Dental scheme close to collapse

THE Irish Dental Association is threatening to completely withdraw free treatment from one million medical card holders because, it claims, the government has refused to fully reimburse the dentists for the treatments they carry out.

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) said the Dental Service Treatment Scheme (DTSS) which provides free oral healthcare to medical card holders, is “on the verge of collapse” because the Department of Health and Health Service Executive will not review the way the scheme is administered nor pay the dentists what they are entitled to.

According to Maurice Quirke, Chairman of the IDA’s General Dental Practitioner Group, there were 1,300 dentists taking part in the General Medical Service scheme.