Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

I second the motion. The analysis from the Irish Dental Association shows that we need an extra 500 dentists across the private and public sector immediately. The number of dentists with a dental treatment services scheme, DTSS, contract is down 642 nationally in 12 years. A total of 7,711 children were seen by dentists in the school dental screening service in Meath in quarter 4 of 2017, compared with just more than 1,000 in quarter 4 of 2023. Those are baffling figures. In the public dental service, the lack of dentists has led to a situation where less than half of the children who should be seen under the dental school programme have been seen. Some children in parts of the country are facing a ten-year backlog.

To take my children as an example, they are aged nine and a half and ten and a half and have never seen a dentist through the school programme. I am in the lucky position that I was able to bring them to a private dentist. I welcome the proposal on taxpayers being able to claim tax relief on specialist dental treatment. In the past year and a half, we have now discovered that both my children have molar and incisor hypomineralisation, MIH. This is a developmental enamel defect affecting the first permeant molars and incisors. It is characterised by enamel that is softer than normal, leading to discoloration. A lot of people would see that there are these white dots on their children's teeth. It leads to the potential for chipping and decay. Early detection and management of MIH are crucial to prevent tooth damage and reduce the need for extensive restorative work. Now that my children have this condition, when speaking to parents, I cannot believe the number of children who also have it.

I was lucky I could bring my kids to a dentist. I started going when they were three and as I said, this condition was picked one year and a half ago. My children have had fissure seals and crowns and they both have had four teeth removed in hospital in their younger years. While the cause of this condition is not entirely known, it can be from genetics, low birth rate, C-section babies or babies who took a lot of antibiotics in their first two years. I dread to think how many children are suffering with this condition and they do not know because they cannot get to a dentist or the public dentist has not visited the school. I am sure there are many kids with this condition who are not seen until sixth class, which in many situations is too late for their teeth.

Our dental schools do not have the basic capacity to educate and train enough dental partitioners to meet population needs. Only half of the 90 students who graduate each year stay, as most of them are international students who go home. We need more investment in our colleges and specific training in other aspects of dentistry. We need to change the work permit rules for dentists and dental nurses. If we do not do this, I dread to think what will happen to our children's teeth in the future. I ask the Minister of State to take particular note of that condition I mentioned. It is molar and incisor hypomineralisation, shortened to MIH. It has really only been discovered in the past 20 years in Ireland and it is really impacting children's teeth. We need to look at it.