Urgent reform of dental care needed says Kerrane
More than 1,648 people in Roscommon/Galway/Mayo, mainly children, are on the HSE’s waiting list for dental and orthodontic treatment, including braces and dental surgery, according to Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane.
More than 1,648 people in Roscommon/Galway/Mayo, mainly children, are on the HSE’s waiting list for dental and orthodontic treatment, including braces and dental surgery, according to Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane. More than 980 people have been waiting over a year.
Across the country 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.
“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 Roscommon and Galway are being failed by the Government’s out-dated approach to dental care,” claimed Deputy Kerrane.
“Our children need better dental services. It is unacceptable that more than 1,600 children are waiting years for braces in our HSE region, and a staggering 11,000 throughout the state.
“Just half of children get their dental screening appointments in primary school. Poor dental and orthodontic care have lifelong consequences,” she stressed.
“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. Ireland has less dentists per head of population than any EU peer nation, at nearly half the EU average.
“We are 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,” stressed the Sinn Féin TD.
“Dental care is essential healthcare. Children should not be waiting years for braces and families should not be forced to pay privately for the Government’s failures. The Government must act now to build a modern, public, accessible dental service.”
