Singapore’s first stand-alone school dental clinic opened in 1963 at Pegu Road. This facility originally opened in 1959 as an outpatients’ clinic and dispensary. In 1963, the dispensary was joined by the School Dental Clinic, which was opened by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
It provided dental services for schoolchildren who were sent there for regular check-ups. From 1979, the clinic started to offer dental services to adults. It operated until the 1990s when its services were transferred to the National Dental Centre which opened at Outram in 1998.
In 1996, the site was taken over by the Singapore Anglican Community Services which renamed it Balestier Care Centre. Singapore Anglican Community Services was established in 1967 as the community service arm of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore.
Balestier Care Centre provided day care, residential facilities and vocational training for people suffering from mental health issues. It closed in 2004 when its services were transferred to new care centres at Hougang and Simei. Today, the site is leased out for commercial use.
