11/4/2025
Training of Dental Hygienists
Conforming to the Oral Health Policy
Dr. Frankie SO
5 November 2025
Why do you want to be a dental hygienist?
你為什麼要做一個牙齒衞生員?
Can help people
可以幫人
A good dental hygienist
can help people
by removing every bit of calculus?
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English 中文
1. Community – policy perspective
2. Competence – skills perspective
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Background of Working Group
• Term of office: 31.12.2022 – 31.12.2024
• Interim Report was released on 29th Dec 2023
• Final Report was released on 6th Dec 2024
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Can we solve the problem by training more dentists?
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Expenditure on directly provided or
subsidised dental services
2006/07 to 2023/24 • Expenditure increased continuously in
Expenditure on directly provided or subsidised dental services past decades
(HKD 100 million)
• 2006/07: $186.4 million
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• 2023/24: $1,289.6 million
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• Elderly Health Care Voucher: highest
8 expenditure
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4 • service utilisation skewed towards
2 treatment rather than prevention
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• Elderly Dental Assistance Programme
funded by CCF: largest increase
Student Dental Care Service Healthy Teeth Collaboration • 2023/24: nearly $400 million
Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly CCF (Elderly Dental Assistance Programme)
Elderly Health Care Voucher (Dentist) CSSA dental grant • Average amount per claim: $15,000
TOTAL Source: Relevant Government Departments
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頻密吃喝 礦物質流失 蛀牙洞
清潔牙齒不徹底 牙周發炎 牙周袋
修補蛀牙洞/清洗牙周袋 – 可以恢復口腔健康嗎?
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頻密吃喝 礦物質流失 蛀牙洞
清潔牙齒不徹底 牙周發炎 牙周袋
改善生活習慣 牙科治療可以修補破壞
才可以治癒牙患 但不可以治癒牙患
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Strategic recommendation – Oral Health Policy
1. Oral health is an integral component of general health. The Government's oral
health policy aims to enable all Hong Kong citizens to improve their oral hygiene
and lifestyle conducive to both oral health and general health levels.
2. Through publicity, education, promotion and development of primary oral health
and dental care, the Government facilities citizens to manage their oral health,
and put prevention, early identification and timely intervention of dental diseases
into action with the objective of tooth retention.
3. The Government provides appropriate oral health and dental care services
targeting underprivileged groups with financial difficulties and special needs,
ensuring these groups have access to essential dental care services.
Can we solve the problem by training more dentists?
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牙齒衞生員 (牙科衞生員) 將會擔當十分重要的角色
Primary Oral Healthcare
(Dental Hygienist)
Oral Examination
Risk assessment
(Dentist) Behavioural
PDCC Medical
Risk assessment
Personalised OHI Personalised OHI
Lifestyle
Enhanced prevention
Skill transfer
Oral check-up
Check-up report Enhanced prevention
Scaling Fluoride
Fissure sealant
Encourage oral check-up
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Dental
hygienists
Dental
therapists
Dentists
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牙科衞生員的職責
幫助你預防牙患 守護你口腔健康
Are you ready to fit into the service
requirements under the latest policy?
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牙科衞生員的職責
幫助你預防牙患 守護你口腔健康
• 提供口腔衞生指導
• 清潔及擦亮牙齒表面
• 使用牙面氟化物或其他預防藥劑
• 在牙醫監督下執行洗牙或其他口腔清潔工作
面向個別病人 面向社會
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Dental Dental
Dentists
Therapists Hygienists
Examination Registration Accreditation
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Under the Dentists Registration Ordinance, Cap. 156,
Laws of Hong Kong (“DRO”), all dental hygienists
are required to be registered with the Dental
Council of Hong Kong (“DCHK”) in order to practise
dentistry in Hong Kong.
The purpose of the registration system is to protect
the public by permitting only dental care
professionals who met DCHK’s requirements on
education and training, health and good character to
practise dentistry within their scope of duty.
DCHK has the duty to ensure that all persons are of the
required professional standard before they are registered,
by ensuring that the dental hygienist education of each
specified institution meets the required standard for
registration.
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Accreditation is carried out by DCHK at a 5-year
interval. On-site accreditation visits will be conducted
by a Visiting Team appointed by DCHK in accordance
with the accreditation requirements.
Competences for the Hong Kong Dental Hygienists
The competences at graduation are the fundamental level of
professional behaviour, knowledge and skills necessary for a
registered dental hygienist to address the full range of
circumstances encountered in general dental practice.
• a balanced combination of precision, consistency and
effectiveness in providing treatments to citizens
• an understanding of acceptable performance in dynamic
circumstances
• a commitment to continuous self-improvement and lifelong
learning.
