• Lengthy waiting times for dental appointments made worse by collapse of scheme for medical card patients;
• Addition of dentists and dental nurses to Critical Skills list critical to tackle staffing crisis in dentistry;
• Calls for overhaul of outdated 1985 Dental Act, including statutory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all dentists;
• Dental care for children requires urgent attention and a sustainable model of care;
• IDA calls for massive investment in our dental schools and cap on places for overseas students;
• Association proposes reintroduction of mentoring scheme for graduates at an annual cost of €3m.

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has today published a major policy paper entitled Towards the Future of Sustainable General Dental Practice, warning that Irish dentistry is at a tipping point for both patients and practitioners without urgent reform.

The Association is highlighting a series of systemic challenges including a workforce crisis, chronic underfunding, outdated legislation, and fragmented care pathways – all of which are undermining patient access to timely treatment.

The paper calls for a dedicated National Workforce Plan for dentistry, which includes expanding student intake in dental schools, caps on non-EEA places, and a funded mentoring scheme to support newly qualified practitioners.

The provision of dental care for children is a particular concern for dentists who say that any initiatives must be sustainable and make the best use of the resources available and the expertise available especially in our public dental service.

Adding dental nurses and dentists to the Critical Skills List is also vital for bolstering recruitment across Irish dental practices, with many non-EEA dentists and dental team members currently opting to practice in other jurisdictions

The IDA is also advocating for substantial legislative reform to protect patients, with proposals including replacing the outdated 1985 Dental Act and introducing statutory Continuing Professional Development for practitioners.

The Association has made clear that targeted investment in dental schools is urgently required, including the need to build new dental school facilities in Cork

The need for new schemes and sustained funding to unwind the €800 million cut to state-funded dental services for medical card and PRSI patients between 2009 and 2023 is also vital for the safeguarding of public dental services and ensuring appropriate access to care.

The paper also outlines public-private collaboration as a necessary step to strengthen referral pathways and improve prevention-focused care across the oral healthcare system.

IDA President, Dr. Will Rymer, said: “General dental practice provides 85% of oral healthcare in Ireland, yet years of neglect have left the system at breaking point. Patients, particularly children and vulnerable groups, are waiting years for essential treatment. The time for delay has passed. Without immediate policy action, we will fail another generation.”

IDA CEO, Fintan Hourihan, added: “This paper provides a viable roadmap to rebuild oral healthcare as a source of pride for our health system and society. It is vital that Government, the HSE and all stakeholders seize this opportunity to act before it is too late.”