North Point dental worker admits unregistered practice charge
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A 72-year-old employee at the North Point outlet of “Wuyuan Dental” pleaded guilty on September 29 at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts to practising as a dentist without being registered in Hong Kong. Sentencing was adjourned to October 21 for a social service order report, and he was granted bail in the meantime.
Key Points
- The defendant, Chu Yin (朱賢), 72, was charged over conduct on July 7 at Shop 3, G/F, Kam Shan Court, King's Road, North Point, where “Wuyuan Dental” operated.
- According to the case, the Hong Kong Dental Association hired two mystery customers, and the defendant said treatment would be done in Shenzhen while the shop would provide consultations.
- He then used equipment to scan the customers’ mouths, projected the images on a screen, photographed them on a phone, and said they would be sent to the mainland for analysis.
- The defendant also suggested X-rays and a teeth-whitening procedure; police later searched the premises, arrested him, and said he admitted using the equipment despite not being a registered dentist.
- The Dental Council of Hong Kong confirmed he was not a registered dentist, and the court heard that using an intra-oral scanner to obtain another person’s digital images amounts to dental practice.
Why It Matters
The case sets out how consultation-style services at a Hong Kong storefront can still cross the legal line into dental practice even if treatment is said to take place in Shenzhen. The court’s request for a social service order report means sentencing remains open, while the statutory maximum penalty cited in court reaches five years’ imprisonment, or seven years if bodily harm is caused.