Hospital Dentistry in Hong Kong (2026): Private Hospital Dental Fees, Public Hospital Referrals and Prince Philip

Hospital dentistry in Hong Kong comes in two forms: private hospital dental centres take direct bookings and charge by their own fee schedules, while public hospital oral and maxillofacial surgery and dental units mainly treat in-patients, patients with special oral care needs and dental emergencies, by referral.

People who search for "private hospital dental fees" or "dental hospital" usually want three answers: how a hospital dental service differs from an ordinary dental clinic, where to find the prices, and whether a public hospital will see them for routine dental care. This guide pulls together what the Government, the Hospital Authority and the hospitals themselves publish. We do not score or rank any hospital or clinic. For a wider look at lower-cost options, see our guide to affordable dental care in Hong Kong.

What kinds of hospital dental services are there?

Type	Main patients	How to be seen	What you pay (official figures)	Source
Hospital Authority oral & maxillofacial surgery and dental units (Queen Mary, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Tuen Mun, Prince of Wales, North District)	Hospital in-patients, patients with special oral healthcare needs, dental emergencies	Referral	HA charges; from 1 January 2026, eligible persons pay HK$250 per specialist outpatient attendance plus HK$20 per drug item (up to 4 weeks)	[1][4]
HA specialist outpatient oral & maxillofacial surgery (United Christian Hospital, Caritas Medical Centre)	Oral and maxillofacial surgery cases	Referral; Monday to Friday	As above	[3]
Prince Philip Dental Hospital, private patients	Patients referred by an outside doctor or dentist	Referral letter plus identity document	HK$1,000 deposit at registration; ask the treating dentist about treatment fees	[5]
Private hospital dental centres	Anyone	Phone or online booking	Each hospital's fee schedule; at least one hospital states that drugs, laboratory fees and extra materials are charged separately and surgery is quoted separately	[7]
HA Accident & Emergency	Emergencies, e.g. facial swelling affecting breathing or swallowing	Walk in	Eligible persons HK$400; critical and emergency patients free	[4]

We do not repeat the typical private clinic and private hospital price ranges here; each cell, with its source and check date, is on our Hong Kong dental fees page. For scaling and gum treatment, see the scaling and periodontal treatment cost benchmark.

Do public hospitals offer dental care?

Yes, but not as a place to queue for a routine clean or filling. The Department of Health's former Hospital Dental Service was integrated into the Hospital Authority's oral and maxillofacial surgery service on 6 February 2026, and the HA took the service over [2]. According to the Government, the clinics in those seven hospitals provide specialist oral maxillofacial surgery and dental treatment for hospital in-patients, patients with special oral healthcare needs, and dental emergencies [1].

The HA's specialist outpatient listing also shows that the relevant clinics at United Christian Hospital and Caritas Medical Centre provide oral and maxillofacial surgery services, open Monday to Friday and close on Sundays and public holidays [3]. So when people look up "Kwong Wah Hospital dental" or "United Christian Hospital dental fees", the usual answer is that public hospital dentistry needs a referral and deals with oral surgery, in-patients and special-needs cases rather than everyday check-ups and fillings.

How does referral work?

1. See a family doctor, a general outpatient clinic doctor or a dentist and explain the problem.
2. If they think specialist care is needed, they write a referral letter.
3. Book as the hospital instructs. The Government has said new cases need a referral letter to book, and consultation fees follow the HA's arrangements [1].

If you have toothache and want a public option, our toothache triage guide explains the difference between the Department of Health's dental walk-in sessions and A&E.

Is "the dental hospital" Prince Philip Dental Hospital?

Prince Philip Dental Hospital is a teaching hospital that trains dentists and dental auxiliaries. Its notice to private fee-paying patients says it accepts as private patients those referred by outside units, typically registered medical practitioners or dentists. At registration you sign a declaration, show the original identity document and the referral letter, and pay a HK$1,000 deposit; for treatment fees you are asked to check with the treating dentist [5]. The notice also says the hospital does not provide public dental services. In short, you cannot simply turn up and queue without a referral.

Private hospital dental centres: how to check the fees

Many private hospitals run a dental centre or department offering general and specialist dentistry without a referral. Below is what some hospitals publish on their own websites (facts only; the order is not a ranking):

• Union Hospital: lists general and paediatric dentistry plus oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics and prosthodontics, with online booking [6]. Its dental charges page covers consultation, scaling, X-rays, fillings, extractions, root canal treatment, crowns, dentures, implants and orthodontic assessment, and notes that drugs, laboratory fees and extra materials are charged separately and surgery is quoted separately [7].
• Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital: its dentistry page has a fees section with a dental centre price list in PDF [8].
• St. Paul's Hospital: its dental centre charges page is split into adults (18 and over) and children (under 18) [9].
• Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan: its dental services page lists orthodontics, restorative care, periodontics, paediatric dentistry, root canal treatment, prosthodontics and implants, and oral and maxillofacial surgery, with a link to service and package charges and phone or WhatsApp booking [10].

Why do some hospitals publish price lists? Since 2016 a government pilot programme on private hospital price transparency has asked hospitals to publish fee schedules for major chargeable items, give budget estimates for 30 common treatments or procedures, and publish historical billing statistics for those 30 procedures [11]. These measures focus on hospital treatments and operations; how much each hospital publishes about outpatient dentistry varies, so it is safest to go through the fee schedule item by item and ask.

