AbstractBased on a literature review and recent surveys, the needs and implementation of preventive dentistry in China have been estimated. The average DMFT of 12‐ and 15‐yr‐old schoolchildren in Beijing were 1.61 and 2.11 respectively. The caries prevalence was higher in the coastal cities in the south. The caries rate was also higher in urban areas than in rural areas. There were some controversies in the results of fluoridation studies with one study reporting as high as 47.2% of the children to be afflicted with enamel fluorosis. The community periodontal disease status and treatment needs index (CPTNI) showed that 93% of the 12‐yr‐olds had bleeding, 98% had calculus and 15% had shallow pockets, with 100% of the children needing prophylaxis. There was a high prevalence of dental malocclusion with 54% of schoolchildren with dental anomalies, of whom 36% needed treatment. Much emphasis had been placed on oral pathology, oral medicine and maxillofacial surgery in the curriculum of Stomatology in Chinese denta