New IDA President calls for: Urgent publication of new oral health policy. Appointment of a full time Chief Dental Officer. Proportion of revenue from sugar tax to go to oral health programmes. Ring fenced funding of dental care following cuts of €500m. Staff shortages in the public dental service to be addressed.

Visit should happen before the 1st birthday. Call for schools and sports teams to stop distributing sugar containing drinks and treats. Sugar tax revenue could finance new children’s ‘first tooth, first visit’ programme.

The Irish Dental Association has criticised a decision by the Minister for Finance not to ring fence revenue raised through the introduction of a sugar tax to fund oral health promotion initiatives. The IDA had previously called for a percentage of the revenue raised from any ‘sugar tax’ to be directed towards oral healthcare programmes.

The Dental Council has issued a statement on orthodontic appliances provided directly to members of the public as it has recently become aware that a number of manufacturers are providing orthodontic appliances directly to the public outside of the dental surgery setting.

First Annual Report of Programme which helps dentists and doctors with health difficulties. Substance misuse was the most common standalone presenting problem followed by anxiety and depression.

New study shows cost of extractions for under fives under general anaesthetic could be 8 times more expensive than preventive programmes. Over 10,000 children having teeth extracted under GA per annum.

High sugar content supplements causing untold damage to dental health of nursing home patients. Elderly patients who have held onto their teeth for 80 years can lose them in three months. Gifts of sweets and lack of oral health programme exacerbating the situation. Senior dentist accuses HSE of reneging on its duty of care to 27,000 patients.

Dentists warn of potential dangers of dental infection. Call follows the death of a young Californian father of two.