Without meaningful reform, improved access to dental care is doomed to fail. Investment without reform will not improve access to dental care for medical card patients and will do nothing to arrest exodus of dentists from scheme. Reaction to Budget 2022 from Fintan Hourihan, Chief Executive, Irish Dental Association

The Irish Dental Association has a proud record of delivering for our members in providing advice, offering representation and lobbying vigorously on our members' behalf.

Dublin-based general practitioner Dr Clodagh McAllister appointed President of the Association at its AGM on Saturday May 8th.

Irish Dental Association AGM taking place today (Saturday). Outdated medical card scheme ‘widening the gap’ between those who can afford private dental care and those who cannot. Redeployment of public sector dentists to vaccination rollout is causing ‘irreparable damage’ among children in particular.

• IDA AGM taking place this Saturday (May 8th) • Successful resolution of collective bargaining issue a pre-condition for discussions on dental reform • ‘The State’s scheme for medical card holders is in a death spiral which highlights the urgent need for agreed way to engage dentists’

IDA to address Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on medical card scheme today. Current failings of medical card scheme have led to ‘lifetime of embarrassment, decreased nutrition and loss of wellbeing’ for patients.

Funding drops of up to 48% for dental medical card scheme recorded in just three years. Medical card scheme in ‘complete chaos’. ‘The general approach of the Department of Health suggests a level of disrespect, if not contempt, for medical card patients’.

Good oral health is key to preventing halitosis. If bad breath persists, make sure to visit your dentist who is open under all lockdown levels.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly: ‘Dentists are clinically trained, they give people injections all the time’. Government must honour promise to begin vaccination of dentists from February 8th

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar last week stressed that dentists be given equal priority to medical GPs for vaccinations, however there has been no meaningful engagement on vaccination of dentists as priority group