DENTISTS have warned of an irreversible decline in the nation’s oral health as new figures reveal there were 700,000 fewer treatments carried out under the state’s dental scheme since the cuts were introduced in January, a drop of almost 60%.

DOLE backlogs are causing hardship for thousands of households, with the latest figures showing at least 7,000 newly unemployed people have been waiting more than three months for their welfare claims to be processed.