For information
on 13 September 1999

Purpose

This paper informs Members of the progress made in the proposal of amending the Ancillary Dental Workers (Dental Hygienists) Regulations following discussions at the Panel on Health Services in June 1999.

Background

2. At the meeting held on 14 June 1999, we briefed Members on the need to update the Ancillary Dental Workers (Dental Hygienists) Regulations. Members noted that the current employment restriction on dental hygienists was obsolete and should be updated to enable dental hygienists to be employed by institutions providing dental services. We put forward the two options at Annex.

3. We believe that it should be sufficient, for protecting the health of the public, to specify that a dental hygienist should only be allowed to assist a registered dentist and the registered dentist should assume the ultimate professional responsibility. Imposing employment restriction on dental hygienists is not necessary.

Latest development

4. During the consultation exercise and subsequent discussions, the dental hygienists expressed concerns about the deletion of employment requirement. They preferred to retain an employment restriction provision and modify it by simply extending the list of potential employers. We respect their views and to amend the Ancillary Dental Workers (Dental Hygienists) Regulations by revising Regulation 6(2)(b) so that a dental hygienist shall be employed by:-

1. a registered dentist; or
   
   
2. any organization employing registered dentists.

5. The draft legislation is being prepared.





Health and Welfare Bureau
September 1999

Annex

Existing version
Regulation 6(2)(b) provides that :-

A dental hygienist shall be employed by a registered dentist.

Amendment Option I
To amendment Regulation to 6(2)(b) to the effect that :-

A dental hygienist shall be employed by a registered dentist, the Department of Health, the Prince Philip Dental Hospital within the meaning of the Prince Philip Dental Hospital Ordinance (Cap. 1081), the Hospital Authority within the meaning of the Hospital Authority Ordinance (Cap. 113), a hospital registered or a maternity home registered under the Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance (Cap. 165) or any other organizations approved for this purpose by the Director of Health.

Amendment Option II
To amendment Regulation to 6(2)(b) to the effect that :-

A dental hygienist can only carry out dental work as specified in Regulation 6(1) upon a patient of a registered dentist in the course of assisting the registered dentist in providing treatment to the patient