Nothing to smile about: Children's dental health suffers due to under-resourced public systems

JOANNE’S nine-year-old has never been seen by the school dentist. The dental team is due in this year. “But I’m not holding my breath,” she says. “I’ve been taking her yearly to my own dentist since she was four, at €30 a visit.”

With the public dental service under-funded, many parents have little option but to pay for private care, says Helen O’Callaghan

JOANNE’S nine-year-old has never been seen by the school dentist. The dental team is due in this year. “But I’m not holding my breath,” she says. “I’ve been taking her yearly to my own dentist since she was four, at €30 a visit.”