Health minister Lo Chung-mau on Sunday said authorities have not decided on the length of mandatory public service for dental graduates, and that they will consult the sector.

Lo told a TVB programme the government is proposing that the graduates serve as interns at a public organisation for a year before getting their licence. Their role in the public sector in the following two years, before they can move into private practice, will be up for discussion.

"We want to stress that if there is a service period, it may change depending on the manpower level," he said.

"A dentist will on average provide 35 years of service after graduation, and three years account for less than nine percent of their professional career," he said. "This is the starting point of discussion and we will listen to views of the sector."

Lo said the administration will also consult the sector on the timeframe for the policy's implementation.

He described the proposal as "justified", saying the administration has been using resources to train dentists but there is now a lack of government dental services catering to children and people with urgent dental problems, apart from civil servants.

The official added they had set up a task force late last year to review public dental services.