The waiting lists for dental treatment are appalling for those involved but are the inevitable outcome of reduced investment and the downgrading of local health facilities over many years.
Figures released today that show large numbers of children are still waiting for vital dental screening from the HSE, to which they are entitled.
In Mayo, 768 children are waiting more than 52 weeks for dental screening. Children have the right to 3 routine dental screenings.
These figures show that children are being denied their rights. Early and regular dental screening identifies potential problems and can prevent many serious dental and oral conditions in later adolescence. We need to view each case of a child waiting more than 52 weeks as a very serious dereliction of care to that child by the State.
Dental care suffered during the savage cuts to local healthcare services from 2007 onwards. These figures reflect a service that is under huge pressure and struggling to cope. The only solution is to invest again in these services and to target that investment in areas such as Mayo that have unacceptably high numbers of children awaiting assessment.
