The healthcare system and the provision of oral healthcare in European Union member states. Part 7: Republic of Ireland

The Irish oral healthcare system is a hybrid model with a public/private mix of service provision, predominantly organised on the basis of fee-per-item remuneration. The system is structured around three long standing publicly funded schemes: the Public Dental Service (PDS) for all children and adul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British dental journal 2017-04, Vol.222 (7), p.541-548
Main Authors: Woods, N, Ahern, S, Burke, F, Eaton, K A, Widström, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Austerity policy
Child
Delivery of Health Care
Dental Care - organization & administration
Dental Care - utilization
Dental insurance
Dental schools
Dentistry
Dentists
European Union
Expenditures
Female
Government spending
Health care policy
Health services
Hospitals
Humans
Ireland
Male
Maxillofacial surgery
Middle Aged
Oral hygiene
Public health
Recessions
University colleges
Young Adult
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Summary:The Irish oral healthcare system is a hybrid model with a public/private mix of service provision, predominantly organised on the basis of fee-per-item remuneration. The system is structured around three long standing publicly funded schemes: the Public Dental Service (PDS) for all children and adults with special needs and provided by salaried dentists, the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) for low income adults, and the Dental Treatment Benefit Scheme (DTBS) for insured persons, the latter two both provided by private independent dental practitioners. Ireland introduced systemic water fluoridation in 1963 and currently 73% of the population has access to fluoridated water. Ireland currently has a dentist density ratio of 6.1 dentists per 10,000 inhabitants and on average, 43% of the population (30% for those aged 70+ years) visit a dentist annually. In 2014, 83% of expenditure on oral healthcare was from out-of-pocket payments by patients, with less than 1% of overall government expenditure on healthcare allotted to oral healthcare. After the economic downturn of 2008 and the severe recession that followed in Ireland, substantial cutbacks in government expenditure resulted in extensive cuts to the public sector supply of dental services and to the extent of cover provided by the publicly funded schemes. The Department of Health has recognised the major post recessionary challenges facing the Irish health system, not least, significantly reduced budgets and capacity deficits, and acknowledges the need for change in Ireland's health service. In 2014, a three-year project commenced at the Department of Health, to develop a new national oral health policy for Ireland.
ISSN:0007-0610
1476-5373
DOI:10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.317