Vol. 489 No. 3
177 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason emergency dental treatment only is available to medical card holders between the ages of 34 and 65 years; the reason this category is unable to obtain treatment for fillings, cleaning or for the fitting of dentures in view of the cost of these procedures (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8131/98]
Under the dental treatment services scheme, which was introduced by my Department on 1 November 1994, dental treatment will be extended to all adults with medical card eligibility on a phased basis. In the initial phase of the scheme, which commenced on 1 November 1994, emergency dental treatment was made available to all adults. Routine dental treatment, which would include fillings, cleaning and the provision of partial dentures, and priority full denture treatment was made available to persons 65 years of age or older. Under the second phase of the scheme, which commenced on 1 June 1996, routine dental treatment was extended to persons in the 16 to 34 year age group and full denture treatment was extended to all edentulous — no natural teeth — adults.
All health boards operate a priority waiting list for dental treatment for medically compromised persons who are given priority, irrespective of age, on production of a letter from their general medical practitioner. I will extend routine treatment under the scheme to persons in the 35 to 64 year age group as the necessary additional resources become available.
