School children in Co Kildare are missing out on vital dentist visits due to HSE staff shortages, according to a shocking new report.
HSE dental surgeons have warned that staff shortages, clinic closures and a lack of policy and direction are putting an intolerable burden on the Public Dental Service and undermining its ability to provide an effective service.
Speaking at the HSE dentists annual seminar in Athlone, Chief Executive of the Irish Dental Association, Fintan Hourihan said: “The situation in Laois/Offaly is simply shocking. Last year in Laois dentists carried out 1,200 extractions and 1,800 fillings. In Offaly it was 915 extractions and 1,100 fillings. We believe this is a direct result of the collapse of the school screenings in these areas as children in these counties are not being seen until they are in first year in secondary school. In Laois the number of under16s has increased by 40% since 2002 but the number of dentists has fallen by 42% since 2008."
According to Mr Hourihan, almost almost 16,000 primary school children missed their school screening last year, in counties Cavan/Monaghan, Wicklow, Kildare, Offaly, Laois, Dun Laoghaire and South and West Dublin, with partial screening service on offer in most other counties.
Mr Hourihan said: "The average age for children to undergo extractions under general anaesthetic is six, while some children as young as two require this treatment. Some children are having more than nine teeth extracted. We pointed out last year that 10,000 children were undergoing extractions under GA. The HSE showed how out of touch they are with the situation by saying the figure was as low as 3,000 but a HSE report published a short time later affirmed the IDA figure. There is no way this level of extractions should be happening in a first world country.”
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