Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address the issue of dental services for children in the midlands.

The public dental service of the HSE provides dental services for children up to 16 years of age and persons of all ages with special needs through its dental clinics. All HSE dental clinics prioritise emergency care for children up to 16 years of age, treatment for special needs patients and screening of children aged from 11 to 13 years, including referral for orthodontic services where necessary. Eleven to 13 years of age is a key age for dental assessment, since the child's permanent adult teeth have erupted, allowing a preventive sealant to be placed if necessary, and it is the usual age to refer for orthodontic and other secondary care. Other services, including screening of children of six to eight years, are provided but may be deferred in clinics where there is pressure on resources.

Usually when a child has been screened they are provided with care for their permanent primary teeth. In some cases it may be necessary to place a child, who has been examined through the school screening service, on a treatment waiting list. Treatment for a child who receives emergency care is generally confined to the relief of pain and sepsis. The aim is to ensure that all children receive equal access to screening and care at key developmental stages. However, staff retirements and the moratorium on recruitment in the public services have had an impact on the services that are provided. The HSE has had to reduce its levels of service while maintaining a priority service to emergencies, persons of all ages with special needs, orthodontic assessments and children between the ages of 11 and 13 years old.

Children who attend school in the midlands area, that is, Laois, Offaly, Longford, and Westmeath, are contacted by the HSE dental service through their school and are offered screening. For reasons related principally to quality, efficiency and effectiveness such children are usually examined in a dental surgery environment rather than in the school. This has been the case for many years in respect of all children throughout the midlands.

In the past two years the public dental service in the midlands has lost three dental surgeons. The dental services to children have therefore been reduced. The service in the Midlands generally screens and treats sixth class children in the one academic year. In some instances screening for such children may run into the following academic year. Some clinics may also get to screen younger children from other classes. Approval has been granted to recruit an additional dental surgeon for the area, which will help with service provision.

A three year project to develop a new national oral health policy is currently under way. Since the introduction of the dental health action plan in 1994 there have been changes to the oral health of the population. While the oral health of the general population has improved, inequalities remain. The vulnerability of some groups, linked to low income and-or disabilities, is of particular concern. The new policy will aim to set out how services can be best integrated with general health services and aligned with the current and future needs of the population. In developing a new national oral health policy there will be an exploration of the ways that oral health services can be provided for both adults and children.

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