IDA warning against dental tourism

A study for the Irish Dental Association (IDA) has found three out of four dentists are treating patients for problems arising from treatment abroad. IDA President Dr Donal Blackwell said it was the strongest evidence yet of poor dentistry carried out abroad. In recent years, an increasing number of Irish people have travelled abroad as they cannot afford to pay for the treatment in Ireland. The results are based on a survey of 440 private Irish dentists. A total of 76% said they had to treat patients for a wide range of clinical problems, including acute pain, infection, breakage of restorations and poorly-fitted restorations. Dr Blackwell said the problems were due to a large amount of work being done over a short time. He said there were also problems with 'over-treatment', as patients received unnecessary work on teeth. But the Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) yesterday said cost of dental services here is ‘very expensive’. As the flow of dental tourists travelling overseas for cheaper treatment for costly procedures continued, CAI spokesman Michael Kilcoyne acknowledged that while in some cases people return from abroad with difficulties, some people have problems after dentists in Ireland too’. “There is evidence that people have gone overseas to places like Turkey and had a holiday and got them done cheaper than here,” he said. This year, turnover in the dental sector is expected to plummet 25-45 per cent due to the downturn, according to the IDA. The fall-off has been linked to an 8 per cent cut in fees from the government, a slashing of tax relief for patients and the higher costs of complying with regulations.