€800 million state spending cuts represent a lost decade in oral healthcare. 104,000 schoolchildren did not receive care under school dental scheme in 2023. President Will Rymer: “As the Smile agus Sláintecare implementation plan is being finalised, we must ensure that it is backed by necessary funding from the Department of Finance”

Dr Will Rymer appointed President of the Irish Dental Association. In his inaugural address, the Tipperary dentist welcomes legislation that will afford greater protection for patients in Ireland. Dr Rymer also called for further reforms within dentistry including the requirement for statutory Continual Professional Development (CPD) to bring dentistry in line with all other healthcare professionals.

The IDA Dental Complaints Resolution Service (DCRS) Annual Report for 2023 has been published. Once again, the Report shows that the IDA DCRS provides an invaluable service to patients and dentists. Where parties sometimes see no way forward, the Service helps them to find common ground.

Find your photos from the Colgate Caring Dentist Awards 2024 in our online gallery.

Doctor Tom Quilter wins top award at Colgate Caring Dentist Awards 2024

The Association submitted ten questions to the main political parties, seeking their answers on key challenges facing dentistry and how these might be addressed in the next Dail.

We need you to help us advocate for dentists. We have made great progress in raising the profile of oral health in the current Dail and with your help we can force oral health higher on the agenda for the next Government.

Over 700 cases of Mouth, Head and Neck cancer will be diagnosed this year; Main risk factors of Mouth Cancer include Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and over exposure to sunlight or radiation; However, oral cancer can affect anybody at any stage of their lives. Speaking on ‘The Whole Tooth’ podcast series David Hickey says: “With mouth cancer in particular, you have a small window of opportunity, which closes very fast. I would very much recommend regular checks”

Only half of all dental student places offered to school leavers from Ireland or EEA countries despite the shortage of dentists in Ireland

We urge Minister Donnelly and HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, to immediately implement a recruitment strategy which would improve the current employment levels in the public dental service and help reduce waiting lists among public patients. Irish dental patients are suffering the consequences of the wilful neglect of our public dental service which has seen a 23% decline in staffing levels versus a 20 to 50% increase in all other areas of our health service such as nursing, admin and doctor staffing levels.