The Dental Service of the Department of Health aims at promoting oral health in the community through promotive and preventive oral health services.

    Oral health education and promotion activities were organised throughout the year to enhance the oral health awareness of the community. These activities included outreaching programmes delivered through an 'Oral Health Education Bus' and target-specific programmes delivered through maternal and child health centres, kindergartens and pre-school centres to more than 180 000 pre-schoolers. Readily available information is also provided to the public through the Oral Health Education home page 'Tooth Club' and a 24-hour interactive Oral Health Education telephone hotline.

    Preventive services are delivered through the School Dental Care Service which provides annual dental examination and basic dental care to about 436 100 children annually. A 24-hour interactive voice response system is available to provide voice and fax information about the School Dental Care Service and oral health. In addition, the domestic water supply is fluoridated to reduce dental decay.

    Specialist oral health services are provided to hospital patients and those with special oral health needs. An emergency dental service is provided to the general public at 11 designated dental clinics.