Irish patients set to miss out on routine dental care
Around 1.5 million people in Ireland will now miss out on routine dental care, following an announcement made by the Health and Safety Executive.
The new plans will mean that holders of medical cards will not benefit from routine dental care and will only be offered emergency dental treatment. Previously, holders had been entitled to a range of routine treatments including scaling and polishing, X-rays, fillings and extractions; however, these treatments will now be rationed and a new directive given to dentists has suggested that medical card holders only receive treatment when they in need of emergency relief.
The cutbacks have been made in a bid to cut the national deficit; health ministers say there is a budget for 63 million pounds for dental care this year and there is simply not enough money to offer reduced rate care to everyone. Representatives from the HSE said the cutbacks were essential in order to protect children and disabled people.
Patients and dentists have reacted angrily to the news, which will leave thousands of people without access to the treatment they need. Families have been struggling to stick to strict budgets since the recession hit and paying for dental care will come as a devastating blow. The Irish Dental Association has also said that the new measures will undo decades of good work in Ireland and will leave the country way behind other countries in terms of the standard of dental care they offer their patients.
Dentists believe that dental care will now be classed as an unaffordable luxury for many families on low or modest incomes; when they are already struggling to keep up with mortgage or rent payments and have to cope with rising living costs, finding money for dental care will not be a priority for many families. Dentists are pleading with health ministers to reconsider the budget cuts.
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