asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of each of the years 1957, 1958 and 1959 (1) the number of children in the groups eligible for free examination and treatment under the dental services, (2) the number examined and treated, (3) the number examined and treated expressed as a percentage of those eligible, and (4) the total number of dentists available to the schools dental services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Eligibility of Children for Free Dental Treatment.
12.
With the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate in the Official Report a tabular statement setting out the greater part of the information sought by the Deputy for the years 1957 and 1958. When the corresponding statistics for the year 1959 are available I shall transmit the relevant figures direct to the Deputy.
Children attending national schools in whom dental defects are discovered at school health inspection constitute the great majority of children eligible for free examination and treatment under the local authority dental services. Children attending child welfare clinics in whom similar defects are discovered as well as children in the lower income group are also eligible for free dental services. Separate statistics are not, however, available for these latter groups.
The following is the tabular statement:—
SCHOOL Children provided with Dental Services.
|
1957 |
1958 |
|
|
(1) Eligible for dental services |
501,518 |
502,457 |
|
(2) Examined |
133,628 |
151,300 |
|
Treated |
88,809 |
113,363 |
|
(3) (2) as percentage of (1) |
||
|
examined |
18% |
23% |
|
treated |
18% |
23% |
|
(4) Whole-time dentists |
73 |
74 |
|
Part-time ,, |
63 |
48 |
NOTES.
(1) This service is a continuing one while a child remains at school. Consequently, a child who is not examined or treated in a particular year may have been examined or treated in the preceding year and may be again examined and, if necessary, treated in a succeeding year. The figures in the table should be read in the light of this.
(2) Treatment figures include some children referred from child welfare clinics. There are approximately 60,000 children attending such clinics but the bulk of these are infants who would not normally be referred for dental services.
(3) Most of the whole-time dentists provide services for the lower income group in addition.