In the continuing row with the Irish Dental Association, the Department of Social and Family Affairs has stated that from today it will no longer accept claims from dentists who are charging increased rates to people entitled to benefit through PRSI.
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, said the Department understood that many dentists were imposing increases on patients seeking treatment under the PRSI Dental Benefit Scheme.
"Our customers' welfare is our priority and with this in mind we cannot continue to do business with dentists who charge more than the contracted rates," the Minister said.
She said she would continue to fully honour contractural obligations under the scheme.
The Minister advised patients to check that their dentist was not imposing increased charges before starting treatment.
If the dentist indicated that he or she was not working within the contract fee structure, patients were advised to contact the Department directly, where they would be provided with the name of a dentist who was continuing to operate under the contract. The Department would continue to accept claims in these cases.
Earlier this year, the IDA told dentists to make their own arrangements with patients as to how much they should be paid.
In an advertisement in March the IDA advised all PRSI patients "to discuss the cost of treatment with your family dentist and, having taken into account benefits from your PRSI contributions, agree the balance due, if any".