High demand for dental services; priority for emergency cases

WE REFER to Mr Lee Yong Se's letter ("Nine-month wait to see dentist"; June 23) concerning dental appointments for routine check-ups and cleaning.

Subsidised dental care is available at polyclinics. It is also available to Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cardholders at more than 400 participating private dental clinics islandwide.

At SingHealth Polyclinics, dental clinics operate on an appointment system for routine non-urgent dental treatment.

The demand for dental services is generally high and appointment slots are usually fully booked months in advance. However, patients with emergencies such as bleeding, facial swelling, dental infections and trauma are prioritised and will be attended to within the same day.

We have introduced measures such as SMS reminders to allow patients to keep to their appointments or cancel/re-schedule them in advance, so their appointment slots can be given to others who need them more, should they be unable to make it.

At CHAS clinics, referrals for subsidised care at specialist centres for the necessary treatments can be made.

With the removal of the CHAS qualifying age from January, more Singaporeans are now able to receive subsidies for dental care at these clinics. From Sept 1, all pioneers will also benefit from special CHAS subsidies at participating clinics. More information on CHAS can be found at www.chas.sg

The well-being of our patients is of utmost importance to us. We will continue to work on improving the overall patient experience.

Lim Bee Khim (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health

Stephanie Neo (Dr)
Dental Surgeon
SingHealth Polyclinics
ST Forum, 2 Jul 2014

Nine-month wait to see dentist

RECENTLY, I called Tampines Polyclinic to make a dental appointment.

However, I was told that the next available date was in March next year.

This nine-month wait for subsidised dental care is ridiculous.

Thankfully, the services which I require are just a routine check-up and cleaning.

My heart goes out to Singaporeans who require urgent dental procedures but cannot afford private dental treatment.

May I ask the Ministry of Health what is being done to improve the current standards?

Lee Yong Se
ST Forum, 23 Jun 2014