Dental practices told to display fees from June

ALL dental practices across the country will have to display private fees from June.

The Dental Council of Ireland has issued a code of practice making it mandatory for dentists, from June 1, to display private fees in a place where patients can view them before consultation.

The announcement follows a National Consumer Agency (NCA) study into the levels of price display among GPs and dentists, which showed only 32% of dentists displayed a price list on their premises.

Dental Council president Dr Eamon Cooke said the new code would “promote transparency and enhance public confidence in the profession”.

“Patients will be able to check fees in advance for a range of treatments including examinations, X-rays, routine and surgical extractions, root canal treatment and crowns. A single fee must apply for some procedures while the fees for others may be shown as a range, with a minimum and maximum clearly stated. Where a range of fees applies, it is not permitted to set a minimum price only.”

Dr Croke said the council will be advising dentists that failure to display fees may lead to fitness to practise proceedings.

According to the new code of practice, the price list must, as a minimum, comprise a total of six treatment items for which a fixed price is to be charged.

Examples include a fee for an examination, diagnosis and treatment plan and a fee for a visit with a dental hygienist.

A further 10 treatments are to be listed with a corresponding fee range.

Examples include a routine extraction and a root canal treatment.

NCA chief executive Ann Fitzgerald welcomed the code and hoped the move would “usher in a new era of transparency for consumers”.

“The publication of our survey into doctors’ and dentists’ price display in May 2010 highlighted serious gaps in the information available to consumers to enable them to make informed decisions when choosing dental or GP care,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“At the time, the agency called for greater transparency in this important area of consumer expenditure and we have worked with the respective bodies to encourage the development of a code of practice around price display. Today’s announcement marks the culmination of this initiative and I congratulate the Dental Council for taking this step.”

Health Minister James Reilly also welcomed the move and said that, along with the Dental Council’s publication of a guide called Choosing a Dentist At Home or Abroad and its Scope of Practice document, it would help promote transparency and competition in the profession.