A government-subsidised dental programme will kick off on May 26, providing around 40,000 bookings a year – more than double the current government service quota available through general public sessions.

The underprivileged who are receiving government aid such as the Old Age Living Allowance, or those who have their public hospital fees exempt, will be eligible for the Community Dental Support Programme.

They can have their teeth filled or removed for HK$50 a tooth at 80 clinics, with a full waiver possible for some people.

Doctors would treat a maximum three teeth each time, and people can apply for the service once every 180 days.

Recipients must hold a Hong Kong ID card and register for the government's eHealth system.

A Department of Health consultant surgeon, Sharon Lee, was asked if the charge would deter patients, given that dental services at government clinics are free of charge.

"The administration charge of HK$50 is a fee, but compared to the treatment they receive, I think it's not a lot really," she said.

"We also have a safety net that [some] can have a total waiver of their fees."

From the start of next month, the government will also raise the service quota by around 30 percent at nine of its dental clinics for the general public to up to 26,000.

Health officials noted that since an online booking system for public dental services was introduced, the clinics have been fully booked.

They hope the new programme – which is available through the help of dozens of non-governmental organisations – will mean that those who miss out on the general public quota would still have their tooth fixed or removed relatively cheaply.