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List of Fundamental Clinical Skills for Dental Hygienists (1)
1. Oral examination and oral health risk assessment (Note 1)
2. Dental and medical history taking and assessment (Note 2)
3. Preventive treatment planning
4. Scaling of teeth
5. Root debridement
6. Prophylaxis including rubber cup polishing and air polishing
7. Individual-based oral hygiene and health education activities /
counselling / motivation and associated clinical instructions
8. Group-based oral hygiene and health education activities / counselling
/ motivation and associated clinical instructions
Note 1: Including but not limited to periodontal diseases and dental caries assessment
Note 2: For citizens with medical diseases and health conditions including but not limited to the following:
(a) systemic diseases, e.g. diabetes mellitus, hypertension;
(b) conditions and special needs, e.g. intellectual disability, autism, dry mouth, pregnancy; and
(c) habits, e.g. smoking, alcohol and diets;
List of Fundamental Clinical Skills for Dental Hygienists (2)
9. Application of topical fluoride agents
10. Fissure sealant
11. Pulp sensibility test
12. Taking intra-oral radiograph
13. Taking extra-oral radiograph
14. Dietary counselling
15. Tobacco and alcohol cessation counselling
16. Infection control
17. Basic life support
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What is the difference between oral health education
and oral health promotion?
Oral Health Education Unit Oral Health Promotion Division
口腔健康教育組 口腔健康促進科
Oral health education
successful in bringing about positive behavioural change?
Policy Primary oral healthcare - prevention
Legal Professional status for Dental Hygienists
Service District Health Centres, NGOs & others
Training How to bring about behavioural change?
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牙科衞生員的職責
幫助你預防牙患 守護你口腔健康
Individual-based oral hygiene and health
education activities / counselling / motivation
and associated clinical instructions
Group-based oral hygiene and health education
activities / counselling / motivation and
associated clinical instructions
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牙科衞生員的職責
幫助你預防牙患 守護你口腔健康
提升市⺠對口腔健康的認知
引導及推動市⺠建立有利口腔健康的生活模式
在社區向市⺠提供口腔健康資訊 (講座)
為產生興趣/動機的市⺠提供跟進(口腔衞生指導)
引導及推動市⺠⾒牙醫作口腔檢查
達致預防早發現早治療的目標
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社區 診所
推廣資訊 推進動機
引發動機 改善技巧
牙科衞生員的職責
幫助你預防牙患 守護你口腔健康
提升市⺠對口腔健康的認知
引導及推動市⺠建立有利口腔健康的生活模式
在社區向市⺠提供口腔健康資訊 (講座)
地區康健中心
為產生興趣/動機的市⺠提供跟進(口腔衞生指導)
基層康健牙科診所
引導及推動市⺠⾒牙醫作口腔檢查
達致預防早發現早治療的目標
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
• Oral health education – individual level (personal
skills)
• Oral health promotion – policy / community /
environmental approach
• Engage the target community
• Set target – evaluate effectiveness
在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
不一定是講座
不要讀稿 / 背台詞 – 要有目的
關注口腔健康風險
• 飲食習慣
• 口腔清潔習慣
• 身體健康狀況
• 定期檢查口腔習慣
令市⺠產⽣興趣/動機 - 提供跟進(個人化⼝腔衞⽣指導)
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
頻密吃喝 礦物質流失 蛀牙洞
清潔牙齒不徹底 牙周發炎 牙周袋
改善生活習慣 牙科治療可以修補破壞
才可以治癒牙患 但不可以治癒牙患
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你認為自己的牙齒夠清潔嗎?
後牙 後牙
(臼齒) (臼齒)
蛀牙及嚴重牙周病(有深牙周袋)
主要發⽣在後牙
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
Value of skill transfer?
• Video/diagrammes of brushing/flossing
• Brushing model
• Display of floss / interdental brush
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
身體健康問題引致 口腔健康問題引致
口腔健康風險 身體健康風險
增加蛀牙/牙周病風險 牙周病與疾病有關連 牙科治療有較大風險
例如: 例如: 例如:
糖尿病 薄血藥
認知障礙症 認知障礙症 頭頸電療
中風 心血管疾病 骨質疏鬆藥物
頭頸電療 吸入性肺炎 人工關節/心瓣
多種藥物 不良孕期結果
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
Abilities to address Q&A
• Availability of oral care products in the market
• Ability to evaluate their claims
• Different types of oral health services / programmes
• Other primary healthcare services / programmes
在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
Abilities to address Q&A
食完嘢啷口(用茶)，可唔可以中和返啲酸性，防止蛀牙?
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在社區向市⺠提供⼝腔健康資訊 (講座)
Abilities to address Q&A
我近排成日咬爆 / 咬裂啲牙，
係唔係我身體出現咗咩問題?
為產⽣興趣/動機的市⺠提供個人化⼝腔衞⽣指導
不要讀稿 / 背台詞 – 要有目的
Assess client motives and physical ability
Understand client’s barriers, no blaming
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Why do you want to be a dental hygienist?
你為什麼要做一個牙齒衞生員?
可以幫人 / 關懷病人 / 影響更多人
要改變個人行為
要改變社會風氣
可以改變人的整體健康
更有使命感
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