Dentists have lost a High Court challenge to cutbacks in the scheme that provides free dental care to medical card patients.

In their challenge to the HSE's cutbacks, a group of dentists claimed their practices were in danger of closure because of income losses as a result of the cutbacks.

The 25 dentists wanted to prevent the HSE reducing dental services to their medical card patients pending the outcome of a separate impending legal action over changes to the medical card dental scheme.

However, Ms Justice Mary Irvine criticised evidence on the claimed loss of income by the dentists concerned.

She said it was speculative in parts and it created significant doubt on the financial position of all 25 practices.

Ms Justice Irvine said she was not satisfied the plaintiffs had proved that their practices were likely to terminate for any significant period between now and the outcome of the future court action.

The HSE announced last April that only emergency dental care would be available to medical card holders under the Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS), who now have to pay for non-emergency extractions and fillings.

Two other dentists are due to challenge the changes in the High Court later this year.

The Irish Dental Association expressed disappointment with the outcome and said it would study the ruling.

In addition to the recent cuts in the free treatment scheme for medical card patients, PRSI workers had their dental treatment subsidies removed in January of this year.