Five questions to ask about price

1. Does the listed price include the consultation, X-rays and drugs?
2. Which items are "quoted separately"? Can I have a written quote first?
3. Do specialist and general dentists charge differently, and which will treat me?
4. How are night-time or public holiday emergency visits charged?
5. If I plan to claim on insurance, will the hospital help check my cover first?

For example, Union Hospital's website states that the consultation fee for its out-of-hours emergency service starts from HK$7,000, excluding drugs, imaging and treatment [6]. It is worth knowing that figure before heading to a private hospital in the middle of the night. For reading quotes, see how to read a dental quote; for insurance, see dental insurance vs VHIS.

Is private hospital dentistry a good choice? It depends on your situation

There is no official rating. The table below simply matches common situations with the routes the public information points to:

Your situation	Worth considering	Watch out for
Routine check-up, scaling or filling on a budget	Compare the fees page and affordable options first	Public hospital dental units are not a routine scaling or filling service
You want a provider with a published fee schedule	A private hospital dental centre (read the schedule first)	Drugs, lab work and surgery may not be included
You have a dental problem while in hospital, or special oral care needs	Ask your doctor to refer you to an HA oral & maxillofacial surgery and dental unit	Referral needed; HA charges apply
Your dentist suggests more complex oral surgery	Ask whether a referral to an oral and maxillofacial surgery specialist is needed	Check qualifications on the Dental Council's Specialist Register
Toothache at night, no facial swelling, breathing normally	Read the toothache triage guide	Private hospital night emergency fees can be high

How to check a dentist's registration

Whether a dentist works in a hospital or a clinic, you can check the General Register and the Specialist Register on the Dental Council of Hong Kong website. The Specialist Register covers eight specialties: Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontology, Endodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Family Dentistry and Community Dentistry [12]. Step-by-step instructions are in how to verify a dentist in Hong Kong.

How to complain

• Fees or service arrangements: raise it first with the hospital's patient services or customer relations team, and keep receipts and quotes.
• A registered dentist's professional conduct: you can complain to the Dental Council of Hong Kong, which publishes a pamphlet explaining how [13].

When to see a dentist urgently or go to A&E

The NHS advises going to A&E straight away if you have a dental abscess and [14]:

• you find it hard to breathe, speak or swallow
• you have a swollen or painful eye, or sudden problems with your eyesight
• you have a lot of swelling in your mouth
• you find it hard to open your mouth

In Hong Kong, eligible persons pay HK$400 at HA emergency departments, and critical and emergency patients are not charged [4]. If you think you have an abscess but none of these signs, book a dentist as soon as you can.

FAQ

Is a private hospital dental centre always more expensive than a clinic?

There is no official figure that says so. Fees vary between hospitals and clinics, and a hospital fee schedule may not include drugs or surgery. Use the typical ranges on our fees page and compare them line by line with the hospital's schedule.

Can I get scaling or fillings at a public hospital?

HA oral and maxillofacial surgery and dental units mainly serve in-patients, patients with special oral healthcare needs and dental emergencies, by referral [1]. Routine scaling and fillings are provided by private dentists, NGOs or subsidy schemes; see dental subsidies in Hong Kong.

How much is a public specialist outpatient visit in 2026?

From 1 January 2026, eligible persons pay HK$250 per specialist outpatient attendance, first or follow-up, plus HK$20 per drug item for up to 4 weeks [4].

Can I go to Prince Philip Dental Hospital without a referral?

Private patients must be referred by an outside unit, bring the referral letter and an identity document, and pay a HK$1,000 deposit at registration [5].

How much does a private hospital charge for toothache at night?

It depends on the hospital. At Union Hospital, for example, the out-of-hours emergency consultation fee starts from HK$7,000, excluding drugs, imaging and treatment [6]. If it is not an emergency, start with our toothache triage guide.

Related guides

• Affordable dental care in Hong Kong (2026)
• Yan Chai Hospital Dental Clinics: 2026 Fees, Waiting Times, Booking and Subsidies
• How to verify a dentist in Hong Kong
• Dental services by district (public and NGO)

This guide summarises information published by the Government, the Hospital Authority and the hospitals named. It is not a recommendation or ranking. Information checked on 2026-10-06; please confirm with the provider before booking.

Sources

1. Government press release: Integration of Hospital Dental Service of Department of Health into Hospital Authority (2025-12-15)
2. Department of Health: Dental Service, main service areas (checked 2026-10-06)
3. Hospital Authority: specialist outpatient services (oral and maxillofacial surgery) (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
4. HK01: Public hospital fees from 1 January 2026, old vs new (Chinese, 2025-03-25)
5. Prince Philip Dental Hospital: Notice to private fee-paying patients (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
6. Union Hospital: Dentistry (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
7. Union Hospital: Dental charges (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
8. Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital: Dentistry fees (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
9. St. Paul's Hospital: Dental centre charges (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
10. Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan: Dental services (Chinese, checked 2026-10-06)
11. Government press release: Health Bureau responds to Consumer Council's recommendations on price transparency in healthcare (2025-03-06)
12. Dental Council of Hong Kong: General and Specialist Registers (checked 2026-10-06)
13. Dental Council of Hong Kong: Complaints (checked 2026-10-06)
14. NHS: Dental abscess (checked 2026-10-06)

This article is general health information and does not replace advice from your own dentist.

※ The above are reference ranges compiled from public market data. Actual fees vary by clinic tier, dentist seniority, and case complexity, and do not represent any specific clinic's quote.