Vol. 396 No. 5
34 Mr. Cotter asked the Minister for Health the present position regarding the availability of orthodontic treatment for public health patients in the North-Eastern Health Board area; if he will give details of the waiting list for such treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The North-Eastern Health Board engage the services of visiting orthodontists to provide specialist orthodontic treatment and to supplement the orthodontic treatments provided by the principal dental officers. The visiting orthodontists provide 10/11 sessions a month in the health board region. We have recently requested an up-date from the North-Eastern Health Board on the number of children who have been assessed as requiring treatment.
Last year the North-Eastern Health Board were allocated £30,000 from the additional £300,000 which was made available for priority orthodontic cases and the board will also benefit from the additional £3 million which is being provided in the current year for the improvement of health board orthodontic and adult dental services.
