The Consumer Council urges the public to thoroughly check the details of services and exercise judgment before choosing to receive dental services on the mainland, as they found over 50 complaints this year.
With an aging population, there is immense local demand for dental services, and while a wide range of treatments are available, some are very expensive, and some consumers may choose to pay more modest fees by going north across the boundary for dental visits.
According to the Consumer Council’s statistics, there were a total of 51 complaints regarding dental services in the first five months of the year, a 15 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
The consumer watchdog stated that out of the received complaints, 23 percent were related to orthodontic services, while the remaining were related to cleaning and denture services.
They added that they have not received any complaints from people who obtain dental services on the mainland.
The watchdog pointed out that in one complaint, there was a patient who had his locally purchased dental program, which cost HK$23,000, arranged to go to the mainland after it was found that there was no teeth reshaping slot available locally.
He was talked out of applying for a refund and instead took the procedure, which was later found to not fit snugly.
In the end, the consumer council had to intervene for the refund and the termination of the treatment.
The Consumer Council pointed out that if consumers choose to receive dental services in the mainland, they need to pay attention to the fact that the regulatory system in the mainland is different from that in Hong Kong, and they are supervised by the National Health Commission.
In the event of an accident or dispute, consumers were urged to lodge a written complaint with the authorities and submit a medical report.
Hong Kong United Times丨香港聯合時報丨HKUT 