Orthodontic wait list in HSE South 20 times that in North East

NEARLY 3,500 children are on the waiting list for orthodontic treatment in the HSE South — nearly 20 times as many as in the North East.

That’s according to figures released by Dympna Kavanagh, national oral health chief, after a question was tabled in the Dáil on the numbers of children waiting for treatment nationally and the average waiting time.

There were just 168 children on the waiting list in the North East and the average waiting time for them was two-and-a-half to three months.