Behind Every Smile

The impact of the ongoing crisis in children’s public dental health services in Ireland

The OCO’s Behind Every Smile report seeks to address issues in Ireland’s public dental service, which is currently failing to consistently meet the needs of all children. Complaints to the OCO from families affected by delays in accessing public dental services highlight the impact this is having on their children first hand.

Our report makes several recommendations to Government that we hope will be incorporated into its action plan due to be released shortly. Behind Every Smile also features the story of Lucy*, a young girl in contact with the OCO whose experience illustrates what can happen when a child with a serious, time-sensitive need is placed on a waiting list without adequate review.

• September 2026