8 Things to Do Before Seeing a Dentist in Shenzhen

Seeing a dentist in Shenzhen is not a problem in itself. Most trouble comes from poor preparation: an unlicensed provider, no written quote, or getting home without your records. Do these eight things before you go and you avoid most of it.

1. Check the provider and the dentist are licensed

Mainland medical institutions must hold a Medical Institution Practising Licence, and doctors need a practising certificate. The National Health Commission's online service platform (Chinese) has a practising-doctor lookup and a public search of health licences, so you can check names yourself. Don't rely on adverts or agents.

Hong Kong-registered dentists can also practise at mainland institutions on short-term registration of up to three years at a time, renewed on expiry. If you want a Hong Kong dentist in Shenzhen, ask about their mainland registration.

2. Bring the right documents

Most providers ask for your original Home Return Permit to register. Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital, for example, accepts either the Home Return Permit or a Hong Kong ID card, but requirements differ, so ask when you book.

3. Booking and language

Many Shenzhen hospitals take bookings by WeChat or phone, and some have Cantonese-speaking staff. When booking, ask whether the first visit is an examination only, whether X-rays are needed, how long it takes and whether treatment can start the same day.

4. Sort out payment

Many Shenzhen hospitals accept WeChat Pay HK, Alipay HK, RMB cash and credit cards (HKU-Shenzhen Hospital and Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital among them), but not all. Larger treatments such as implants or braces may be paid in instalments or need a deposit, so ask about refunds.

5. Take your old records

Old X-rays, past treatment records and a list of your medicines all help a new dentist. The government's eHealth "cross-boundary health records" function is now open to all eHealth users and can share the last three years of your records with 20 designated mainland institutions. Check whether your chosen provider is on the list.

6. Get a written quote and treatment plan

The quote should state the diagnosis, the proposed treatment, the unit for each charge, what is and isn't included, how many visits and what happens at each. For implants, it should name the implant brand and model; for braces, whether retainers are included. See how to read a dental quote.

Be wary of adverts promising "implant in the morning, eat an apple in the afternoon". The Hong Kong Dental Association singled out this kind of advertising, reminding the public that implants need assessment case by case.

7. Be careful with "consultation points" and agents in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, only registered dentists may examine patients' mouths. Health and police officers have been acting against mainland dental chains running "consultation points" in Hong Kong that carry out intra-oral camera checks. Sing Tao reported 13 joint operations and 7 people prosecuted since early 2025; 20 prosecutions and 19 convictions from 2021 to 2025; and about 100,000 adverts reviewed and more than 1,100 warning letters sent by the Department of Health. Illegal practice carries up to 7 years' imprisonment.

The Consumer Council has also recorded a case where a customer was repeatedly persuaded by a Hong Kong business to have a tooth-reduction procedure at its partner clinic in Shenzhen. After problems with the aligners, about HK$8,000 was refunded through mediation.

8. Collect your records before you leave

Before treatment ends, ask for your medical record, X-rays (ideally digital), receipts, the implant card (brand, model, batch number) and your review plan. Under the mainland Regulation on the Prevention and Handling of Medical Disputes, patients have the right to inspect and copy their medical records, for which the provider may charge a copying fee. With these in hand, follow-up is much easier, whether you go back to the same hospital or see someone in Hong Kong. If something goes wrong, see what to do if dental treatment in Shenzhen goes wrong.

Checklist before you go

Item	Done?
Checked the provider's and dentist's licences	☐
Original Home Return Permit (or accepted ID)	☐
Booking confirmed; know what the first visit covers	☐
Payment method (WeChat Pay HK / Alipay HK / RMB / card)	☐
Old X-rays and medicine list; eHealth cross-boundary records	☐
Written quote and treatment plan	☐
Know which records to collect before leaving	☐

To compare prices, see Hong Kong dental fees at a glance (it has a Shenzhen column). If you are 65 or over, see using vouchers in Shenzhen.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Home Return Permit to see a dentist in Shenzhen?

Usually yes. Some providers also accept a Hong Kong ID card; check in advance.

How do I check whether a Shenzhen dentist is licensed?

Use the practising-doctor lookup on the National Health Commission's service platform for the dentist, and the public health-licence search for the institution.

Can a dental "consultation point" in Hong Kong examine my teeth?

No. In Hong Kong, oral examinations must be carried out by a registered dentist. Examinations by unregistered people may be illegal practice, and the Department of Health and police have taken action several times.

Can I send my eHealth records to a Shenzhen hospital?

Yes, through the cross-boundary health records function, which shares the last three years of records with 20 designated mainland institutions, as long as your provider is one of them.

Sources

• National Health Commission service platform: lookups (Chinese)
• Rules on short-term practice by Hong Kong and Macau doctors on the mainland (reposted 2010-12-16, Chinese)
• Shenzhen Economic Daily: Hong Kong patients at Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital (2024-04-12, Chinese)
• Bowtie: booking and paying at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital (2026-04-10, Chinese)
• Government press release: eHealth cross-boundary health records (2025-12-24)
• RTHK: Dental Association survey (2026-07-22, Chinese)
• Sing Tao: action against illegal dental "consultation points" (2026-07-22, Chinese)
• Consumer Council CHOICE #572: dental complaint cases (2024-06, Chinese)
• Regulation on the Prevention and Handling of Medical Disputes (State Council Order No. 701) (Chinese)

※ 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.