The National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS)’s Care Partnership Programme (CaPP) ensures that patients with stable dental conditions are co-managed and discharged to a group of like-minded care partners in the community. This is aligned with the MOH’s vision, "Beyond Hospital to Community", in which tertiary healthcare institutions such as NDCS work closely with community partners to provide robust primary care for Singaporeans.
Since its launch in April 2017, the CaPP has grown to include the following areas of dentistry:
The CaPP aims to forge community partnerships and create a strong primary care network that is connected seamlessly with NDCS. This will allow co-management of cases and smoother transition of patients from NDCS to the primary care setting.
Patients under the CaPP enjoy benefits such as:
As more like-minded partners come on board the CaPP, we aim to develop a Dental Primary Care Network that will provide primary dental treatment to the community and refer patients to tertiary institutions for more complex dental treatment. They will also take on the management of chronic care patients, and monitor clinical outcomes and protocols.
For more details, please contact ndcscapp@ndcs.com.sg.
Oral frailty is defined as a decline in oral function, which impacts a person’s ability to chew, swallow and speak. Early identification of oral frailty and intervention is essential for healthy ageing, as it can potentially decrease physical frailty in the early stages and reduce the chronic disease burden on the healthcare system in the Singapore ageing population.
The Oral Health Movement (OHM) 8020 is a preventive intervention programme by the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), targeting oral frailty of older adults, aged 40 years and above. The programme includes screening at various platforms in the community, followed by a preventive intervention programme to improve oral frailty in orally pre-frail or frail individuals. Recommendations on how to improve their oral frailty status will be prescribed depending on their area of weakness. Participants will be reassessed for their oral frailty status six months later.
For more details, please contact ohm8020@ndcs.com.sg.
Research has revealed that there are associations between oral health and systemic conditions. It is also established that improvement in oral hygiene significantly reduces the incidence of aspiration pneumonia, which has a high morbidity and mortality rate in the frail elderly population. However, multiple studies across different countries have reported high rates of tooth decay and gum disease in patients in the chronically ill patients.
National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) developed the Oral Health Education Programme (OHEP) to improve the oral health of those in long-term care. The programme trains non-dental healthcare professionals in long-term care settings such as nursing homes and stroke units to deliver basic oral healthcare and identify common dental conditions. It has shown promise after a pilot run at Bright Vision Hospital.
Many caregivers working in long-term care facilities lack knowledge and skills to look after the oral hygiene of their patients. Training will equip them with the ability to deliver basic oral hygiene and promptly identify dental conditions that require further treatment. This will have a positive impact on patients’ overall health and quality of life. The OHEP offers a standardised curriculum and a train-the-trainers approach that allows each institution the autonomy to customise the modules according to their patients’ needs.
Upon completion of the programme, participants will be able to:
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