Cllr blasts lack of accessible dental treatment for medical card holders

Seriously ill patients, the elderly and social welfare recipients across the country are finding it almost impossible to get dental care, as the majority of dentists are refusing to take medical card patients because of the dispute with the government.

Dental patients in Meath are among those being neglected, according to Cllr Michael Gallagher, as the dispute between dentists and the government has left many medical card holders in Meath unable to get treatment.

A single mother from Kells said she could not get an appointment to see a dentist anywhere in Meath, and after huge delays, travelled to Kingscourt to get much needed treatment.

"I couldn't really afford to get a taxi all the way to Kingscourt, but there was no other way I could get dental care. I couldn't get an appointment in Meath," she said.

"I dont drive, so I had to take a taxi and it was hugely expensive. I couldn't wait at any longer. I ended up having to get dentures, so I had to travel a number of times and as a single mother, it was very hard financially. The travel also took up a lot of time. It would have been so much easier if I could have been treated in Navan or Kells, but I couldn't get anyone to treat me.

"I know a lot of people in Kells who have been in the same situation as me and had to travel to Kingscscourt or Dublin to see a dentist."

She is also worried about her mother, a pensioner who badly needs to get her teeth seen to.

"She lives near Kentstown, and cannot afford to get a taxi to somewheree like Kingscourt. It is too far.

"Some of her teeth are very bad and are falilng out. They have been neglected and she will probably need dentures too,"

The plight of Meath residents travelling to Dublin or Cavan to get treatment, while others just have to do without any dental care, has been highlighted by Cllr Michael Gallagher.

"I know a woman undergoing cancer treatment who badly need to see a dentist. The treatment she is having has damaged her teeth and she cannot access dental care.

"I know of someone who had to travel to Kingscourt to get the care she needed and others who cannot get any treatment at all.

"Most of the dentists in the north east have refused to provide dental services to patients with medical cards because of their dispute with the government and those who do provide services to patients on medical cards have huge waiting lists.

"People who really cannot afford it, have had to take expensive taxi journeys to get dental care. For far too many people necessary dental healthcare is no longer accessible," he said.

Recently, the CEO of the Irish Dental Association, Fintan Hourihan, said in the last number of years there has been “an exodus of significant proportions” from the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) due to the low level of fees paid by the State and frustrations with how the scheme is operated.

According to the HSE, the number of dentists holding contracts is now 1,082. However figures from the start of this year show just 660 dentists across the country were actively treating medical card patients The number of dentists holding DTSS contracts has fallen from 1,660 in 2017.

Cllr Gallagher raised the issue at a recent meeting of Meath County Council, calling on the Minister of Health, the Minister of Public Expenditure and the Irish Dental association to resolve their financial differences and restore dental services to patients with medical cards. The motion received unanimous support.