The historical development of dentistry in Hong Kong

Dentistry in Hong Kong during this century has advanced from an informal streetside practice to a discipline that now serves the community by way of registered oral health care personnel. Throughout the years, public attitudes towards dental care have also changed: from a palliative approach involving the extraction of teeth when pain arose, to the prevention of dental disease even at the formative stage of dentition through water fluoridation, regular therapeutic care, and oral health maintenance. The education and professionalisation of practitioners has evolved from apprenticeship to the establishment of a structured university curriculum and postgraduate specialist training of international standards.