The Department of Health and Children says that it hopes to provide an emergency dental service for the State's one million medical card-holders if 700 dentists carry out their threat to withdraw services at the end of the month.
It has also offered to consider increasing fees for dentists' Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) if better controls on costs can be agreed. It said it was willing to negotiate on the issue through the Health Service Employers Agency.
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) is threatening to withdraw from the DTSS because it claims the Government has breached commitments made when the scheme was introduced in 1994 that fees would match those paid by the Department of Social Welfare, Community and the Family under its dental treatment scheme for people on PRSI.
According to the general secretary of the IDA, Mr Donal Atkins, a special increase of £3.60p was introduced for amalgam fillings given under the Department of Social Welfare scheme over 18 months ago. This has never been passed on to dentists for the same work under the DTSS.