Specialised children’s dental treatment almost at standstill

WITH specialised dental treatment of children almost at a standstill in the midwest, an orthodontist has requested the Government to support the reinstatement of his dental training clinics.

Consultant orthodontist Ted McNamara said yesterday he was prepared to restart training dentists up to orthodontist level if Health Minister Mary Harney backed his work.

Mr McNamara blames the spiralling public orthodontic waiting lists in the mid-west on the decision to close his orthodontic training clinics in 1999.

Prior to that, he had overseen the training of dentists to orthodontist level for work in the public system. Mr McNamara said his clinics helped keep waiting lists to a minimum through the work of the trainee orthodontists.

He said when the decision to cease the accreditation of orthodontist trainees in the mid-west was taken in 1999, these dentists were forced to move elsewhere in order to qualify.

It had a disastrous effect on the treatment programme which was being gradually being built up.

“For instance we had one clinic in Shannon with 350 people, mostly children, under treatments. The dentist there was looking after those patients very well.

“But the opportunity for him to continue his training stopped and he was forced to leave.

“That left 350 patients with nobody to look after them.

“They had to be spread out among other fully-booked clinics and created huge problems at the time.”

However, the number of children waiting to be assessed in the public system has risen to 2,432.

A further 642 are awaiting treatment.

Mr McNamara said without prompt treatment, they run the risk of permanent damage to their teeth.

The consultant said some parents have been forced to borrow huge sums to go private rather than wait for their children to be treated under the public system.

An independent recent report by a British consultant Dr DJ Spary into Mr McNamara’s training clinics, stated: “The orthodontic treatment service set up in Limerick in 1985 developed to provide an excellent standard of treatment and training.

“One trainee was awarded a gold medal by the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and her cases were published in the British Journal of Orthodontics.

“The award of this medal reflects highly, not only on her, but the standard of teaching that she had received (from Mr McNamara).”

Mr McNamara claims his training service fell victim to medical politics helped by officials in the Department of Health.

He said the Department of Health backed the orthodontic training clinics from 1985 up to 1999.

But following pressure from certain lobby groups, he said, the department reversed its policy.

He said Ms Harney had the opportunity to restore the service to standards prior to 1999.

“She can reverse that end of it. She should try and find out why people in her department tried to discredit a very fine orthodontic service.

“This service now in the mid-west has come to a virtual standstill,” said Mr McNamara.

Stopping the rot

Orthodontic training clinics which kept waiting lists to a minimum forced to close in 1999.

2,432 patients, mostly children under 10, awaiting assessment.

643 patients waiting for treatment.

Many parents forced to borrow heavily to get children with major dental problems treated privately.

The public orthodontic service is at a virtual standstill.