'Mass exodus' of dentists in Cork with system 'on the brink of collapse' 

Cork has lost 58 dentists providing treatment to medical card holders in the last 12 months, a reduction of almost a quarter, prompting one dentist to say the existing system “is like banging your head against a brick wall”.

Figures show that 23.57% fewer dentists signed up to the Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) in Cork this year, a reduction from 246 in May 2023 to 188 in May 2024.

This is a loss of 22 dentists out of 82 in South Lee; 25 of 106 in North Lee; eight of 27 in West Cork; and two of 31 in North Cork.

“Access to routine dental care through the medical card DTSS is somewhat restricted as a number of private dentists have either left the scheme, or are only treating their existing cohort of patients,” a HSE spokesperson said.

“At present there is the scope to manage emergency dental situations within the DTSS service in the community,” the spokesperson added.

Mass exodus

Cork dentist Mairead Browne, spokesperson for the Irish Dental Association, explained that this focus on emergency care was a major reason for the “mass exodus of dentists” in Cork.

“The DTSS scheme has been barrelling into chaos over many years, and now it’s gone down to just over one in four dentists signing up to it,” she told The Echo.

“The scheme is in need of total reform because it’s on the brink of collapse. It’s from 1994 so it is hugely outdated and doesn’t allow clinical autonomy or decision-making.”

Ms Browne said the system prioritises emergencies over prevention and limits the treatments dentists can perform, only allowing them to do two fillings per year but unlimited extractions. Dentists in the scheme “are entering burnout territory,” she said.

Chaos

“We’re in chaos, but it’s the patients who are most affected — particularly the very vulnerable cohort, people with additional needs, elderly people, low income groups.

“The scheme is just totally unworkable, unfit for purpose, not a patient-first approach, and there’s issues with the capitation of the scheme as well — so you have dentists leaving the scheme, now there’s a crisis and we’re not able to meet the demand as seen by the waiting list levels.

“It needs to be completely modernised, not just modified.

“We should be trusted to know what’s best for the patient and provide the exact same treatment we would for someone without a medical card, but instead we can only remove all their teeth.”

Failing

Ms Browne said the Irish Dental Association have been advocating for change since 2012, saying they have been commissioning research proposals and providing alternative ideas to the scheme.

“But, the Government is failing to prioritise dental health even though it’s so important for overall health.”

Speaking to The Echo, Social Democrats Cork City South Central councillor Padraig Rice said dental care has been a neglected part of the health service for far too long.

“I am particularly worried about the children who are missing out on crucial check-ups as part of the school’s screening programme.”

Mr Rice said the Social Democrats had raised this issue with a motion in the Dáil last month calling for all children to receive school-based appointments at the appropriate age, to increase the capacity for dental services and for reform of the dental scheme “so that it works for dentists and patients alike”.