The dental workforce has declined by over a fifth in the last 17 years.
Over 100,000 children were denied school screening dental appointments last year.
New figures show there has been over a 30% decline in schoolchildren being seen by public-only HSE dentists in the last 5 years.
Between 2006 and 2022, the amount of workforce dentists available in the country decreased by 23% - over 70 extra whole-time equivalent dentists are needed by the HSE to return to 2009 staffing levels.
Doctor Orry Torsney of Central Park Dental in Mullingar says children are coming to the dentist for the first time too old, and in pain:
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