Primary care dental services in Hong Kong are provided by the dental team that consists of dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental surgery assistants and dental technicians. Despite a majority of dental services being provided by practitioners working in the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the government has played a leading role in the development of primary care services and places emphasis on oral health promotion and prioritises resources to provide emergency dental services and special care dentistry services. Starting from 1961, water fluoridation has been available in the water supply. This has been recognized by the WHO and FDI World Dental Federation as a safe and effective measure for the prevention of dental caries. There has been a continuous development of dental services by the Department of Health to meet the needs of the public. The School Dental Care Service provides comprehensive care for the primary school children. Emergency dental services for pain relief are available to the general public at government dental clinics. The Oral Health Promotion Division provides oral health education to the public. The Community Special Dental Service oversees the provision of special care dentistry services for people who have difficulty to access for general dental services. Eligible institutionalised elderly and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism can receive subsidized services provided by the designated NGOs. For people with financial hardships, subsidised dental services can be provided by the Department of Social Welfare under the Dental Grant of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. Through the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme and Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, eligible older adults can receive subsidised primary care services at private clinics. Primary Care Directory has been established to facilitate the residents to seek various primary healthcare services that are available in the private setting. The Primary Healthcare Blueprints have highlighted a series of reform initiatives to formulate the direction and strategies of primary healthcare development in Hong Kong. The Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care was established to review the current dental service provision and all the existing government-funded programmes regarding their objectives, scopes of service and service delivery models. An Interim Report has been published that includes the strategic directions recommended by the Working Group. With the collaborations between the Government and the practitioners working in both public and private sectors, primary care dentistry services have been evolving to target the improvement of oral health of the general public.

Primary Care Dentistry in Hong Kong

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发表日期：

2025年

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Marcus Ho Tak Fung

摘要

Primary care dental services in Hong Kong are provided by the dental team that consists of dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental surgery assistants and dental technicians. Despite a majority of dental services being provided by practitioners working in the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the government has played a leading role in the development of primary care services and places emphasis on oral health promotion and prioritises resources to provide emergency dental services and special care dentistry services. Starting from 1961, water fluoridation has been available in the water supply. This has been recognized by the WHO and FDI World Dental Federation as a safe and effective measure for the prevention of dental caries. There has been a continuous development of dental services by the Department of Health to meet the needs of the public. The School Dental Care Service provides comprehensive care for the primary school children. Emergency dental services for pain relief are available to the general public at government dental clinics. The Oral Health Promotion Division provides oral health education to the public. The Community Special Dental Service oversees the provision of special care dentistry services for people who have difficulty to access for general dental services. Eligible institutionalised elderly and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism can receive subsidized services provided by the designated NGOs. For people with financial hardships, subsidised dental services can be provided by the Department of Social Welfare under the Dental Grant of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. Through the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme and Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, eligible older adults can receive subsidised primary care services at private clinics. Primary Care Directory has been established to facilitate the residents to seek various primary healthcare services that are available in the private setting. The Primary Healthcare Blueprints have highlighted a series of reform initiatives to formulate the direction and strategies of primary healthcare development in Hong Kong. The Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care was established to review the current dental service provision and all the existing government-funded programmes regarding their objectives, scopes of service and service delivery models. An Interim Report has been published that includes the strategic directions recommended by the Working Group. With the collaborations between the Government and the practitioners working in both public and private sectors, primary care dentistry services have been evolving to target the improvement of oral health of the general public.