Calls for major reform of dental care as 'Government failing children in Kildare'
Sinn Féin to bring forward Dáil motion seeking major reform of dental care
Sinn Féin TD for North Kildare, Réada Cronin, has said Sinn Féin will this week bring forward a Dáil motion seeking major reform of dental care.
Sinn Féin’s proposals aim to cut years-long waiting lists for children, develop public dental services and reduce health costs for households.
This comes as more than 2,181 people in the Midlands region, mainly children, are on the HSE’s waiting list for dental and orthodontic treatment, including braces and dental surgery.
More than 1,247 have been waiting over a year.
Across the State, over 11,000 people, mainly children, are on waiting lists, with 8,000 waiting over a year.
40% of children waiting for braces are waiting more than two years.
Deputy Cronin said: “Sinn Féin is calling for major reform of dental care in this state to improve access to a dentist when you need one and cut health costs for households.
“Government policy has failed to prioritise the development of public dental services or provide timely dental care for children. That must change. Children, adults and families across Kildare are being failed by the Government’s out-dated approach to dental care.
“Our children need better dental services. It is unacceptable that more than 2,000 children are waiting years for braces in the Midlands region and a staggering 11,000 throughout the state.”
According to Deputy Cronin, just half of children get their dental screening appointments in primary school.
Just one-third of dentists are providing care on the public dental treatment services scheme, and fewer than 1-in-10 dentists work for the HSE, she said.
Ireland has less dentists per head of population than any EU peer nation, at nearly half the EU average.
Deputy Cronin added: “Our motion this week sets out the necessary steps that must be taken to reduce years-long waiting lists for children who need preventive and corrective care; deliver good public dental services, including a public-only dentist contract; and ensure children get dental screening when they are in primary school.
“We are also calling for the public access Dental Treatment Services Scheme to be modernised and integrated with the GP Visit Card. Dental and oral health should be accessible to all on the basis of need, not ability to pay.
“The Government must engage with dentists to deliver fit-for-purpose, modern dental and orthodontic care model. The DTSS scheme is out-dated and limited only to medical card holders. To tackle rising costs for households, it must be extended to the GP Visit Card, which should be reformed to provide free primary care in line with the vision of Sláintecare.”
Deputy Cronin pointed out that there are “too few” dentists practicing in Ireland, at approximately 2,500 in the State, the lowest rate per population in the EU.