Dentists have told a Dail Committee that the HSE's actions in relation to the Medical Card Scheme have caused ‘chaos, confusion and hardship' for 1.6 million dental patients throughout the country.

In a submission to the Joint Committee on Health and Children, representatives of the Irish Dental Association (IDA) outlined how on April 27, the HSE issued a circular without any warning, which with immediate effect, restricted the Medical Card Scheme to emergency dental treatment only.

"No notice period was provided to patients. No notice period was provided to dentists who hold a contract with the HSE. Since that date, no clarity has been provided to the patients, the participating dentists or the HSE's own staff on the measures outlined in the circular," the IDA explained.

According to the association's chief executive, Fintan Hourihan, it has long been established that prevention is cheaper than cure, particularly in the case of dental care.

"Poor oral health and failure to treat leads to the development of more complicated problems, the treatment of which is generally more complex and more costly. So the slash and burn approach applied by the HSE to the Medical Card Scheme makes no financial sense, as well as being an indictment of our care for the less well off in society," Mr Hourihan insisted.

In its submission to the Joint Committee, the IDA included a sample of cases reported by dentists since the end of April. One such case involved a psychiatric patient who is now being denied treatment because of the HSE decision.

"I have a young woman suffering from major psychiatric illness who has been refused gum treatment by the HSE. This is despite the fact that she has spent the last six months in a psychiatric hospital. Her teeth were fine before admission but now she needs six fillings and gum treatment. According to the new guidelines, I can only do two fillings with no provision for her swollen bleeding gums," the case study said.

Treatment has also been denied to cancer patients, special needs patients, elderly patients, patients requiring dental checks ahead of major surgical operations, patients with acute infections and many others who dentists believe fall into high risk categories.

The IDA told the Committee that it believed that this suffering was entirely avoidable. It called on the HSE to suspend the circular with immediate effect, engage with the IDA and review alternative sources of funding.

"That is the route map out of the present chaos and we need to act now before lasting damage is done to the dental health of the one-third of the population who are medical card holders," Mr Hourihan said.