Only one dentist in Leitrim treating patients under dental scheme

There is only one dentist in the whole of Leitrim who is available to treat patients under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), Cllr Brendan Barry told the Leitrim Observer this week. 

He added that in some cases, medical holders are being forced to travel as far afield as Dublin in order to get treated.

The Sinn Fein councillor said the continuing decline of dentist’s available to treat patients under the DTSS is a concern.

The DTSS  allows private dentists to provide basic dental services to adult medical card holders.

Cllr Barry said: "At a recent meeting, we had correspondence back from the Minister saying that he acknowledged that a significant number of dentists left the scheme but he didn't really say what he was going to do to try and get more dentists to sign back up for it."

Cllr Barry said that dentists are leaving the scheme "because the terms in the agreement with the HSE are not good enough for them and they just aren't partaking in it. Dentists are looking for it to be changed and hopefully that will happen so they stop leaving the scheme and some may go back into it."

Cllr Barry added that: "Some people are travelling to Dublin and going up the country to try dentist appointments with a dentist who will take medical card holders."