2014 Hong Kong Dental Practice Profile Survey

Objectives: To describe the practice characteristics of the private dentists in Hong Kong. Methods: There were around 2,000 registered dentists in Hong Kong. Dentists who worked full-time in the public sector or studied full-time in a dental school were excluded from this survey. Names of the eligible dentists were arranged in alphabetical order and everyone one out of three (1/3) were sampled systematically. A questionnaire designed for self-completion and a covering letter explaining the purpose of the survey was sent to each selected dentist by mail. A stamped addressed envelope was provided to facilitate the dentists returning the completed questionnaire. Results: A total of 531 dentists were selected. In the first 3 weeks, 200 completed questionnaires were returned and the response rate thus far was 37.7%. More than half (56%) of the respondents were aged 40-59 years. Three quarters (76%) were self-employed and had their own private practice. On average, a dentist worked with 2 chair-side assistants and no dental hygienist. The mean number of hours they worked in their dental practice per week was 41 and on average 36 hours were spent on treating patients. The mean number of patients per day was 13.3 and the mean waiting time for a non-emergency appointment was 8.4 days. Two thirds (67%) of the respondents reported that they were as busy as they would like while 18% were busier than they preferred. More than half (56%) of their patient treatment time was spent on basic dental care items such as examination, scaling, prevention and fillings. In general, the treatment charge of the upper quartile was around double that of the lower quartile. Conclusion: Most private dentists in Hong Kong worked in small practices, spending most of their clinic time on patient treatment, mainly basic items, and perceived that they were rather busy.