Parents should be offered a ‘use it or lose it' voucher to cover the cost of their child's first dental visit, which should happen before the child's first birthday, a dental expert has suggested.

According to Dr Eleanor McGovern, who is a consultant paediatric dental surgeon at Temple Street Children's University Hospital, such a voucher scheme would encourage parents to bring their children to the dentist from a young age, which could have major consequences for their lifelong dental health.

A recent Irish study found that the ‘first tooth, first visit' model of care has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of cavities later in childhood.

International evidence also suggests that children should have their first dental visit by the age of one and then be seen regularly after this. In fact, numerous international dental organisations recommend this, including the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) estimates that the establishment of such a scheme would cost €2-3million, however it believes that the savings made in the long run would far outweigh this initial cost.

Dental visits from a young age enable dentists to identify potential problems early on, to provide preventative advice to parents and to put children at high risk of decay on an appropriate preventative programme.

"Dental decay (tooth cavities) is the most common chronic disease of childhood and is associated with a reduction in quality of life of the child. Approximately 50% of children in Ireland have tooth decay by the time they are five years old, yet children are not normally seen through the public HSE dental system until approximately seven years of age, and even later for some," Dr McGovern explained.

She said that as a result of this, some children may suffer from toothaches and infections. This may impact on their sleep, nutrition, growth and behaviour.

"Children will then require numerous dental visits, days off school and/or extractions under general anaesthesia," Dr McGovern noted.

The IDA estimates that over 10,000 children in Ireland have their teeth extracted under general anaesthetic every year, a figure it describes as ‘a disgrace'.

It notes that there is currently no public dental care available for pre-school children in Ireland and pointed to the Scottish experience as a good example of what can be achieved if dental health is prioritised.

International research suggests that dental decay is already well established by the time a child reaches the age of three. When Scottish 3-year-olds were examined in 2007/08, the prevalence of dental decay was 25%, with a higher rate of 32% among children living in poorer areas.

In response to this, Scotland introduced the Childsmile programme. This provides a comprehensive pathway of dental care for all Scottish children from when they are born up to the age of 17. Rates of dental decay have halved among Scottish children since the establishment of this programme.