Vol. 479 No. 3
59 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a delay of one year for a person (details supplied) in County Offaly who is seeking dental care; the plans, if any, he has to prioritise the treatment of pensioners and medical card holders in view of the fact that in the United Kingdom, such persons have six-monthly dental check-ups under the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13056/97]
Limerick East): The dental services are being developed and improved in accordance with the dental health action plan. This action plan was developed in line with the national health strategy as set out in the document Shaping a Healthier Future.
The dental treatment services scheme is part of the dental health action plan and private dental practitioners, under contract to health boards, are significant providers of services under the scheme. Under the dental treatment services scheme which was introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994 dental treatment will be extended to all adults with medical card eligibility on a phased basis.
In the initial phase of the scheme, which commenced on 1 November 1994, emergency dental treatment was made available to all adults. Routine dental treatment and priority full denture treatment was made available to persons 65 years of age or older. Under the second phase of the scheme, which commenced on 1 June 1996, routine dental treatment was extended to persons in the 16 to 34 year age group and full denture treatment was extended to all edentulous persons. Routine treatment will be extended to persons in the 35 to 64 year age group at a later stage and will be considered in the context of the funds available to me for the development of dental services. All health boards also operate a priority waiting list for dental treatment for medically compromised persons who are given priority irrespective of age on production of a letter from their general medical practitioner.
The concept of a six monthly dental check up in dentistry is outmoded. This is especially true for a county like Ireland which has experienced a dramatic decline in the prevalence of dental disease. Unlike the United Kingdom we have over 70 per cent of the population covered by water fluoridation and this fact has a major bearing on recall intervals for patients in dental schemes operating in this country. Health boards will be evaluating the impact of the dental treatment services scheme on the oral health of medical card holders and any relevant findings will be incorporated into any review of the scheme. As the provisions of dental treatment to eligible persons in County Offally is the statutory responsibility of the Midland Health Board I have asked the chief executive officer of the Midland Health Board to investigate the position in relation to the individual referred to in the question and to reply to the Deputy directly as a matter of urgency.
