Service Targets
- Persons with learning disabilities
- Persons with physical disabilities
- Persons with mental illness
- Persons with Dementia
- Persons with Parkinson's Disease
- Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Eligible elders for the Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme
- Elders receiving Healthcare Vouchers
- Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Scheme
- Persons with other special needs
Barrier-free Accessible Facilities
We aim at removing the barriers of access to dental care for our patients.
Currently, the Loving Smiles Foundation Limited is operating two dental clinic facilities for those with special needs. We aim at removing the barriers of access to dental care for them. The housing estate where the clinics are situated and the clinics are physically accessible. The dental surgeries have adequate room to accommodate users on any type of wheel chairs. When necessary, immobile patients can be transferred by a hoist to the dental chair for dental service. The clinics are also equipped with accessible toilets.
Day Procedure Centre
Relative Analgesia (Nitrous Oxide Sedation)
For anxious patients who want to cooperate for dental treatment, nitrous oxide is given through inhalation. They then feel relaxed to accept the dental treatment.
Conscious Sedation
When patients have difficulty in coping with dental treatment, conscious sedation can be administered in oral, intranasal and intravenous modes to make them become dopey for dental treatment to take place. However, the patients remain conscious with all natural reflexes maintained active during the procedure.
Deep Sedation – Monitored Anaesthetic Care (MAC)
Since September 2021, the Loving Smiles Special Care Dental Centre Vera Ruttonjee Desai Elderly Clinic has become a licensed Day Procedure Centre, where deep sedation can be performed on patients in the clinic by the anesthesiologist. The patient is put into shallow sleep during the dental treatment. This mode of sedation is suitable for those who are scared of dental treatment but are medically healthy.
General Anaesthesia
In order to more facilitate patients who are unable to cooperate for dental treatment or who need better medical support during dental treatment, we provide dental service under general anaesthesia for them at a collaborating private hospital. The patients are anaesthetised into deep sleep with the airway protected throughout the dental treatment.
Our Patient Charter
Our Philosophy of Care:
To provide fair and ethical dental care and information to patients in their interests; and to ensure equitable and accessible care for all persons irrespective of their impairment of any kind.
Your Rights:
- know the name and rank of staff providing services;
- receive professional dental care in safe environment, and with compassion and respect;
- to understand the risks and benefits of the proposed care, and the service fees involved;
- open and honest in communications with you, and your families or carers if applicable, regarding our care for you including any unlikely adverse incident that has occurred;
- protection of your personal privacy, with rights to access to your personal data; and
- have your say regarding your needs, concerns, decisions and complaints about the care we provide.
Your Responsibilities:
- understand that dentists desire to be reasonably effective and equitable in providing appropriate care to all members of the community;
- active participation in your dental care by providing your information required to provide the best care solution and by following the advice to promote good oral health;
- feedback your views on our service, personnel and facilities to improve our care for you; and
- and acknowledge the reality and limits of individual oral health care.