Protecting Little Smiles
The Faculty of Dentistry at The University of Hong Kong is a participating institution in the Outreach Oral Health Programme for Pre-school Children (OOHP). Through designated kindergartens appointed by the Department of Health, the Faculty’s outreach team provides free dental services to preschool children.
Programme ObjectiveThe programme aims to help children develop good oral hygiene habits, prevent and arrest dental caries, and promote overall oral health through on-site dental services.
Target BeneficiariesKindergarten students aged 32 months and above, including those in kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres.
Programme Scope
The outreach team will contact relevant kindergartens. Dentists will provide the following free services to participating children:
- Dental screening
- Caries risk assessment
- Topical fluoride application (sodium fluoride or silver diamine fluoride)
- Referral for children in need
- Dental screening report
Additionally, the outreach team will provide individualised oral health home care advice for parents of children with decayed teeth and oral health workshops for kindergarten teachers.
Parental / Guardian Consent OptionsThe outreach team will distribute consent forms through kindergartens for parents or guardians to sign. Children with parental or guardian consent will receive a dental screening, with the option to choose whether or not to have fluoride treatment.
- If parents or guardians do not consent to fluoride treatment, only the dental screening and dental screening report will be provided.
- If parents or guardians consent to fluoride treatment, the dentist will select the appropriate fluoride agent based on the child’s dental condition.
Notes:
- Sodium Fluoride (NaF): NaF is a fluoride varnish applied to the sound tooth. It contains 2.3% fluoride to strengthen enamel. NaF keeps teeth healthy and effectively prevents the development of tooth decay.
- Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF): SDF is a fluoride solution applied to the decayed tooth. It contains 5% fluoride to strengthen tooth and 25% silver to inhibit bacteria. SDF effectively halts the progression of tooth decay.
