CORK has lost 58 dentists from the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) in the past year alone – with eight of those in West Cork where the waiting list for urgent dental care now exceeds two years.
The collapse of dental care access for medical card holders led Independent Ireland TD Michael Collins to issue a stark warning. He said entire communities have been left without access to routine or even urgent dental care.
‘What we’re witnessing is a mass exodus from the DTSS. The scheme is outdated, unworkable and unfit for purpose. One dentist told me staying in the scheme was like banging your head against a brick wall,’ Collins told the Dáil.
He described the DTSS as a failed system that prioritises paperwork over patients and criticised the Government for its years-long refusal to modernise a programme clearly no longer fit to serve those most in
need.
‘Two years for what they call ‘urgent’ dental treatment? That’s no care at all. It’s a national disgrace and the children are paying the price.’
Deputy Collins has called on the Government to reform the DTSS to make it viable for dentists to stay involved, investing in proper preventative care rather than just emergency fillings and extractions, and making sure that every person in Ireland — no matter their income or location — can access timely, routine dental care when they need it.
‘We cannot talk about health reform or equity in this country while we abandon children to rot on waiting lists. Access to basic dental care isn’t a luxury – it’s a right.’
