Media

The "Jockey Club Children Oral Health Project" (hereinafter referred to as the "Project"), organised by the Faculty of Dentistry at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, held the "Safeguard Our Children by Oral Health" milestone celebration on June 15.

Since its inception in 2019, the Project has conducted oral screenings for kindergarten children in school settings with the objective of identifying caries risk early and implementing preventive interventions. In addition, the Project delivers workshops, seminars, and supplementary educational materials to promote proper oral hygiene among children, parents, and kindergarten teachers, aiming to enhance the overall oral health status of preschool-aged children.

Over the past six and a half years, the Project has yielded significant results, successfully reducing the incidence of dental caries among young children. In addition to commemorating these milestones, the event also aimed to update the public on the Project’s progress and outstanding achievements.

In addition to commemorating these milestones, the event also aimed to update the public on the Project’s progress and outstanding achievements. More than 200 guests attended the ceremony, including Dr. Pang Fei-chau, the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare from the Health Bureau; Professor Chak-sing Lau, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health) of The University of Hong Kong; Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr. Hon David Lam Tzit-yuen, Legislative Council Member for Medical and Health Services, HKSAR; Dr. Kaye Wong, Consultant (Oral Health Care) from the Health Bureau; Professor Jin Lijian, Dean of Faculty of Dentistry of The University of Hong Kong; Dr. Spencer Chan Chiu-yee, President of the Hong Kong Dental Association; Dr. Sigmund Leung Sai-man, Co-chairmen of the Oral Health Group, Primary Healthcare Commission; Dr Lau Kin-kwan, Kenny, Chairman, The Prince Philip Dental Hospital, as well as representatives partner preschools and schools who showed long-term support and commitment to the program.

Professor Chak-sing Lau, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health) of the University of Hong Kong, said that the University is dedicated to promoting the health and holistic development of children in Hong Kong. In terms of oral health, increasing medical evidence shows that dental problems such as cavities and periodontitis can elevate the future risk of developing heart and immune-related diseases. This highlights the importance of preventive care in oral health during childhood. This project not only improves children's oral health but also reduces the overall risk of serious diseases in the long term, benefitting the health of all Hong Kong citizens.

The Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau, Dr Pang Fei-chau, said the Government has been actively advancing the development of primary healthcare, shifting the long-standing mindset of "treatment-oriented" towards one that emphasises "prevention, early identification and early treatment", so that members of the public can receive appropriate health support within their own communities. The present initiative is a concrete embodiment of this policy direction. It also fully demonstrates the strength of cross-sectoral collaboration, bringing together academic institutions that contribute professional expertise, charitable foundations that provide resources, and frontline practitioners who deliver services through an outreach model, complemented by the cooperation of schools and parents, together weaving a community-wide health safety net.

Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Health & Older Adults Cluster) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said, the Jockey Club Children Oral Health Project aligns with the government's primary healthcare strategy, with data demonstrating its practicality and effectiveness. It has earned trust from schools and parents and received government recognition to continue beyond the project's conclusion, ensuring ongoing benefits for kindergarten children. This milestone marks a key achievement in Hong Kong's primary healthcare development. Moving forward, the Trust will continue supporting innovative, evidence-based projects and collaborating across sectors to advance primary healthcare.

Project Achievement
During the ceremony, Professor Chu Chun Hung, the Project-in-charge, shared service data and project achievements. Over the past six and a half years, the team has provided dental services to 810 kindergartens across Hong Kong, benefiting approximately 190,000 children. They have identified over 250,000 cases of dental caries, earning widespread praise from parents and schools.

Despite significant public health challenges during the service period, outreach services continued in an orderly manner under strict epidemic prevention measures and social distancing restrictions, with no reported cases of cross-infection. The team conducted over 390,000 oral examinations for kindergarten children across Hong Kong and delivered more than 410,000 fluoride silver diamine fluoride (SDF) treatments for dental caries, with no reports of serious adverse reactions.

In terms of health education, the Project team organized 1,331 oral health lectures, reaching approximately 36,000 parents and caregivers. It also provided professional training to over 12,000 kindergarten teachers and conducted children's oral health workshops for more than 28,000 kindergarten students. The satisfaction rate among schools, parents, and teachers for the program exceeded 97%.

