The provisions on provisional registration, internship and period of assessment in the Dentists Registration Ordinance, which can enrich clinical experience of local dental graduates and non-locally trained dentists, will come into effect from April 1, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced on Thursday.

Local dental graduates will need to undergo an internship, while non-locally trained dentists, who have passed the licensing examination of the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK), will also need to undergo a period of assessment with provisional registration by that date, before they can obtain full registration in Hong Kong, according to a government notification.

Following the passage of the Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Legislative Council last July, the SAR government tabled the second commencement notice at the LegCo in December for negative vetting. The vetting period ended on Wednesday.

“As indicated by the government during the legislative process, unlike the practice for medical practitioners, there is currently no statutory requirement for dentists to undergo an internship or a period of assessment prior to registration,” reads the notification.

The requirements for an internship and assessment – which generally lasts for 12 months – were introduced in the ordinance following feedback from the dental profession in recent years.

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Clinical experience in real-life settings will be highly beneficial for further enhancing dentists' professional standards, the government stressed.

As per the government plan, interns and assessees will obtain the status of provisional registration and will be appointed as dentists under contractual terms to undergo an internship or a period of assessment. During this period, they will work in rotation at various service units under the guidance of experienced dentists.

The scheme aims to familiarize them with the practice in Hong Kong and help them hone their communication skills with local patients.

Upon successful completion of their internship or period of assessment, they will be awarded a certificate of experience that will enable them to get full registration, the government added.

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Since some non-locally trained dentists may have prior practicing experience before arriving in Hong Kong, the DCHK can consider shortening their period of assessment on a case-by-case basis.

Non-locally trained dentists admitted to Hong Kong through limited registration or special registration mechanisms in the DRO are also eligible to apply for migration to full registration if they have served in specified institutions for at least five years in aggregate, added the government.