• Knowledge Exchange
• Expressions Winter 2024

Care for Caregivers

Faculty knowledge exchange project focuses on helping domestic helpers

Third to sixth, from left: Dr Jasmine Wong, Dr Charlotte Chan, Dr Stephanie Chu, and Dr Kimberlee Onsiong with staff from the Mission for Migrant Workers at St John’s Cathedral, 10 November 2024.

Staff and students at the HKU Faculty of Dentistry have collaborated with a migrant worker support group to implement a service project to improve the oral health knowledge of foreign domestic workers. Supported by a grant from the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund, the project, called “Sharing Smiles: Improving Oral Health of Migrant Workers in Hong Kong”, provided oral health education and preventive care advice to more than 1130 foreign domestic workers.

Previous studies published by Faculty researchers have reported that less than half of Hong Kong’s Filipino domestic helpers have ever visited a dentist in the city, with high cost cited as the main barrier. To help address this critical gap in dental care access, a Faculty team led by Dr Jasmine Wong (Clinical Practitioner in Restorative Dental Sciences), Dr Kimberlee Onsiong (Honorary Dental Officer in Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics), Dr Stephanie Chu (Training Support Dental Officer in Prosthodontics), and Dr Charlotte Chan (MSc student in Community Dentistry) partnered with the local charity Mission for Migrant Workers to co-host outreach events on three Sundays — the day off for many of the city’s foreign domestic helpers.

On 26 May 2024, the Faculty team participated in the “Care for Caregivers” service day organised by the Mission for Migrant Workers in collaboration with volunteer doctors, physiotherapists, and nurses. The purpose of the service day was to deliver essential healthcare services to over 1000 domestic helpers at Chater Garden in Central. The HKU Dentistry booth, staffed by the four Faculty project leaders and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from the undergraduate Dental Public Health Committee, gave oral health education talks to the domestic helpers. Oral hygiene demonstrations using teeth models were also conducted to enhance understanding and engagement. Recognising that the Filipino diet includes sweet, sticky desserts and vinegar-based dishes — which can contribute to cavities and dental erosion — the team emphasised the importance of effective dental care and a healthy diet, and raised awareness of how oral health is an integral part of overall health and well-being.

From left: Dr Stephanie Chu, Dr Charlotte Chan, Dr Kimberlee Onsiong, and Dr Jasmine Wong at the “Care for Caregivers” HKU Dentistry booth, Chater Garden, 26 May 2024.

On 10 and 24 November 2024, the Faculty project leaders were joined by six volunteer dentists and 25 BDS students at “Caring for Our Caregivers” outreach events, consisting of five temporary Faculty clinic stations on the premises of St John’s Cathedral in Central. The two events, which were promoted among domestic helper networks by the Mission for Migrant Workers, attracted a total of more than 130 domestic helpers. The service team offered not only oral health education but also on-site oral examinations, with management of dental caries (tooth decay) by application of fluoride varnish or silver diamine fluoride, when needed.

This knowledge exchange project helped foreign domestic workers by bringing dental services directly to them and empowering them with information and skills to improve their own oral health. The initiative exemplifies the Faculty’s dedication to sharing and applying knowledge, engaging in community service to address unmet public health needs, and cultivating compassionate healthcare professionals who strive to ensure that oral health remains a priority for all.

BDS students and volunteer dentists provide clinical examinations on the premises of St John’s Cathedral, 10 November 2024.