Dental services and medical card holders

A chronically underfunded service

Sir, – Am I living in a parallel universe? Minimally invasive dentistry is a pipe dream for medical card holders (“The Irish dentistry landscape”, Special Report, February 20th).

If they can find a dentist willing to take them on, they are only allowed have two fillings per year on the scheme but an unlimited numbers of extractions. Until 15 years ago, children usually had dental check-ups in second, fourth and sixth classes through the health board dental clinics.

In some parts of the country, children get their first and only check-up in third year of secondary school.

That’s an Irish version of minimally invasive dentistry. – Yours, etc,

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MAURA CUFFE,

Tullamore,

Co Offaly.