Cuts will set back services by decades, say dentists

DENTISTS have warned that proposed Government cutbacks for treatment of medical card holders will set back dental services by decades, with almost half a million less procedures being carried out this year.

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has expressed concern that thousands of patients will be denied vital dental treatment as a result of measures proposed by the Health Service Executive.

The IDA estimates the cuts will see over 468,000 fewer dental procedures being carried out on medical card holders in 2010.

“State funding for dental care of its citizens has been cut by 35% in just over 18 months. Patients will suffer,” observed chief executive, Fintan Hourihan.

The association yesterday called on Health Minister, Mary Harney, to rethink the cuts before their planned introduction on April 1.

Mr Hourihan said dentists were in “complete shock” at the changes which they estimate will cut at least €30 million from the budget for dental services to medical card holders. Around 70% of the 1,300 dentists in general practice in Ireland participate in the scheme.

Mr Hourihan said the cutbacks would result in a 30% fall on existing treatment levels in a year when the number of medical card holders would rise 144,000 to more than 1.6 million.

Under the existing scheme, medical card holders plus qualifying pensioners over 70 are entitled to routine treatments, including extractions, fillings and general check-ups free of charge. They can also avail of more complicated treatments, including root canal work, gum treatments, X-rays and dentures subject to prior approval by the HSE.

Under the proposed cuts, treatments including fillings and root canal work will only be allowed in approved emergency circumstances. “The HSE plan would mean patients with tooth decay will be offered an option of extraction or antibiotics. They will have no possibility of the tooth being filled or saved,” said Mr Hourihan.

James Turner, a dentist from Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, used graphic photographs to highlight how a young medical card holder with a sports injury to his two front teeth would suffer from the proposed cutbacks.

“Currently his teeth could be filled and the pain taken away, while they would also be splinted and moved back into line,” said Mr Turner.

However, he claimed the changes would mean the patient would only be offered an extraction or an antibiotic and put on a waiting list for further treatment subject to HSE approval. “It might be culturally acceptable in some parts of the world to walk around without your teeth but not in modern Ireland,” remarked Mr Turner.

The IDA has predicted that the cutbacks will result in medical card holders visiting their dentist less often and will lead to “irrevocable damage” to dental, oral and general health.

Dentists claimed that the cutbacks would also disproportionately affect the elderly and less well off as medical card holders already have significantly poorer dental health than private patients.

The IDA pointed out that children and special needs patients who received treatment from HSE dentists were also facing lengthy waiting lists because of recruitment embargoes.

Mr Hourihan said that his members’ professional fees for participating in the medical card scheme had already been cut by 8% last year, even though they did not cover the operational cost of providing such treatments.

Mr Hourihan also predicted that the HSE could face a legal challenge from patients as medical card holders had a statutory right to dental treatment under the Health Act 1970.