Can you get implants on the medical card

margam1

I visited my dentist after many years due to acute fear. My 3 lower front teeth are in a very bad state and was told that as I was on the medical card that the only course of option open to me is dentures. I am 45 years old and really don't want to go down that road however the impact of having rotten front teeth is overwhelming me now.
Surely this can not be the case. Can anyone advise me as it is seriously affecting my life now.

Thank you

**** Mod edit, THESE ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS PEOPLE **********

Outkast_IRE

Is there anyway you could affoard a payment plan with the dentist to pay off weekly and then you could pick better options

DaveTwenty7

Unfortunately implants are not covered just acrylic dentures as your dentist said.
The first thing that you need to do before considering any advanced treatments, be it implants, bridges etc is get your mouth disease free. That is get any tooth decay and gum disease treated and under control otherwise you will only be throwing away good money.
Best of luck with it all

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Short answer is no, however you could try one of the two dental hospitals cork or dublin.

margam1

I think this is an awful situation ...but thank you for your replies

georgieporgy

are your 3 front teeth loose and beyond saving? if they are not loose but simply quite rotten it may be possible to salvage them with root canal treatment? even if they are a bit loose it could still buy you some time.

What you need to find out is, medical card and cost issues aside, is there any possibility of restoring these teeth. If there is, then that would be your best option.

margam1

The sad thing is the dentist said that they are salvageable with root treatment and crowns or more extensively with implants but the only option he offered on the medical card is dentures and quite frankly I can't afford expensive treatment. It has gone past the stage of leaving them as I have isolated myself socially because of them and have turned interviews done due to embarrassment. I have called around but not getting a definitive answer from any health board.

georgieporgy

You can get root canal done on front teeth on medical card. ( not every dentist willing to do it as fees are about one third the going rate) But if you phone around you may find someone. Then the tooth can be built up with white filling material and look 'real' again. Not a permanent fix but good for a few years.

margam1

oh really !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! see that's what wasn't explained ....thank you now i have something else to go on ....

georgieporgy

you better hurry as the powers that be are threatening cutbacks to the dental care budget.

Kristopherus

georgieporgy wrote: »

You can get root canal done on front teeth on medical card. ( not every dentist willing to do it as fees are about one third the going rate) But if you phone around you may find someone. Then the tooth can be built up with white filling material and look 'real' again. Not a permanent fix but good for a few years.

You most certainly can not. No private dentist will carry out anything beyond basic repair/replacement under the medical card scheme. They will not be paid by the state. Anthing extra that they do is out of their own (or your) pocket. And that dosent happen very often. OP your situation did'nt happen overnight. You are on a very sticky wicket now. Possibly your best bet would be to get a referral for one of the Dental Hospitals. Do this through your GP.

georgieporgy

In our office we have no difficulty doing rootcanal treatment on front teeth for med card pts and are reimbursed by the State. Albeit a small fee.

digzy

margam1 wrote: »

I think this is an awful situation ...but thank you for your replies

Yeah it's some situation in which you find yourself. you'd think the state would fork out the 6k for your implants. Maybe while they're at it they should extend the med card so you get a house on shrewsbury road and a 7 series so you can drive to the specialist.
Sorry to be so harsh but at 45 years old you should know how life works. Usually the most expensive item is what we want but unfortunately sometimes one cant afford it. Take your dentist's advice and move on. So many people spend ages tormenting themselves 'tyrekicking' over complicated dental treatment which in so many cases they're unsuitable for or can never afford.

Big_G

Wow. Some of us think things, and some of us say them.

margam1

lol thought I was back in school in front of the head mistress

Vodkat

If im not mistaken but from what i have heard since the cutbacks on the medical cards, you have missed your chance. My friend whos a dental nurse is finished her job on March 31st because all treatments covered by medical card had to be completed by that date. As 75% of their patients are medical card holders, she will no longer be needed as people are less likely to go to the dentist now they have to pay from their own pocket. I may be very wrong, but it was something along those lines.....

MoyVilla9

I was about to launch into a tirade against a dimwitted blond who was wondering can she get her breast implants on the medical cards. (Linked from Thread of the Day)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Thats the PRSI scheme you are referring to Vodkat which ended in March.

