Vol. 412 No. 2
104 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health if, arising out of his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 171 on 30 October 1991, he will outline the number of children on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment and on the composite waiting list referred to; and if he will further outline the centres where the treatment is carried out.
I understand from the Eastern Health Board that there are 9,000 names on the orthodontic waiting list for treatment by a consultant orthodontist or by a dentist with a specialist qualification in orthodontics.
Children on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment are categorised according to the severity of their condition. I would like to point out that in category 1, which is the category of greatest severity, the waiting list is as low as 17 and these children will receive treatment as a matter of priority. At present approximately 3,600 children are at varying stages of orthodontic treatment.
The board have orthodontic clinics in North Strand, Crumlin, Greystones, Leixlip and Kildare.
Minor orthodontic treatment is also carried out by the board's dentists at the dental clinics.
Under the tuition of consultant staff from the Dublin Dental Hospital seven of the board's dental surgeons have been trained in orthodontics. It is proposed that, as soon as possible, the newly appointed consultant in the Eastern Health Board will commence orthodontic training of dental surgeons from the health board's staff. The further development of this training programme will enable the less severe orthodontic cases to be treated by a specially trained dentist and the board will therefore be able to deal more expeditiously with cases requiring treatment and to make further considerable reductions in waiting lists.
These developments indicate that considerable progress has been made recently by the Eastern Health Board in the provision of orthodontic services. The recent appointment of a consultant orthodontist to the board marks a significant development in the services.
