asked the Minister for Health the total number of dentists required to ensure that the teeth of primary school children would be examined once each year, and the total number of primary schools in which dental examination and treatment were completed during the year 1955 to date.
Written Answers. - Schools Dental Examinations.
80.
The answer to the first part of the question depends on the type of dental examination envisaged. If the examination were to be confined to "screening", to pick out the children who should be referred to dental clinics for full dental examination and treatment, the number of dentists required would be about twenty. To examine every pupil once a year for the purpose of recording the state of dental health of each would, it is estimated, occupy the full time of about 50 dentists.
With regard to the second part of the Deputy's question, in many areas the initial examination of children's teeth under the School Health Service is carried out by the medical staff during the course of their medical examination of children in schools. The children found to have defective teeth, the great majority unfortunately, are then referred for dental treatment. It is not the practice in all areas to carry out dental treatment on school premises; in most areas the children are treated at dental clinics. Consequently, this part of the Deputy's question cannot be answered on the lines requested.
The following table shows, in respect of each of the years for which figures are available in my Department, i.e. 1956 to 1961, the numbers of school children examined for dental defects and the numbers treated:—
|
Year ended 31st December |
Number of National School Children Examined for Dental Defects |
Number of school children provided with dental treatment* |
|
1956 |
140,015 |
87,460 |
|
1957 |
133,628 |
88,809 |
|
1958 |
151,200 |
113,263 |
|
1959 |
174,850 |
124,355 |
|
1960 |
179,930 |
116,280 |
|
1961 |
178,833 |
110,372 |
*Many children recommended for treatment, after dental examination, do not avail themselves of it.
Dental decay is so widespread among school children, as has been confirmed by the recent surveys carried out at my request by the dental team engaged by the Medical Research Council of Ireland, that it is beyond the resources of health authorities, in funds and dental personnel, to cope with this grave problem by treatment alone. For this reason the Oireachtas enacted the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960, providing for the fluoridation of public water supplies in Ireland. When fluoridated water supplies have been in use for some years it is confidently expected, as results elsewhere have shown, that dental decay among children using such water supplies will be reduced by more than one-half.