The provision of orthodontic services is a matter for the health authorities in the first instance. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a number of measures have been adopted to improve orthodontic services on a national basis. The grade of specialist in orthodontics has been created in the health board orthodontic service. In 2003, my Department and the health boards funded 13 dentists from various health boards for specialist in orthodontics qualifications at training programmes in Ireland and three separate universities in the United Kingdom. The 13 trainees for the public orthodontic service are additional to the six dentists who commenced their training in 2001. There is an aggregate of 19 dentists in specialist training for orthodontics. These measures will complement the other structural changes being introduced in the orthodontic service, including the creation of an auxiliary grade of orthodontic therapist to work in the orthodontic area.
The commitment of the Department to training development is manifested in the funding provided to both the training of specialist clinical staff and the recruitment of a professor in orthodontics for the Cork Dental School. This appointment will facilitate the development of an approved training programme leading to a specialist qualification in orthodontics. My Department has also given approval in principle to a proposal to substantially improve training facilities for orthodontics at the school, which will ultimately support an enhanced teaching and treatment service to the wider region under the leadership of the professor of orthodontics.
The chief executive officers of the health authorities have informed my Department of the following information on their orthodontic treatment waiting lists as at the end of June 2004:
Treatment Waiting List.
Health Board
|
Category A
|
Average waiting time (months)
|
Category B
|
Average waiting time (months)
|
SWAHB
|
784
|
< 10
|
517
|
< 12
|
ECAHB
|
37
|
< 6
|
183
|
< 18
|
NAHB
|
125
|
< 12
|
2,249
|
< 24
|
MHB
|
Nil
|
No Waiting Time
|
187
|
12
|
MWHB
|
Nil
|
No Waiting Time
|
519
|
24-36
|
NEHB
|
6
|
1.5-2
|
286
|
12-18
|
NWHB
|
223
|
14
|
1,081
|
32.6
|
SEHB
|
Nil
|
No Waiting Time
|
667
|
20
|
SHB
|
Nil
|
No Waiting Time
|
3,172
|
42-48
|
WHB
|
Nil
|
No Waiting Time
|
866
|
38
|
The chief executive officers of the health authorities have also informed my Department of the following number of patients in treatment in the past four years:
Date
|
Numbers in Treatment
|
30/6/04
|
20,236
|
31/12/03
|
21,083
|
31/12/02
|
20,151
|
31/12/01
|
17,295
|
Children receive between 18 to 24 appointments in the course of their treatment in the health board orthodontic service over a period of approximately two years. The above table shows that at the end of the June 2004 quarter, 20,236 children were undergoing orthodontic treatment in the public orthodontic service. This represents a 42% increase on the numbers in treatment in May 1999 and means that currently there are almost twice as many children undergoing orthodontic treatment as there are children awaiting treatment.