• Faculty Highlight
• Expressions Winter 2024

Healthy Smiles for Underprivileged Children

Faculty starts free dental care service for children from low-income families

The HKU Faculty of Dentistry has launched a new citywide scheme, the Early Childhood Caries Treatment Project, that offers free dental treatment to underprivileged young children who have tooth decay (caries). The service project is designed to tackle the high prevalence of childhood tooth decay and fill a significant gap in public dental healthcare services for children.

According to the latest oral health survey conducted by the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government, half of Hong Kong’s 5-year-old children suffer from tooth decay and over 90% of their decayed teeth remain untreated.

“Tooth decay can significantly affect young children’s health and development,” said Professor Cynthia Yiu, Chair Professor of Paediatric Dentistry. “The pain and infection caused by tooth decay can make it challenging for children to eat, sleep, and maintain a healthy growth pattern. Furthermore, it is a leading reason for their absence from school.”

A child receives treatment at the Faculty’s Institute for Advanced Dentistry Multi-Specialty Clinic.

Although the HKSAR Government has established a School Dental Care Service for primary school students, children of preschool age (5 years or younger) do not have a similar service and face challenges in accessing necessary treatment for tooth decay, particularly if they come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Therefore, the HKU Dentistry Early Childhood Caries Treatment Project will target preschool-age children from low-income families, enabling them to gain access to specialist paediatric oral health care to treat tooth decay and restore their healthy smiles.

The project has been made possible through the financial support from HKU Dentistry’s “SmilesForAll” Advanced Dentistry Fund, a major donor of which is the Wu Chung Family Charitable Foundation. The project’s joint organisers are the Division of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and the Institute for Advanced Dentistry Multi-Specialty Clinic (IAD-MSC), both at the HKU Faculty of Dentistry. Treatment will be given at the IAD-MSC, which uses advanced dental care techniques, integrating multiple dental disciplines to comprehensively treat patients with severe or complex oral conditions.

Tooth decay can significantly affect young children’s health and development. The pain and infection caused by tooth decay can make it challenging for children to eat, sleep, and maintain a healthy growth pattern.

Regarding project participation, children aged 1 to 5 years who have tooth decay are eligible for free treatment if their family is receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) or is eligible for public rental housing. Eligible applicants will be contacted through their parents/guardians and invited for dental screening conducted by IAD-MSC specialists in paediatric dentistry. If the children are medically fit for treatment, they will be recruited as IAD-MSC patients and treatment appointments will be scheduled.

The HKU Faculty of Dentistry is dedicated to improving the Hong Kong community’s access to comprehensive oral healthcare. The Early Childhood Caries Treatment Project is a testament to this commitment, aiming to ensure that needy children have access to essential dental care during their critical developmental years.

Professor Cynthia Yiu (right) discusses a case with a resident dentist.