Media

HKU Faculty of Dentistry Ranked No.1 in the World

22 Mar 2016

 

The Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong was established in 1982 to educate dentists for Hong Kong when most of the dentists practising in Hong Kong were trained overseas. Now, approximately 2 out of every 3 dentists practising in Hong Kong have been educated at the HKU Faculty of Dentistry.

It is now the sole educational center for dentists in the territory, offering undergraduate, research postgraduate (RPG), and taught postgraduate (TPG) programmes in dental specialties such as Dental Public Health, Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Endodontics, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Clinical sessions and problem-based discussions are employed as modes of effective learning among others in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) teaching.

Training courses in dental hygiene are also provided at the Hospital by clinical professoriate and teaching staff of the Faculty and other skilled professionals. The Faculty has recently set up Hong Kong’s first Infection Control Teaching Suite (ICTS) that provides hands-on training for future dentists and dental hygienists.

Professor Flemmig said the Faculty is planning for a significant growth in the upcoming years. “In order to address the shortage of dentists in Hong Kong, we will take in more undergraduate students. There will be an approximately 40% increase in the number of students admitted to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Program in the fall of this year,” he said.

He said that the Faculty is actively recruiting the most talented academics from around the world to provide the best education for its students and to cope with the rising capacity of teaching and mentoring the students. 

According to Professor Flemmig, who is also the Director of the Prince Philip Dental Hospital, where the Faculty is located, the Hospital needs to undergo a significant reconfiguration in order to accommodate the greater student cohort within existing spaces provided by the Faculty.

Four smaller clinics will be combined into two clinics that are large enough to accommodate the increased class size. Seminar rooms, research laboratories and staff offices all have to be reconfigured.

Professor Flemmig said he is looking forward to collaborating with the dental profession, the government and other stakeholders to further advance the delivery of comprehensive oral healthcare for the people of Hong Kong.

For media enquiries, please contact:
HKU Faculty of Dentistry, Tel: 2859 0494; E-mail: dentke@hku.hk