A preliminary report from the Competition Authority has found that prices of dental services in Ireland are consistently rising faster than the rate of general health inflation.
The Authority is critical of the layers of unnecessary laws and regulations that the dental profession operates under and says that competition is not working well for customers of dental services. It believes that competition in the sector is actively being discouraged.
The reports cites examples including the fact that the Dental Council bans dentists from offering discounts to consumers and that it is illegal for suitably qualified professionals to offer basic dental services directly to consumers.
Between 1990 and 2004, the Consumer Price Index increased by 56 per cent, health inflation grew by 129 per cent, while dental fees increased by 140 per cent, according to data from the Central Statistics Office.
As a result the Competition Authority says it is no surprise that consumers are travelling to other countries for dental services.
The report makes 13 recommendations for how competition can be introduced.
These include allowing dental hygienists and dental technicians to operate independently and to be directly reimbursed for treatments provided under the State schemes. It also calls on the Dental Council to recognise the profession of dental technician and to allow foreign qualified dental technicians to work in Ireland.
The Competition Authority believes that the Higher Education Authority should review the number of training places for dentists and unnecessary restrictions on advertising.
According to Declan Purcell, Director of the Competition Authority's Advocacy Division, "The implementation of the Competition Authority's recommendations will lead to a modern system of regulation for the dental profession. This will ensure that the health and safety of the public is protected, while at the same time encouraging value for money and choice in dental services.
In contrast a report on the market for opticians services finds that competition is working well.
This is because optometrists are not bound by unnecessary restrictions found in other professions and consumers benefit from having a choice in how to avail of optometry services.
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) said that it broadly welcomed the thrust of the reports recommendations.
However, it warned that policymakers could not apply a purely economic approach to healthcare issues; "while we will endorse any responsible proposals to encourage competitiveness within the profession, we could not support any proposals which prioritise competitiveness over patient welfare.
"Dentists - like other healthcare practitioners - have a duty of care with respect to their patients which must not be sacrificed on the altar of competition. There is an over-riding requirement to ensure the protection of the public." The IDA also said that consumers should be aware that 80 per cent of the population are entitled to free or subsidised dental care from their local dentist but because of the lack of promotion of this by Government, only a fraction of those entitled to actually took advantage of this facility.