DH to expand scope of services and list of beneficiaries under Community Dental Support Programme next month and cover homeless individuals
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With the expansion of the beneficiaries list of the CDSP to cover the homeless, social workers, through the service networks of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), will identify and assist eligible homeless individuals with the application documents and co-ordinate appointments with dental clinics. Eligible homeless individuals must be a holder of a Hong Kong identity card, be enrolled in the Electronic Health System (eHealth), and be a service user of any of the following services provided by the Social Welfare Department to street sleepers:
- Temporary Shelters;
- Urban Hostels for Single Persons;
- Integrated Services Teams for Street Sleepers; or
- Care and Support Networking Team (street sleepers only).
Additionally, each eligible service user may apply for subsidised dental services once every 180 days currently, the scope of which includes preventive and curative oral health and dental care services. Subject to the assessment by the attending registered dentist, each participant will be provided with specified subsidised dental services, including oral health assessment, medication for dental pain relief (when necessary), X-ray examinations, dental fillings or extractions. With the expansion of the scope of services effective from January 1 next year, each participant can receive dental scaling services and root canal treatment for one tooth every 365 days, and removal of one bridge or two crowns every 180 days. Regarding the fitting of removable dentures, each participant can receive the service up to two times, with an interval of at least five years in between. To ensure the proper use of limited resources to achieve greater cost-effectiveness and to allow the underprivileged to receive the most effective treatment services, removable dentures fitting service will only be available to eligible persons with fewer than 20 remaining teeth, who must first be assessed by a dentist as having difficulties in eating or chewing and whose eating ability could be effectively restored by the fitting of removable dentures.
The expanded CDSP will supplant the EDAP, which will cease to accept applications from January 1 next year. For details of the CDSP (including the administration fee and co-payment fee of services), please visit the designated website (www.communitydental.gov.hk).
In March 2025, the DH launched the Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents (PDCC), which serves as an interface with the School Dental Care Service by providing partial subsidies for dental check-up services for adolescents aged 13 to 17. It helps adolescents foster a long-term partnership with registered dentists in the private sector and enables them to build a lifelong habit of regular dental check-ups. Eligible adolescents can receive subsidised services once every calendar year. Currently, 572 private dentists are participating in the PDCC, with over 960 service locations. With school holidays approaching, the DH encourages adolescents to take advantage of the long holidays to participate in the PDCC and welcome the new year with good health and confidence. Members of the public may visit the PDCC webpage (www.communitydental.gov.hk/en/pdcc/introduction_of_pdcc.html) for more information.
The Government's oral health policy aims to enable all Hong Kong citizens to enhance their oral hygiene and lifestyles. By adopting the strategies of developing community-wide preventive primary oral healthcare while providing essential dental care services targeting underprivileged groups in formulating the dental services, the Government aims to assist citizens in practicing prevention, early identification, and timely intervention for dental diseases. The CDSP and PDCC have collectively benefited over 10 000 eligible individuals.
Ends/Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:10
Issued at HKT 16:10
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