Letter to the Editor: Dental health strategy lacks any bite
A national dental health plan, Smile agus Sláinte, was published to less than enthusiastic response from the profession, largely due to concerns about resource. Under the plan, public patients will access advanced care in “advanced oral healthcare centres”, staffed by “appropriately qualified and trained dentists with advanced skills”.
This is a description of a specialist dental referral service but the plan does not describe it as such nor does it explain how or where these “dentists with advanced skills” will be trained.
Two decades ago, the Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board created the role of director of specialist training in Dentistry for Ireland. The undersigned are the three holders of that role until its abolition in 2016.
With the assistance of the various dental schools and faculties, we oversaw, with a regulatory committee, the provision of a range of specialist dental training posts in nine specialties, assessing the content and quality of training and the achievements of individual trainees.
However, the Department of Health has allowed the Dental Council to recognise only two of these. In Northern Ireland, there are 13 dental specialties recognised by law.
No one would dream of establishing advanced medical centres without suitably qualified specialist doctors. Smile agus Sláinte will require advanced dental care if it is to be effective; advanced dental care will, in turn, require dental specialists.
We would urge the minister to open a dialogue with the Dental Council and the training bodies with a view establishing of a proper scheme of dental specialisation with appropriate regulation, quality control and mandatory continuing education.
