Dentists call for reinstatement of Med 2 Tax Relief Scheme for private patients. Cut-backs under the scheme added €30m to costs of dental treatment.

The 2015 annual report of the Dental Complaints Resolution Service has now been published. The report shows another successful year for the service which was established in 2012 to help resolve differences between dentists and patients.

IDA has negotiated a new deal with AIB Merchant Card Services including use of the new Clover terminal provided by AIB.

Dentists say Medical Card Scheme is unfit for purpose. New report shows that while the number of eligible patients is up 17%, the number of treatments is down 20%. 9 out of 10 dentists have had to prescribe multiple antibiotics for patients on oral surgery waiting lists. ‘The HSE has effectively overseen the introduction of dental apartheid for the 37% of the population who have a medical card’. IDA calls on new Government to examine merger of medical card and PRSI schemes into one universal patient focused scheme.

IDA says if tax is introduced, proceeds should go to oral healthcare programmes. Association says greater focus on education and labelling would pay health dividend.

Dentists say new system of risk profiling patients may act as early warning system for chronic diseases. New IDA President says system needed to tackle health time bomb of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The 2015 Annual Reports for the Irish Dental Association and the Irish Dental Union have been published today.

The Annual General Meetings of the Irish Dental Union and Irish Dental Association Ltd will commence at 6pm on Thursday 21st of April 2016 in the Radisson Hotel, Galway.

Dental amalgam has been used on patients for over 150 years. All available world-wide research indicates that amalgam is not harmful to health. This view is endorsed by the International Dental Federation, the International Association for Dental Research, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and many dental associations, including the American, British and Canadian associations.

In the run up to General Election 2016, the Association contacted political parties and alliances seeking their views on a number of important oral health concerns.