A new national oral health policy has set out the future of dental care in Ireland. The policy focuses on prevention, on screening and on building links between oral and general health through a common risk factor approach. However, to publish a long awaited national strategy without the structured input of those who carry out most of the work in the area of oral health does not make sense. An absence of joined-up thinking is also evident in proposals for a network of advanced oral healthcare centres in dental hospitals. It is not too late for the Department of Health to open the oral health policy for discussion and feedback.

Source: The Irish Times May 19, 2019 22:52 UTC