Reducing Childhood Dental Caries
Based on dental service data from September 2020 to February 2026, the prevalence of dental caries among participating children decreased from 38% to 28%, while the average number of decayed teeth per child fell from 1.5 to 1.0. This demonstrates the Project’s effectiveness in improving children’s oral health.

Dental Caries Prevalence by District²
Data for the 2024/25 school year indicates that the prevalence of dental caries among kindergarten children across Hong Kong is highest in Sham Shui Po (37%), Wong Tai Sin (37%), Kwai Tsing (36%), Kwun Tong (35%), and North District (35%). Conversely, the lowest rates were recorded in Wan Chai and Central and Western District, both at 20%.

Reference to the 2025 Population Census conducted by the Census and Statistics Department shows that Wan Chai and Central and Western District have the highest median monthly household incomes in Hong Kong, while Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Tsing, Kwun Tong, and North Districts rank among the lowest. These findings suggest a potential correlation between the incidence of dental caries in children and their household socioeconomic status.

Outreach Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) Treatment Effectiveness
The team followed up on dental caries cases treated with SDF during the 2023/24 academic year. Of the total of 8,063 carious lesions recorded, 96 exfoliated and 266 received restorative treatment. Excluding these cases, 4,836 lesions showed no further progression following SDF treatment. The data confirm that annual outreach SDF therapy effectively arrests the progression of approximately 63% of caries cases.

Reducing Dental Fear and Anxiety Among Young Children
The Project's school-based service model enables young children to receive dental examinations in a familiar environment. Service data indicate that 95% of children exhibited no signs of dental fear or anxiety during examinations, effectively reducing their resistance and negative perceptions of dental check-ups.

Extended Impact of the Project

• In 2019, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) advocated for the adoption of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) in pediatric outreach services worldwide, promoting global efforts in children's oral health prevention.
• In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) included SDF in its "WHO Model List of Essential Medicines," recommending that countries ensure affordable and accessible SDF for both adults and children to advance global oral health equity.
• In 2023, the Asian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (Asian AAPD) proposed adopting a childhood caries prevention strategy similar to this program across East Asia, fostering regional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• In 2025, the FDI World Dental Federation recognized the achievements of the Jockey Club Children Oral Health Project, endorsing SDF as an effective, non-invasive treatment for childhood caries and promoting its integration into international clinical practice and policy development.

These international developments contribute to the broader adoption of SDF in children's oral health care, supporting more comprehensive preventive and therapeutic strategies, and ultimately enhancing children’s oral health globally.

Oral Health Promotion and Publicity
In addition to kindergarten outreach services, the project team promotes community oral health through various initiatives. These include organizing knowledge exchange sessions for dental professionals, co-hosting coloring and slogan design competitions with the HKU Faculty of Dentistry, and setting up oral health game booths at District Health Centres across Hong Kong. These activities aim to raise public awareness about oral care, benefiting over 5,200 individuals.

Hong Kong Future Preschool Children's Dental Care Services | Outreach Oral Health Programme for Pre-school Children
Following the Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address, which announced the introduction of preventive dental services for preschool children, the government will launch a new "Outreach Oral Health Programme for Pre-school Children" in the upcoming school year (starting September 1), based on recommendations from the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care. Participating institutions will provide the following services:

1. Free on-site oral screening
2. Oral health risk assessments
3. Topical fluoride application for children as appropriate
4. Providing parents with oral health reports and individualised oral health home care advice for their children
5. Conducting oral health workshop for kindergarten teachers

Annex 1: Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) Information
SDF is a clear ammonia solution containing silver and fluoride ions. In the dental community, it has been used for arresting tooth decay and promoting tooth desensitisation.

Studies show that between 47% and 90% of patients experience an improvement in dental caries following initial treatment with SDF, with the percentage depending on tooth location and the severity of decay. Additionally, reapplying the treatment one to two times per year has been shown to further enhance effectiveness.

Annex 2: Prevalence of tooth decay and the average number of decayed teeth per participating child by district for the 2024/25 School Year

The term "tooth decay" in the table above refers only to untreated teeth.