Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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637. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of restoring the biannual scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme. [23772/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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638. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of restoring the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme. [23773/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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639. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of removing the annual cap on fillings that was introduced in budget 2010 under the dental treatment services scheme. [23774/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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640. To ask the Minister for Health the expenditure on the six-monthly scale and polish entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23775/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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641. To ask the Minister for Health the expenditure on the extended gum cleaning entitlement under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23776/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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642. To ask the Minister for Health the expenditure on fillings under the dental treatment services scheme in 2009. [23777/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 637 to 642, inclusive, together.

The Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) provides access to dental treatment for medical card holders over the age of 16. All medical card holders are entitled to specific dental treatments e.g., an annual dental examination, two fillings in each calendar year, extractions as necessary. Additional treatments are available to persons with specific medical conditions, including persons in receipt of care or services for a disability, persons on a register of disability and more vulnerable clients. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs. Expenditure by the HSE on the treatments referred to by the Deputy in 2009 was as follows:

The cost of restoring these treatments, which had been provided before 2010, to all medical card holders would depend on a number of factors, including the underlying oral health of the population and the likely level of take-up of such services. Expenditure on the DTSS since 2009 has been as follows:

The HSE continues to monitor the operation of the DTSS to ensure the most beneficial, effective and efficient use of available resources. Future service provision will be informed by the National Oral Health Policy, which the Department of Health is currently developing.