Dentists welcome Minister for Health to National GP Meeting
Dentists welcome Minister for Health to National GP Meeting
- Dentists express concerns at proposals in new National Oral Health Policy (NOHP)
- 83% of dentists believe proposal on private provision of dental services to under 7’s unlikely to succeed
- 85% state viable medical card scheme is unlikely to come about under NOHP
- Dentists list patient-centred care as top priority
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) today welcomes Minister for Health Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to the National Meeting for dentists working within general practice. The meeting is a key forum to discuss ongoing concerns in the provision of oral healthcare across Ireland among IDA members.
The IDA commends the Minister in directly engaging with the profession at a crucial time of reform.
Dentists have however expressed significant continued concern at a number of key proposals contained within the new National Oral Health Policy, requiring further engagement between government and the profession.
83% of dentists surveyed believe that proposals to treat under 7s in private dental clinics, rather than under the existing public system, are unlikely to succeed due to an existing workforce crisis, a lack of paediatric expertise and concerns over the level of patient access presented.
The Oireachtas Health Committee recently hosted a delegation from the IDA, with clear concerns expressed as to the collapse of the existing school screening programme. In 2023, fewer than 104,000 children were screened, compared with 152,000 in 2018.
The Irish Dental Association believes the existing screening programme to be the most effective mechanism to assess the ongoing dental needs of children. It offers a clear treatment pathway while maximising patient access, when adequately funded and resourced. Dentists are concerned that a diversion of care to private services will reduce patient engagement with oral healthcare services.
85% of dentists surveyed also expressed scepticism as to whether or not the National Oral Health Policy can deliver a viable state scheme for medical card patients. This is a key area of necessary collaboration, consultation and reform with the active participation of the Irish Dental Association, Department of Health and HSE.
Ahead of the meeting, IDA President Dr Will Rymer said:
“There is now a genuine opportunity to reshape oral healthcare in Ireland in a way that could deliver lasting benefits for patients, practitioners, and the broader public health system.
“There is momentum for reform, an openness to dialogue, and a growing recognition that oral health must be integrated more fully into national healthcare planning.”
The Irish Dental Association emphasises that patients and dentists are not on opposite sides of this conversation. In a recent survey, IDA members listed patient-centred care as their top priority. Dentists share the same aspiration: a fair, effective, and equitable system that reduces oral health inequalities and improves access to care across Ireland.