Leavy P, Fleming P, Daly B, Barry S, Burke S. Primary oral healthcare in Ireland: a health systems analysis of publicly funded contracted services delivered by the general dental practitioner workforce. BMC Health Serv Res 2025; 25: 802.

…is becoming less popular for GDPs?

In most countries, oral healthcare is primarily delivered through private general dental practices. State-funded dentistry uses contractual arrangements with such practices to supply services, but is reliant on sufficient numbers of dentists being wiling to opt in to such schemes.

In Ireland, two schemes operate for adults: the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) and the Dental Treatment Benefit Scheme (DTBS). DTSS is a means-tested system, offering free examination, scaling, two fillings, extractions and emergency treatment per calendar year. Any other treatment is subject to prior approval by local managers. DTBS offers free annual examination and scaling to those insured but all other treatment is paid for out of pocket by the patient.

The number of dentists contracting to DTSS has fallen overall in recent years (2016 = 1,664; 2023 = 787) with reasons reported as including suboptimal remuneration, constraints on clinical autonomy and burdensome administration. The number of contracts did increase, however, during earlier periods of economic difficulties and recession, perhaps offering dentists some level of regular income in hard times.