HSE’s advice on fillings is wrong, claim dentists

THE HSE’s decision to advise dentists not to perform fillings on children’s teeth has been heavily criticised by a leading dental industry legal advice body as “wrong, unjustifiable” and “exposing children to serious harm”.

In June, the Irish Examiner revealed an internal HSE memo to all dentists in the Sligo-Leitrim area which stated that “deciduous” fillings — children’s baby teeth — could no longer be provided routinely.

The correspondence said child fillings should only take place in non-defined “exceptional” circumstances and that any parent who complains should not be advised to pursue the treatment privately.