Community Dental Support Program to serve 40,000 patients annually

The Department of Health will roll out the Community Dental Support Program on May 26, offering emergency dental care to underprivileged groups in need of basic dental services. 

The initiative aims to double the current walk-in capacity at government dental clinics, serving an estimated 40,000 patients annually.

The new dental services will be available in over 80 locations, spanning across 18 districts. Apart from tooth extraction and pain relief services, filling services will also be provided and a maximum of three teeth can be treated per visit.

Participants of the Program must hold a Hong Kong Identity Card, be registered with the eHealth System, and be a recipient under any of the following categories:

• Recipients of the "Old Age Living Allowance" under the Social Welfare Department (SWD)
• Users of the "Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly" (Tier 2 Co-payment Level) under the SWD
• Users of the "Integrated Home Care Services (Frail Cases)," "Enhanced Home and Community Care Services," or "Home Support Services" (Tier 1 or 2 Fee Level, Tier 1 or 2 Co-payment Level) under the SWD
• Hospital Authority patients with full or partial medical fee waivers under the "Medical Fee Waiving Mechanism."

Each participant can receive a maximum of three quotas for dental filling or tooth extraction every 180 days. A HK$50 administrative fee per quota applies, payable directly to partnering NGOs.

The government will fully cover the HK$50 fee for: 

• Users of the SWD's "Integrated Home Care Services (Frail Cases)," "Enhanced Home and Community Care Services," or "Home Support Services"" (Tier 1 fee or co-payment level)
• Hospital Authority patients eligible for full medical fee waivers under the "Medical Fee Waiver Mechanism" (including recipients aged 75 or above under the "Old Age Living Allowance").

Other subsidised services included oral health assessment, medication for dental pain relief as well as X-ray examination.

Separately, nine government dental clinics will expand their walk-in services by 30 percent starting next month. 

The additional slots will be separate from the Community Dental Support Program and are expected to raise the annual patient capacity to 26,000 people. 

Department of Health consultant in charge of dental service Kitty Hse Mei-yin explained that the walk-in dental clinics mainly handle urgent cases like tooth extractions and pain relief, while the Community Dental Support Program focuses on non-urgent treatments. 

Since the launch of the online registration and waitlist system last year, all walk-in slots for the government dental clinics have been fully booked. 

The expansion was supported by increased dental staff, as the proportion of working dentists rose to 81 percent from 69 percent. Hse noted that there is still room for growth and pledged to recruit more dentists.

(Chelsea Chan)