The Government announced today that the first batch of amendments to the Dentists Registration Ordinance (DRO) will be in force from January 1, 2025.

The amendments will introduce a new mechanism for the admission of non-locally trained dentists to Hong Kong. There will also be an update on the definition of “practising dentistry” to clearly specify the services that may only be provided by registered dentists.

Other amendments will take effect on later dates.

The Government explained that new pathways, including “limited registration” which is open to all dentists and “special registration” targeting specialist dentists, will be introduced to admit qualified non-locally trained dentists.

From January 1, non-locally trained dentists who are selected for full-time employment in specified institutions, including the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority, the University of Hong Kong and the Prince Philip Dental Hospital, may apply to the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK) for “limited registration” and “special registration”. Upon approval, those dentists can directly practise in the aforementioned specified institutions.

Moreover, non-locally trained dentists who have worked in the specified institutions for at least five years in aggregate and are certified by the institutions to have served satisfactorily by reference to the DCHK’s criteria will be eligible to apply for migration to full registration.

Dentists with “limited registration” will need to take the clinical part of the DCHK’s licensing examination. For dentists with “special registration”, whether they are required to take that part of the examination will be subject to the DCHK’s consideration on a case-by-case basis.

Upon obtaining full registration, these dentists can practise in any institution in Hong Kong.

To dovetail with the statutory amendments, the Department of Health said it has already launched recruitment exercises while working closely with the DCHK in a bid to enable the first batch of non-locally trained dentists to come to Hong Kong in the first quarter of next year to serve the public.

Separately, with effect from January 1, Schedule 2 to the DRO will stipulate that only registered dentists may provide another person with three types of services, ie carrying out dental bleaching or a teeth whitening procedure, prescription of a clear aligner, and carrying out a teeth veneering procedure.

Any person who provides or attempts to provide these services but is not a registered dentist commits an offence.

The offender will be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 6 and imprisonment for three years; or on conviction upon indictment to five years' imprisonment.

The Government advises citizens to check the List of Registered Dentists to verify the qualifications of service providers.