These regulations set up dental hygienists, control who may enrol and practise, and require enrolment, notice of name or address changes, and payment of an enrolment fee.
Ancillary Dental Workers (Dental Hygienists) Regulations(Cap. 156, section 29) [14 November 1969](Format changes—E.R. 1 of 2017) 1. Citation These regulations may be cited as the Ancillary Dental Workers (Dental Hygienists) Regulations. 2. Establishment of dental hygienists There is established hereby a class of ancillary dental workers to be known as dental hygienists. 3. Qualification of applicants for enrolment Any person who holds the United Kingdom Minister of Health’s Certificate of Proficiency in Oral Hygiene, or who holds any other certificate or diploma which, in the opinion of the Dental Council, is of an equivalent standard and has been gained following a course of dental training extending over a period of not less than nine months, may apply to the Dental Council for enrolment as a dental hygienist. 4. Enrolment of dental hygienists (1) The Dental Council may, at its absolute discretion, admit any person to practise as a dental hygienist if it is satisfied that the applicant—(a) holds the qualifications specified in regulation 3; and (b) is a fit and proper person to practise as a dental hygienist. (2) The Registrar shall maintain a roll in which the name and address of every person whom the Dental Council has admitted to practise as a dental hygienist shall be recorded. (3) Any enrolled dental hygienist who alters his name or address shall notify the Registrar immediately of any such alteration. (4) Every dental hygienist shall pay to the Registrar an enrolment fee of $2,040 when his name is recorded in the roll maintained under paragraph (2). (L.N. 181 of 1989; L.N. 599 of 1994; L.N. 11 of 1997; L.N. 315 of 2000; L.N. 82 of 2006; L.N. 132 of 2015) (5) The Registrar shall issue to each enrolled dental hygienist a certificate of enrolment in such form as may be determined by the Dental Council from time to time. 5. Disqualification order by Dental Council (1) If the Dental Council is satisfied at any time by any complaint made to it or by any information received by it that an enrolled dental hygienist either does not hold the qualifications specified in regulation 3 or is not a fit and proper person to practise as a dental hygienist, it may—(a) order that such enrolled person cease to practise as a dental hygienist; and (b) direct that the name of the person be deleted from the roll of dental hygienists maintained by the Registrar pursuant to regulation 4(2). (2) On being notified in writing of an order made by the Dental Council pursuant to paragraph (1), any dental hygienist against whom such an order has been made shall forthwith deliver to the Registrar the certificate issued to him pursuant to regulation 4(4). (3) Any person who contravenes paragraph (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine at level 1. (E.R. 4 of 2021) 6. Scope of dental work that may be undertaken by dental hygienists (1) Subject to this regulation, an enrolled dental hygienist may undertake dental work of the following kinds—(a) the cleaning and polishing of teeth;(b) the scaling of teeth (that is to say the removal of tartar deposits, accretions and stains from those parts of the surface of the teeth which are exposed or which are directly beneath the free margins of the gums, including the application of medicaments thereto);(c) the application to the teeth of solutions of sodium or stannous fluoride or such other similar prophylactic solutions as the Council may from time to time determine;(d) the exposure of x-ray films inter-orally or extra-orally for the investigation of lesions or suspected lesions of the mouth, jaws, teeth and associated structures; and(e) the giving of advice on matters relating to dental hygiene.(2) A dental hygienist shall not undertake any form of dental work unless—(a) he is enrolled in accordance with regulation 4;(b) he is employed by a registered dentist or by any organization or establishment that has employed at least one registered dentist; (L.N. 299 of 1999)(c) any patient upon whom he undertakes dental work has first been examined by a registered dentist who has then prescribed the treatment to be carried out by the dental hygienist; (d) such dental work is carried out—(i) in accordance with the directions of a registered dentist who is available in the premises at all times when such dental work is being carried out; and(ii) in such premises and under such conditions as are suitable for such work.(3) An enrolled dental hygienist who undertakes such kinds of dental work as are prescribed in paragraph (1) shall, if he complies at all times with the conditions prescribed in paragraph (2), be deemed not to be practising dentistry for the purposes of the Ordinance.(4) For the purposes of this regulation, registered dentist (註冊牙醫) means a person registered under section 9 of the Ordinance other than a person entitled to registration under section 7(d) of the Registration of Dentists Ordinance 1940 (1 of 1940).