art and the labour of love of 25 young and aspirational designers who were determined to make a difference.

“Every stool in this NDCS-NYP partnership is a creative masterpiece of youthful exuberance that brings the importance of oral healthcare to life. We thank our donors for their generous pledge of support and the students for giving their effort and time in this project. We are grateful this initiative can inspire more smiles to our patients in need,” said Clinical Associate Professor Teoh Khim Hean, Deputy Director, Clinical & Regional Health, NDCS.

Since its establishment in 2007, the NDCS Tooth Fairy Fund has helped many patients from those requiring simple procedures such as extractions, scaling and polishing, dentures, and periodontal treatment to complex cases such as head and neck cancer patients with oral or facial defects. Besides needy patients, the fund also supports Research and Education initiatives to spearhead new discoveries and to train specialists for the betterment of oral care for future generations. To find out more about the NDCS Tooth Fairy Fund, please click here.