asked the Minister for Health whether there has been any increase in the number of personnel in the school dental service; if he will give the number of trained dentists at present in the service; and whether any improvements are under consideration.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Dental Service.
22.
There are 141 wholetime dental officers employed by health boards whose work is mainly in the school dental service. This represents an increase of 43, or nearly 44 per cent over the past four years. In addition, services provided by private dentists on a sessional basis under the school dental service would be equivalent to the services of 20 wholetime dental officers.
In the current financial year additional funds are being provided for the improvement of the school dental service and health boards are continuing their efforts to recruit further staff.
Can the Minister say what he considers to be the optimum number of dental officers?
The optimum is far above what we can manage at present.
Has the Minister any idea of what the figure would be?
I understand that the best dental service in Europe is in Sweden and that in that country there is a dentist for every 1,300 people. We are nowhere near that figure yet.
What would be the target for this country?
We are so far off the target that we are simply making general progress. For example, this year the Local Appointments Commission held a competition for 39 vacancies for dental officers under the various health boards. The results of this competition are not available yet. If we could fill those 39 vacancies they would be added to the 141 we have already. That is the kind of progress we are making. I cannot promise any greater progress at present
What is the Minister's target?
I do not know because we are very far off it.
How does the Minister know we are very far off the target if he does not know what the target is?
What is the ratio? It is in the region of something like one dentist per 8,000.
It is down to one dentist per 6,250.
Would the Minister agree that it is the worst in all the EEC countries?
I could not say.
Would the Minister not agree that it is reasonable to suspect that it is?
I have said that, having regard to the enormous increase in the cost of health services, partly through inflation, it is not a high priority. I have been absolutely honest with the House. If we increase the rate of 44 per cent over a period of four years we are making progress. A considerable sum of money is available this year for more wholetime dental officers or for health board sessions by private dentists I have been absolutely frank with the House.
We are probably spending more money on dentures than on protecting the teeth of our children.