History of the Establishment of HKU Faculty of Dentistry
Red dot indicates the location of The Prince Philip Dental Hospital
The Pioneer of Dental Education in Hong Kong
Before the establishment of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), all statutory dentists who practiced in Hong Kong graduated overseas. However, there were scanty registered dental practitioners or surgeons in Hong Kong at that time. It led to the supply-demand imbalance in dental services and many low-priced and illegal dentists around the community.
To ensure the professional dental services in Hong Kong, the then Vice-Chancellor of HKU, Rayson Huang, announced in 1978 that HKU would offer a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree and provide dental education starting from 1980. In the very beginning, dental students attended lessons at the Faculty of Medicine, and they moved to the Faculty of Dentistry after its foundation in 1982. The Faculty is located at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital that provides clinical training, and it marked the milestone of dental education in Hong Kong.
Tracing back to the 1960s and 1970s, the cost of the development of dental education was massive. Even for developed countries, sustainable dental education was challenging. In view of this, HKU formed the Dental Education Advisory Committee in 1976 to conduct strategic planning in organising a dental school, especially the dental curriculum.
“Prevention is better than cure” is the major concept in oral health. The committee believed that dental education should focus on oral disease prevention and clinical training. Additionally, they stressed that the curriculum should include basic medical knowledge and clinical medicine. On the other hand, dental ancillaries also play an important role in dental practices, and the committee proposed different professional training courses for them. With the effort of nurturing dental students alongside dental ancillaries, professional dental services have been guaranteed in Hong Kong.
Resource
Dental Education Comes to Hong Kong, Interflow – The Newspaper of University of Hong Kong, May 1978, Page 5
Admissions to the BDS Curriculum, Interflow – The Newspaper of University of Hong Kong, July 1980, Page 1 - 2
Prince Philip Dental Hospital in 1981
The Epoch-making Dental Hospital in Hong Kong
HKU Faculty of Dentistry is inextricably intertwined with the Prince Philip Dental Hospital (PPDH), and together they provide dental education and clinical training for dental students in Hong Kong. PPDH is situated at Hospital Road in Sai Ying Pun and next to King George V Memorial Park, where leafy and towering trees are abundant.
Established in 1980, PPDH has a total floor area of 33,394 square meters, and it comprises two contiguous blocks with air-conditioning. It also contains 241 dental chairs together with supporting clinical and academic facilities, including a Dental Library, research centers, a General Anaesthetic Unit and radiation and seminar rooms.
The academic accommodation is separate from the clinical block but close enough to ensure staff is readily available for consultation and supervision. On the other hand, the hospital has a series of standardized units. All the student clinical positions have the same layout and are designed to facilitate clinical treatments and patient care. According to Professor Edward Lo, one of first BDS graduates of the Faculty, dental students moved to PPDH during the summer of 1981. He witnessed the birth of the Faculty in 1982 as well as the changes throughout these 40 years.
During the early stage of PPDH, it was divided into different units. A general practice unit to take care of patients who needed specialist care referred by outside practitioners, and dental students, researchers, and ancillary dental workers would offer clinical treatments. In addition, the hospital had a primary care unit and collaborated with Tung Wah Hospital to offer day-bed and in-patient units.
Following the continuous development over the years, the Faculty and PPDH have been advancing the facilities around the hospital. In the future, the Faculty will continue to nurture the next generations of dentists and provide professional oral health care services to the community.
Resource
Dental Education Comes to Hong Kong, Interflow – The Newspaper of University of Hong Kong, May 1978, Page 5
Professor Edward Lo, Chair Professor of Dental Public Health, HKU Faculty of Dentistry
Established in 1982, the Faculty is the sole dental school in Hong Kong providing both undergraduate and postgraduate dental degrees. Within less than four decades, the Faculty has risen from humble beginnings to one of the premier dental institutions in the world. It is the collective achievement of generations of talented staff, students, and alumni, strategic leadership, and the Prince Philip Dental Hospital, which has provided invaluable support.
Moving forward, the Faculty strives to accomplish the mission: To be the global leader in oral health sciences, education and professional care, delivering impact through innovation, interdisciplinarity and internationalization.