XN000022-1980-10-19 — Page 2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1980

FIRST-EVER SCHOOL DENTAL HEALTH SERVICE

*****

A SCHOOL CHILDREN DENTAL CARE SERVICE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THIS MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HONG KONG.

FOR ONLY A NOMINAL CHARGE OF $5 A YEAR, ALL PRIMARY ONE CHILDREN MAY BENEFIT FROM THIS SERVICE RUN BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE SERVICE IS A VOLUNTARY SCHEME AND HE ESTIMATED THAT OVER 100 000 PRIMARY ONE CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN.

UNDER THE SCHEME, SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE GIVEN ROUTINE DENTAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT BY DENTAL OFFICERS AND DENTAL THERAPISTS.

EXTRACTION,

DENTAL TREATMENT, INCLUDING A FULL DENTAL EXAMINATION, FILLINGS, SCALING, CLEANING OF TEETH AND IF NECESSARY, EXTRACTION, WILL BE GIVEN.

+LIMITED ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT MAY ALSO BE PROVIDED,✦ THE

SPOKESMAN ADDED.

HE POINTED OUT HOWEVER THAT EMPHASIS OF THE SERVICE WOULD BE ON PREVENTION.

SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE TAUGHT THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DENTAL HEALTH AND ORAL HYGIENE SO THAT THEY WILL ADOPT GOOD PRACTICE TO PREVENT DENTAL DISEASES DEVELOPING IN LATER LIFE, HE SAID.

IN ITS FIRST YEAR, THE SERVICE IS LIMITED TO PRIMARY ONE PUPILS. IT WILL BE PROGRESSIVELY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL CHILDREN IN PRIMARY CLASSES.

PARTICIPANTS OF THE SCHEME THIS YEAR WILL GO TO THE MACLEHOSE DENTAL CENTRE IN MORRISON HILL ROAD FOR THE SERVICE. A SECOND DENTAL CLINIC FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ARGYLE STREET WILL OPEN NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

THE SERVICE WILL BE IN FULL OPERATION WITH THE COMPLETION OF THREE OTHER CLINICS IN LAM TIN, TSUEN WAN AND SHA TIN BEFORE 1985.

/2