Dispute leads to State blacklisting dentists

DENTAL patients covered by PRSI will be forced to abandon appointments or pay full price for treatment from today as the Government blacklists hundreds of dentists in a dispute over fee increases.

Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Coughlan announced last night her department would stop accepting PRSI claims from dentists charging unauthorised fees from this morning.

The move will affect routine work such as fillings and extractions as well as 13 other specified dental procedures.