Vol. 424 No. 1
25 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the dental care service for children and dental care under the medical card scheme has ceased in the Western Health Board area because of failure to provide enough funds to the health board to run this essential service; and if he will undertake to provide adequate funds in 1993 to restore the service.
Children: The Western Health Board are now adopting a systematic targeted approach for the delivery of dental services to school children. This approach ensures a more equitable distribution of the dental resources available. The approach aims to examine all children in specific classes and to provide treatment as necessary. The classes chosen in the Western Health Board area are second and sixth. These classes are chosen with preventative treatments in mind and to ensure that children are dentally fit before they leave national school.
It is hoped that, in this way, children for whom a service was previously rarely, if ever, demanded and those in greatest need of dental care, will be screened, advised of the services available, educated in dental hygiene and provided with treatment as necessary. This development seeks to provide the optimum service to those in need within the resources available. In addition emergency treatment is available on demand.
