“One of the most worrying problems facing many parents is the delay in getting orthodontic treatment for their teenage children,” said Cllr. Paul Kelly. “While we appreciate the free dental care offered to our children in primary school and up to the age of 14, when we are told that one of our children needs “braces”, we have more than one cause for worry. The waiting list is so long that by the time the child is called for treatment, the problem might be insurmountable. In the Eastern Health Board area, which includes Kildare North, there are almost 10,000 children awaiting assessment, while a further thousand who have been assessed are waiting to be treated. I am suggesting some changes to the system which might help to relieve parents’ worries.”
“I am calling on the Minister for Health to introduce a system of grants or refunds which would enable children to have orthodontic treatment done by private practitioners and to recoup some or all of the cost from the State. Tax relief should be available for any part of the cost not paid by the state. Another option could be to travel outside the State for treatment if necessary, also at the government’s expense. There is such a backlog of patients at this stage, that some drastic action is required, and hopefully in the future, orthodontic treatment will be available on a par with the current free dental care offered by the health boards to our young people.”
“I believe that where orthodontic treatment is required it is of the utmost importance both for the child’s dental health and self esteem, and it must be available without fuss or delay”, says Paul. “There are changes needed as well to the law to allow for my suggestions, and the training of new orthodontists needs government funding also. I will be vigorously pursuing this issue with the Minister for Health.”