Part I Written Test - applied basic and clinical dental science
Part I of the Dental Council of Hong Kong Licensing Examination is the written, multiple-choice gate. It tests whether an overseas-qualified dentist can apply basic and clinical science at the level expected of a Hong Kong graduate, and it is delivered in English. It functions as the filter for the whole examination: you must clear it before you can present for the later parts.
What the papers cover
- Basic science: oral anatomy and histology, dental materials, microbiology and immunology, pharmacology, general and oral pathology, physiology.
- Clinical disciplines: restorative/operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontology, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine and oral pathology, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, dental radiology, dental public health.
- Ethics and law: the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Cap. 156), consent, record keeping, and professional obligations.
How the items are written
- Vignette first: a short patient scenario, then a question on the most likely diagnosis, the next best step, the mechanism, or the most appropriate material or drug.
- The operative phrase is most appropriate/best. Several options may be defensible in general practice; one is best for this patient.
- Distractors are built from common misconceptions - stopping anticoagulants reflexively, prescribing antibiotics for every swelling, choosing the newest material regardless of indication.
Worked example
Stem: a 45-year-old on warfarin for atrial fibrillation, INR last measured at 3.1, needs extraction of a mobile premolar. What is the most appropriate next step? Reasoning: (1) name the competing risks - bleeding versus thromboembolism; (2) recall that a simple extraction can proceed without interrupting warfarin when the INR sits within the therapeutic range, provided local haemostasis is used (atraumatic technique, sutures, haemostatic agent, tranexamic acid mouthwash); (3) therefore the best answer is to recheck the INR on the day and proceed with local measures. "Stop warfarin five days before" is the classic distractor because it swaps a small bleeding risk for a serious embolic one.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing a statement that is true but not the best answer for the scenario.
- Missing qualifiers: initial, most likely, contraindicated, except.
- Importing findings that are not in the stem.
- Leaving blanks - unless the rubric states otherwise, a blank scores zero.
- Pacing: roughly one minute per item; flag and return rather than sinking time into one stem.