Vol. 553 No. 2
521 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the dental service available to persons over 70; if there are specific guidelines in relation to the frequency a person can get new dentures; if it is every three or five years; if many complaints are received regarding dentists unwilling to treat patients over 70 on the medical card scheme; and the process to investigate such complaints. [13250/02]
A range of dental services for adult medical card holders over 70 years of age are available under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme, DTSS, from participating dentists holding contracts with health boards. In 2002, I provided additional funding of €6.166 million to the DTSS in order to meet an increased uptake of it. The scheme is administered by the general medical service payments board on behalf of boards and it is monitored at a local level by principal dental surgeons with a regional responsibility for the DTSS. The guideline time for replacing dentures is every five years; this time-limit may be varied by agreement with the principal dental surgeon in exceptional circumstances. A difficulty with the provision of dentures to medical card holders under the DTSS has already been raised with my Department and this is being addressed through the appropriate industrial relations mechanism.
522 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the details of the dental service currently available to children in primary schools; if the system has been altered in recent times; if the level of service in Millmount Clinic, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, has been reduced in opening hours and level of dentists available; and the reason this perceived reduction has been allowed to come about. [13251/02]
The provision of dental treatment to eligible persons is the statutory responsibility of the health boards in the first instance. All health boards have adopted a planned targeted approach to the delivery of dental services to national school children. This is to ensure the optimum use of dental resources and equal access for all national school children to the same level of dental care.
Children in specific classes in national school, usually second, fourth and sixth class, are targeted for preventive measures under the school based approach; the children in these classes are screened and referred for treatment as necessary. The programme has been specifically designed to ensure that children are dentally fit before they leave national school. The screening provided in second, fourth and sixth classes ensures that follow up appointments for examination, treatment or orthodontic review are made, as necessary, with the dental surgeon in the clinic designated for the particular school.
