Covid blamed for hindering specialist dental recruitment

Jersey has not been able to recruit a full-time dental specialist because of the coronavirus pandemic, health bosses have said.

Some children are having to wait six years for orthodontic treatment, such as braces or correction work.

Deputy Geoff Southern said funding cuts to services had also caused problems.

The Health Department said it was trying to recruit an expert and the average treatment waiting time was two years.

Georgie Dodd's daughter has been waiting for treatment since 2015 after first being told she needed treated in 2012, aged eight.

Ms Dodd said she felt it was her fault she had not been able to get treatment for her daughter "and I don't want to see other parents going through that".

Mr Southern said ministers needed to spend more money on dental services because if "it gets less money, it's seen as less and less important".

The Health Department said in a statement there were two consultant orthodontists working with it.

It added it was re-advertising for a full-time expert despite delays from the pandemic and the average waiting time for treatment was two years.

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