SOME CHILDREN ARE waiting up to 12 years for their first dental screening.<\/p>\n
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has called on the government to initiate a major recruitment drive for dentists to enable the Public Dental Service (PDS) to deliver on its programme of care for children and other vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n
The IDA has said \u201ctotally inadequate staffing levels\u201d mean the PDS is \u201cfailing children who are waiting up to seven or eight and sometimes 12 years for their first dental screening\u201d.<\/p>\n
Currently there are 300 dentists employed in the PDS but the IDA says this figure needs to be increased by 50% (150 dentists) if the service is to deliver on its objectives.<\/p>\n
International guidelines recommend that children should have their first dental examination by their first birthday. Dentists here have supported calls for the introduction of a voucher scheme for parents to cover the cost of their child\u2019s first dental visit.<\/p>\n
For most children in Ireland, their first scheduled encounter with the public dental service is at age seven or eight, under the school screening programme. Unfortunately thousands more are only being seen for the first time in sixth class, age 12.<\/p>\n