Randerson says 'I told you so' on Dentistry

4.56.44pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 13th Nov 2007

woman with dentist

Jenny Randerson AM, Welsh Lib Dem Health Spokesperson today welcomed the words of Edwina Hart during her statement on dentistry. Edwina Hart announced that there would be a review of the dental contract through a task and finish group and that Professor Wayne Richards has been asked to chair the group.

"Labour has wasted a year on a poor deal for dentistry that was perfectly predictable. I hope they put it right by really listening to the review and concentrating on prevention.

"In the second part the Health Minister accepted that the current health of children's teeth in Wales is unacceptable and promised to focus on prevention.

"A Labour Minister laughed at Welsh Lib Dem proposals to give children free toothbrushes but it could make a real difference in setting children on a road to good dental health. Also the fall in numbers of children screened in schools is nothing short of astonishing so I am glad that Edwina Hart agrees with me that the problem of parental consent should not hold back large scale screening at school."

In 1997-98 130,576 children were screened

In 2006-07 this same measure was at 19,759 (an 85% decrease)

"I realised long ago there was a problem and wrote a comprehensive dental action plan featuring mobile dentists and an extensive schools programme."

Notes:

See http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/40382313/statistics/health/health-2007/sdr167-2007?lang=en

For community dental figures for Wales including screening levels for schoolchildren

Jenny Randerson issued a dental action Plan 2 years ago. It is available at http://www.welshlibdems.org.uk/documents/dentalactionplandan2.pdf

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