DH Organises "Oral Health for Life" Festival to Promote Life-Course Approach to Oral Health Management

DH organises "Oral Health for Life" Festival to promote life-course approach to oral health management

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. This year's theme of "Healthy Mouth, Healthy Life; Building strong teeth from an early age, Enjoying life with healthy teeth in an old age" encourages the public to develop good dental care habits from an early age and maintain oral health throughout their lifetime. The event was supported by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission (BJHC), the Health Commission of Guangdong Province and the Chinese Stomatological Association.

Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, emphasised that oral health is a vital cornerstone of overall health. He reminded the public to develop good oral hygiene habits from an early age.

Dr Lam said, "The national health plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period implements the 'Health First' development strategy and accelerates the building of a 'Healthy China'. This includes strengthening health promotion and disease prevention, as well as improving health services across the entire life cycle, including the oral health of children, adolescents and the elderly. The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the 2026 Policy Address recently announced by the Chief Executive also actively align with the national plan. They explicitly propose taking active public health measures, further enhancing the accessibility of primary healthcare services and continuing to deepen healthcare system reform. Starting from 2027, the Government will provide preventive primary oral healthcare services for specified high-risk groups at designated District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses, and expand the Healthy Teeth Collaboration to offer outreach preventive oral healthcare services for residents of designated residential care homes for persons with disabilities.

"The theme of today's event, 'Oral Health for Life', conveys an important message - dental care is a lifelong health endeavour. Parents must guide their children to develop proper toothbrushing techniques and habits from an early age, making dental care a part of daily life and ensuring their children undergo regular dental check-ups. The DH promotes oral health services tailored to the needs of different age groups to help all citizens practise the principle of prevention, early identification and timely intervention for dental diseases, with a view to preserving teeth."

The Director of the BJHC, Ms Liu Juncai; the Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Director-General of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Mr Liu Liqun, and the President of the Chinese Stomatological Association, Professor Guo Chuanbin, also delivered pre-recorded video speeches, expressing their support for the event and oral health promotion efforts.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Consultant in-charge of the Dental Services of the DH, Dr Kitty Hse, said that through the strategy of "developing community-wide preventive primary oral healthcare", the Government promotes and develops preventive-focused oral healthcare widely among the public, assisting citizens in self-managing their oral health. Meanwhile, the strategy of "providing essential dental care services targeting underprivileged groups" focuses on providing appropriate oral health and dental care services to underprivileged groups with financial difficulties and special needs, ensuring that these communities can access essential dental care. She urged the public to maintain good oral hygiene and dietary habits, undergo annual dental check-ups, and detect and treat dental problems early in order to preserve their teeth for a lifetime.

For children and adolescents, the DH currently provides continuous and seamless oral health support from the preschool through the school-age stages. This includes the Bright Smiles Baby Programme for children aged 0 to 3, the Outreach Oral Health Programme for Pre-school Children for children in all kindergartens aged 32 months and above, and the territory-wide School Dental Care Service for primary school students, thereby establishing a comprehensive safety net for their oral health.

For the elderly and individuals with special oral care needs, the DH has implemented the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly, the Healthy Teeth Collaboration and the Special Oral Care Service, while the Community Dental Support Programme aims to provide suitable oral health and dental care services to underprivileged groups with financial difficulties.

At the opening ceremony, the DH also presented certificates to the representatives from various non-governmental organisations providing community dental services and organisations participating in the Healthy Cities Projects (see Annex) to show appreciation for their continued support for the Government in health promotion.

Teeth are indispensable companions throughout one's life. In addition the support provided to the public through various programmes. People of all ages should develop the habit of undergoing annual dental check-ups. Even in old age, maintaining healthy and strong teeth allows us to fully enjoy delicious food and maintain a good quality of life.

Members of the public can visit the DH's Oral Health Promotion Division website and the Facebook page and YouTube channel of "Love Teeth HK" for more information on oral health.

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, delivering a speech at the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, participating in a fun game booth with members of the public. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Consultant in-charge of the Dental Services of the DH, Dr Kitty Hse, delivering a speech at the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (first row, fifth right); the Consultant in-charge of the Dental Services of the DH, Dr Kitty Hse (first row, fifth left); Assistant Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau Dr Kaye Wong (first row, fourth right), other guests, and representatives of non-governmental organisations who received certificates at the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (fifth left); the Consultant in-charge of the Dental Services of the DH, Dr Kitty Hse (fifth right); Assistant Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau Dr Kaye Wong (fourth left), and other officiating guests at the opening ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the President of Chinese Stomatological Association, Professor Guo Chuanbin, delivering a video speech. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Director-General of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Mr Liu Liqun, delivering a video speech. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In support of National Love Teeth Day 2026, the Department of Health today (October 11) organised the "Oral Health for Life" Festival at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill. Through interactive exhibition panels, fun game booths and performances, the event disseminated accurate oral health information to the public. Photo shows the Director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, Ms Liu Juncai, delivering a video speech. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled pharmaceutical products worth about $18 million

Hong Kong Customs today (October 13) detected a suspected smuggling case involving an outgoing lorry at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and seized about 320 000 numbers of suspected pharmaceutical products with an estimated market value of about $18 million.

Based on risk assessment, Customs officers intercepted an outgoing lorry declared to contain supplements, skincare products and clothes, etc. at the above-mentioned Port. Upon inspection, the batch of suspected pharmaceutical products was found inside the cargo compartment.

After an investigation, Customs arrested a 39-year-old Mainland male driver suspected to be connected with the case. He was charged with one count of attempting to export unmanifested cargo and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (October 14).

Customs will continue to combat cross boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Any person who exports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid export licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled pharmaceutical products worth about $18 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases