Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Apr 2003

Vol. 565 No. 4

Written Answers. - Orthodontic Service.

Dan Neville

Question:

127 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children whether severity category C of the 1985 guidelines on orthodontic malocclusions are eligible for treatment; and if such treatment is being completed in each health board area. [11157/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

As the Deputy is aware, the provision of orthodontic treatment is the responsibility of the health boards-authority in the first instance.

Entitlement to orthodontic treatment is determined by reference to orthodontic guidelines, a set of objective clinical criteria applied by health board orthodontists when assessing children's priority of need for treatment. The orthodontic guidelines were issued by my Department in 1985 and are still in use. The orthodontic guidelines are used to ensure that orthodontic resources are prioritised for and applied equitably to the most severe cases. Patients assessed as category A have severe malocclusions and should receive urgent orthodontic care; patients assessed as category B have less severe problems and are placed on orthodontic treatment waiting lists. The number of cases treated is dependent on the level of resources available, in terms of qualified staff, in the area and this is reflected in the treatment waiting list. In fact, the provision of orthodontic services is currently severely restricted due to the limited availability of trained specialist clinical staff to assess and treat patients. Consequently, a category C waiting list may not be maintained in some health boards.

I have taken a number of measures to address this shortage. The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. This year, my Department and the health boards are funding 13 dentists from various health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and at two separate universities in the United Kingdom. These 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training last year and one dentist whose specialist training is nearing completion. Thus, there is an aggregate of 20 public service dentists currently in training for specialist in orthodontics qualifications. These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced into the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area.