Donegal children ‘lucky’ to see dentist 'once by the time they finish school’

Dáil Éireann heard that children in Donegal were “lucky if they have seen a dentist once by the time they are finished school.”

100% Redress TD, Charles Ward was speaking to show his support for the Dental Treatment Services Private Motion, which calls on the Government to publish the promised dental services plan and to authorise the HSE to step up recruitment for dentists to work in the School dental programme and public dental services.

“Dental care is completely inaccessible, especially for people in rural areas,” said Deputy Ward. “In Donegal, children are lucky if they have seen a dentist once by the time they are finished school. Many of them have not seen one at all. I know this from my experience, as I have four children. Maybe one has seen a dentist, but the rest have not, unless we go privately. 

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“It is very common for children in Donegal to receive their first appointments when they are nearly finished primary school or well into secondary school. The HSE threshold for children and teenagers to avail of essential dental treatment like extractions or orthodontic work is far too high.

“Many children in Donegal are forced to go across the border to access essential dental treatment. This is not for cosmetic procedures, this is for essential treatments.”

Deputy Ward concluded that the HSE needed to step up its recruitment and that there were dentists in Donegal who would work and help.