The Department of Health’s “Youth Tooth Care Co-management Pilot Scheme” will be launched on the 20th of this month, subsidizing eligible young people aged 13 to 17 to receive private dental check-up services once a year.
Dr. Hui Mei-yin, consultant of the Dental Service of the Department of Health, said that Hong Kong has the “School Dental Care Service” and the “tooth decay and filling” situation of children aged 6 to 12 is at an extremely low level. It is hoped that the pilot scheme can be connected to the completion of school dental care, so that young people can maintain a good habit of regular dental check-ups.
Senior dentist of the Community Dental Service of the Department of Health, Dr. Wong Wing-sze, said that the pilot program adopts a “co-payment model”. The authorities will provide dentists with a subsidy of $200, and participating citizens will also have to pay a “co-payment amount”. The Department of Health recommends a level of $200. Currently, 60% of dentists participating in the program set the co-payment amount at or below $200, and some dentists even set it at $50.
The scope of services of the pilot program includes oral examination, teeth cleaning, and dental fluoride treatment. As for oral X-ray examination, tooth filling, tooth extraction, etc., they are self-funded items. Dentists participating in the pilot program must disclose the self-funded project consultation fees for the public to know. Currently, more than 250 dentists have applied to participate, of which 114 have completed the review and approval and have been included in the pilot program, covering about 150 dental clinics in 18 districts across Hong Kong.
Dentist Hung Chun-kit of the Community Dental Service of the Department of Health said that starting today, citizens can make online appointments for dentists’ service periods on or after the 20th of this month. Citizens are also required to register for eHealth so that their dental care records can be uploaded to the system.
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