asked the Minister for Health when urgent orthodontic treatment will be supplied to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; if he is aware that she has been on the waiting list for years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Orthodontic Treatment.
456.
The person in question is awaiting fixed appliance orthodontic treatment, a type of treatment that is normally provided by dentists in private practice on behalf of the health boards. The issue of authorisations to proceed with this type of treatment was suspended by the Department pending finalisation of an agreement with the private orthodontists on a scale of charges for the service. Recently a scale of charges acceptable to both parties was arrived at but the orthodontists sought certain assurances from the Department on other matters before they would agree to provide a service on the basis of the new scale. Nevertheless, the Department expect to be in a position to authorise treatments to proceed again very shortly.