Due to limited resources, all secondary school students in Hong Kong do not receive regular oral examinations. Meimei, a Form 5 student, is one of them. "I haven't seen a dentist after The School Dental Care Service which ended 5 years ago when I was in Primary 6 so I'm not sure if my teeth are healthy." Meimei* said.

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The School Dental Care Service is a dental care program provided by the Department of Health for primary school students and special schools in Hong Kong. It provides basic dental treatment to students. However, secondary school students are not entitled to this subsidized dental services.

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Adequate dental care and regular check-up are essential for teens who are teething. In 2022, Modern Dental Global Foundation launched a “Teen Scaling Project” with volunteer dental practitioners in Hong Kong, to provide free dental check-ups and scaling services for teens who cannot afford the dental expense. In the initial stage, the project covers secondary school girls in Precious Blood Children’s Village.

 

Meimei, one of the participants in the project, said: "This project allowed me to identify my oral health problems." She used to be afraid of going to the dentist, particularly because of the sound of drill. Fortunately, she had a good experience this time, and after education from our volunteer dentist, she will pay more attention to her oral health in the future.

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*The name has been changed to protect the privacy of the teen