Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, emergency extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.

To support practitioners to provide care under the Scheme, I approved and funded a range of measures that were put in place on 1 May 2022 to introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dental contractors for most treatment items by 40-60%. In 2023, 154,864 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS, with over 26,700 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.

In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile agus Sláinte. The HSE's Strategic Reform Lead is driving policy implementation across the organisation and moving forward with developing new services for both adults and children in line with the Policy.

The Policy also contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase workforce capacity and support dental practitioners working in rural and other underserved areas through mentoring schemes and long-distance and accessible continuing professional development programmes. To support this work, my Department is currently finalising a workforce census for oral healthcare.