Dental dispute affecting waiting lists, TDs hear

A dispute between the State's main dental schools and consultant orthodontists in the public sector is undermining efforts aimed at cutting chronic waiting lists for child dental services, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

Prof John Clarkson, dean of the Dublin Dental School and Hospital, revealed that consultants in three health board areas were refusing to collaborate in training programmes, and said this was affecting the school's capacity to produce more consultant orthodontists to tackle the waiting lists.

He said the three consultants were from the Mid-West, Southern and Eastern Health Board areas.

Prof Clarkson was addressing the Joint Committee on Health and Children, members of which expressed concern at the fact that this "stand-off" was allowed to develop.

Committee members accused the dental profession of doing nothing to address waiting times of up to five years for children.

Mr Bernard Allen TD (FG) said it was clear a "turf war" had developed between the health boards and the dental schools at a time of crisis in orthodontic care. He said he suspected there was "something of a closed shop" within the profession in terms of controlling resources and maintaining high fees.

Mr Batt O'Keeffe (FF) said it appeared no effort had been made to bring the two sides together to get the training done.

Mr Brian Murray, chief executive officer of the Dublin school, defended its training procedures, which required two orthodontic consultants to oversee each trainee. Mr Murray said this was a requirement of the European Union and the Dental Council's committee for higher training.

The Dublin school was said to have trained a total of seven consultants and 14 specialists over an 11-year period, bringing to roughly 80 the number of consultant orthodontists in the State. Mr Murray noted the ratio of consultants to 12-year-olds had dropped from 1 in 2,700 in 1980 to 1 in 890 in 1998.

He added as a taxpayer he did not believe the State was getting value for money from orthodontic services. Citing an upsurge in demand for "cosmetic" services, he said "we are falling over ourselves" to provide treatment for people who do not need it.

Rejecting the allegation of a "closed shop", Prof Clarkson said "we will train as many people as we are allowed to train" under the regulations. He added the school was working "very hard" in terms of lobbying the Department of Health and Children for extra space for postgraduates.

At present, there was room for just 10-12 trainees at any one time.

Meanwhile, Dr Robert McConnell, director of the Cork Dental School, said it had encountered difficulties in appointing a second consultant to allow training begin. He said he was confident the post would be filled next year.

The Oireachtas committee decided yesterday to invite the Dental Council to appear before it.