Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:465. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to reinstate the 2008 dental treatment services scheme. [28819/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 July 2024
Ceisteanna (465, 476, 482)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:476. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing free dental care for all; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28831/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraRichard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:482. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost in 2023 of reinstating all the benefits that were available under the dental treatment services scheme before the economic crash; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28838/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 465, 476 and 482 together.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as additional fillings, dentures, and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon. These services are provided by dental practitioners who have a contract with the HSE.
Having been suspended in 2010, the scale and polish item was re-introduced for all medical card patients in 2022 along with an expansion of the oral examination to include provision of preventative advice, using €10 million awarded in Budget 2022.
The cost of providing free dental care to the whole population would depend on a number of factors, including the underlying oral health of the population and the level of take-up of such services.
The Government is committed to reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The aim of the policy is to develop a model of care that will enable preventative approaches to be prioritised, improve access, and support interventions appropriate to current and future oral health needs. An implementation plan for the 2024-2026 phase of rollout is being drafted by my Department and the HSE, for consultation and subsequent publication in the third quarter of this year. The HSE is committed to the design and development of packages of expanded preventative care, and will consult with the profession this year on this draft design, as the first phase of reform of the DTSS.