CY Leung warns of pain from dental price war

Wallis Wang

Hong Kong dentists should not engage in a price war with imported dentists, but uphold their quality of service to attract customers, former chief executive Leung Chun-ying said.

Leung, also a vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference national committee, said Hong Kong is a place with high income and high cost and dentists will only see their income decline if they engage in a price war with non-locals.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Oral Health Week yesterday, he said the quality of dental service in the city is related to manpower and the sector can discuss salary for imported dentists.

"If the salary for non-local dentists is the same as local dentists' median salary, the labor cost structure of the industry will not change and the quality of dental service will not improve," Leung said.

"It should be open for discussion whether imported dentists should be offered the median salary or a lower but acceptable salary for them."

Dental Association president Spencer Chan Chiu-yee said the dentist shortage mainly occurs at public institutions.

But he said the situation is expected to improve in the coming two to three years.

"Due to the economic downturn, private market demand for manpower expansion, business expansion and the need to hire more dentists is low, causing some dentists to return to the public sector," Chan said.

"Unlike in the past when only two to three dental graduates would work at public institutions, the number has surged to 40 to 50 this year."

He said the dental sector is in talks with the government concerning a public-private collaboration to effectively ease the manpower shortage in the short term and provide dental services for the needy.

The Oral Health Week will run from today to May 14, offering free dental checks for 100,000 citizens. Hongkongers who make an appointment with participating dentists can receive a free oral examination and one-time X-ray, if needed.

Chan said tooth retention is not linked to age and the elderly can retain teeth with good health habits.

The sector hopes to raise public awareness of protecting their teeth through Oral Health Week, he said.

Local dentists are competitive in terms of their skills and ethics, and Chan hopes Hongkongers will try their dental services through the free check-ups.

He also said the association may launch a second round of the free oral examinations in the future after a review of the Oral Health Week activities.

"However, in order to host the event perfectly, we may not launch a second round this year," he added.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com