HSE makes a painful extraction from medical card-holders at the dentist

RECENTLY I received details of the latest cost-saving measure in the last budget – the restriction of dental services for adult medical card-holders to a service for relief of pain and infection.

On cursory examination, this draconian attack on basic health services for the most vulnerable in our society will not even provide appropriate treatment for some of the most common dental emergencies which present daily in dental practices. As an example, the proper treatment of one of the most common gum infections, acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis (and it is as painful an unpleasant as it sounds), otherwise known as ANUG, is firstly gentle cleaning of the teeth, secondly oral hygiene instruction and, if necessary, the prescription of a course of an appropriate antibiotic medicine.

This medical card “emergency” scheme allows for only the prescription of medicine. The most basic dental healthcare need, cleaning of teeth and oral hygiene instruction, has been “suspended” for adult medical card-holders.