• Student & Alumni
• Expressions Summer 2025

Brightening Little Smiles

BDS students make a difference in children’s lives near and far

At the HKU Faculty of Dentistry, extracurricular activities such as outreach clinics are keenly encouraged as a vital complement to the formal academic studies of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students. These activities provide experiential learning opportunities that enrich perspectives, promote personal and professional growth, and bridge the gap between classroom theory and clinical practice. Recently, two groups of BDS students took part in service outreach programmes to help children in need.

One group visited several local kindergartens while the other travelled to a school in Henan, China. In both settings, students offered compassionate care and engaged deeply with the communities they served, gaining hands-on experience, building clinical confidence, and cultivating cultural understanding.

Through these local and cross-border initiatives, students are exposed to real-world scenarios that shape them into future dental professionals who are not only technically proficient but also socially responsible and globally aware.

Delivering dental care to local kindergartens

BDS students offer interactive toothbrushing training using dental models in local kindergartens.

Recognising the anxiety that many young children feel towards dental visits, Faculty alumnus Dr Abraham Chan launched an annual kindergarten outreach programme in 2006 to help ease those fears by promoting positive early experiences with oral healthcare. The initiative delivers free dental check-ups to six Hong Kong Lingliang Church kindergartens in familiar classroom settings, surrounded by teachers and peers. These settings create a safe and reassuring environment that encourages life-long oral hygiene habits.

In addition, trained volunteer dentists, Faculty dental students, and dental surgery assistants gently conduct dental examinations and provide oral hygiene education to children, teachers, and parents. After each visit, parents receive a simple check-up report with follow-up recommendations when needed. Since its inception (excluding pandemic years), the programme has reached over 25,000 children.

A BDS student interacts with young children in the oral hygiene education session.

This year, 15 BDS students have joined the project, leading small-group educational sessions and offering interactive toothbrushing training using dental models. The students have been bringing oral health awareness to life in playful and age-appropriate ways, fostering healthy habits among the young participants.

The feedback from these sessions has been overwhelmingly positive. The dental students—praised for their energy, enthusiasm, and warmth—have left a lasting impression on the kindergarten children through joyful interactions and thoughtful care. These experiences not only benefit the children but also enrich the BDS students’ professional growth, nurturing their clinical skills, empathy, and communication in real-world settings.

BDS students lead the small-group educational session to foster healthy habits among the young participants.

The Faculty alumnus Dr Abraham Chan (middle) initiates to deliver free dental check-ups to local kindergartens.

A Shaolin journey: Bridging oral care with heritage

BDS students together with other Hong Kong volunteers go to Shaolin Friendship School in Henan to provide dental checkups and treatments.

On 17-22 April, a group of five BDS students—led by Professor Phoebe Lam, Clinical Assistant Professor in Paediatric Dentistry—joined other volunteers to embark on a meaningful outreach mission to the Shaolin Friendship School in Henan, China.

Associated with the UNESCO-listed Shaolin Monastery, home of Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism, the Shaolin Friendship School sits at the foot of Songshan Mountain and teaches a range of subjects including literary and martial arts. Blending traditional martial arts values with modern primary and secondary education, the school provides a unique and enriching learning environment: one in which the outreach team strived to cultivate life-long oral hygiene habits to contribute to the pupils’ well-being and personal discipline.

During the outreach project, the BDS team provided dental check-ups, treatments, and oral hygiene instructions to over 600 schoolchildren, who responded with enthusiasm. But the endeavour was more than just a service trip; it was a journey of engagement, respect, discovery, and personal growth. Beyond delivering oral healthcare, the visit offered rich opportunities for cultural exchange, including learning about Shaolin Kung Fu at the famed Shaolin Temple.

Students share the moment with other volunteers.

“What I enjoyed the most about the trip was that I could learn more about dental outreach, as well as chatting with pupils at the school and learning about their daily lives,” shared one of the BDS participants. “The sightseeing trip to the Shaolin Temple after the service wrapped the trip up perfectly.”

Against the backdrop of ancient halls and towering mountain vistas, the Faculty students explored the spiritual and historical roots of Shaolin philosophy—a fitting close to a week of service, learning, and connection.

BDS students and Professor Phoebe Lam (middle) get a taste of Shaolin Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple.