Irish dentists must display fees from June
From June onwards, all dentists working in Ireland will be required to display their treatment costs so that patients can see fees before they have a consultation.
The announcement was made by the Dental Council yesterday; president of the organisation, Dr Eamon Croke, announced that it will be mandatory for dentists to show prices and failure to do this may result in fitness to practice hearings.
The new measures stipulate that dentists must display up-to-date price lists, which must feature six fixed price treatments and a minimum of ten other treatments, which should be accompanied by individual fees for each treatment; where applicable, a range of fees must be shown. Price lists must include fees for root canal treatment, crowns, dentures and fillings.
Dr Croke said that the new measures would promote transparency and increase public confidence in dental professionals; he claimed that patients will now be able to shop around for better prices and this will encourage dentists to work hard to attract and keep patients.
The announcement was welcomed by Health Minister, James Reilly and the National Consumer Agency; representatives from the agency carried out a survey last year and the results showed that only a third of practices displayed their prices. Anna Fitzgerald, chief executive of the NCA said that the announcement was a step in the right direction and claimed that similar measures for GPs were being discussed.
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