In response to the increasing demand for public dental services, the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care was established in end 2022 to conduct a comprehensive review of the dental services provided or subsidised by the Government. In light of the recommendations of the Working Group, the Government collaborates with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and launches the Community Dental Support Programme (CDSP).
CDSP aims to promote prevention, early identification and timely intervention of dental diseases among the underprivileged groups with financial difficulties through provision of subsidised services with the goal to improve oral and physical health by retaining teeth.
CDSP will expand the service scope on 1 January 2026 to include the services of scaling, root canal treatment, removal of bridges or crowns and fitting of removable dentures. More details will be announced in due course.
CDSP will expand the beneficiaries list to cover the homeless. More details will be announced in due course.
Eligible persons can choose a dental clinic operated by participating NGOs either by approaching the clinic him/herself or through arrangement by a Registered Social Worker to receive the subsidised services under CDSP. Participants are required to pay an administration fee.
After assessment by the attending registered dentist from the NGOs appointed by the Government, the following services will be provided to participant within 180 days if considered suitable:
CDSP will include the following services with effect from 1 January 2026:
* The subsidised service of fitting of removable dentures is only available to eligible persons with fewer than 20 remaining teeth (in accordance with the World Health Organization’s recommendation), who must first be assessed by a dentist as having difficulties in eating or chewing and their eating abilities could be effectively restored by the fitting of removable dentures.
^ The receipt of removable dentures services under the Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme (EDAP) will also be counted.
Participants shall pay the administration fee directly to the NGO for each Teeth Filling/Extraction Quota. The administration fee for each Teeth Filling/Extraction Quota is $50.
The Government will fully subsidise the administration fee if the Participant meets the following criteria:
Services of scaling, root canal treatment , removal of bridges or crowns and fitting of removable dentures will be included with effect from 1 January 2026. Participants shall pay the administration fee $50 directly to the NGO for each scaling service or each tooth of root canal treatment. If the Participant meets the above-mentioned criteria, the Government will fully subsidise the administration fee.
Participants shall pay the co-payment fee directly to the NGO for the fitting of removable dentures. The co-payment fee for each set of removable denture is $1,000. If the Participant meets the above-mentioned criteria, the co-payment fee for each set of removable denture is $500. Each set of removable denture refers to either upper or lower denture. Fitting both upper and lower removable dentures at the same time is considered to receive the removable dentures fitting service once, and the co-payment fees are calculated as two sets of dentures.
The chosen NGO may provide dental treatments that fall outside the scope of CDSP. It shall be considered as a private arrangement between the NGO and the Participant. The Participant shall bear all of the cost of procuring such dental treatments at his/her own expense.