Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on an orthodontic waiting list by geographical area. [44371/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. It should be noted that the nature of orthodontic care means that immediate treatment is not always desirable. It is estimated that in up to 5% of cases it is necessary to wait for further growth to take place before treatment commences. Patients are assessed by the HSE Orthodontic Service under the modified Index of Treatment Need. Patients with the greatest level of need are provided with treatment by the HSE. The most recent information available is for Q3 of 2015.