However there is problems with the medical card also, while the budget has been frozen at 2008 levels, there are now some 400,000 more people with medical cards meaning less per card holder. This will cause a problem in the later part of the year, what problems are yet to be seen. See link here

http://www.dentist.ie/resources/news/showarticle.jsp?id=934

The medical card covers only basic dental work. Silver fillings on back teeth, white fillings on the front 6 teeth top and bottom. Root canal for from 6 teeth top and bottom, cleanings and basic gum treatment, extractions and plastic dentures. Advanced treatment such as implants, crowns, bridges, veneers, white fillings on back teeth, advanced gum treatments, specialist treatments, braces for adults or milder child case etc. are not covered as the are seen by the PTB as elective and cosmetic.

The Dental Hospitals are sometimes willing to do implants for medical card holders however it depends on waiting lists and funding.

Vodkat

Emery Eager Schoolmaster wrote: »

Thats the PRSI scheme you are referring to Vodkat which ended in March.

However there is problems with the medical card also, while the budget has been frozen at 2008 levels, there are now some 400,000 more people with medical cards meaning less per card holder. This will cause a problem in the later part of the year, what problems are yet to be seen. See link here

http://www.dentist.ie/resources/news/showarticle.jsp?id=934

The medical card covers only basic dental work. Silver fillings on back teeth, white fillings on the front 6 teeth top and bottom. Root canal for from 6 teeth top and bottom, cleanings and basic gum treatment, extractions and plastic dentures. Advanced treatment such as implants, crowns, bridges, veneers, white fillings on back teeth, advanced gum treatments, specialist treatments, braces for adults or milder child case etc. are not covered as the are seen by the PTB as elective and cosmetic.

The Dental Hospitals are sometimes willing to do implants for medical card holders however it depends on waiting lists and funding.

I obviously dont pay to much attention to my friend.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

So long as you all get the message that the government are cutting / have cut dental benefit to everyone, med card holders, PRSI patients and cut tax relief to private patients and those on PRSI for non routine treatments. This is death by a thousands cuts to dental health in ireland. Welcome back to the toothless smile of the 1950's and 60's. Your tax euro goes to pay off national dept now, not for the health of the population.

Don't even get me started on the need for special care dentistry for the physically and mentally handicapped, thats criminally under-serviced

I wonder how much the recent name changes of the various government departments will cost in changing signs, letter heads, websites and badges ????

digzy

Given that at present health Board dentists are snowed under with their own patients how on earth will they cope with all these people who have their cover slashed by the state. It is a complete disgrace given the proliferation of ab resistance microbes that HSE would suggest ab's as a solution to dental pain. We're sowing the seeds for future disasters with this option. ethically I cant see GDPs prescribing ABs where there's no clinical need. I hope the IDA are listened to on this one.

margam1

digzy I found your reply to my legitimate problem very discourteous and quite frankly uncalled for .... I have worked all my life and now like 240,000 other ppl find myself without a job. All i asked was there an alternative to have to get dentures fitted. I was unaware that there were other options open to me until i was informed in here that there maybe

As the wonderful quote goes 'We are judged by our words' ask what yours said of you ???

digzy

margam1 wrote: »

digzy I found your reply to my legitimate problem very discourteous and quite frankly uncalled for .... I have worked all my life and now like 240,000 other ppl find myself without a job. All i asked was there an alternative to have to get dentures fitted. I was unaware that there were other options open to me until i was informed in here that there maybe

As the wonderful quote goes 'We are judged by our words' ask what yours said of you ???

I didn't reply to your problem (for which I do empathise). I replied to your disappointment that the state wont fork out for your dental implants. I also empathise with your personal situation. However, you give phobia as a reason for not getting your dental treatment sorted earlier. A filling/extraction is a much simpler treatment than an Implant. Nobody here knows your case like your own dentist. Thats why I suggested you take his advice. I know nothing about the potential of your jaw to take an Implant. Maybe It's not an option for you-physiologically or financially.

What i find amazing is the cohort of the population who expect to get things for free. Do you not realise that there isn't a bottomless pit of cash to nuture you. Once again I do feel for you, but get real here.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I suppose in a way I agree with digzy. The cost of providing you with two implants and a bridge would probably treat 20 patients with physical disabilities, limited resources must be dispersed for the greatest good to the greatest number of most needy people, this is the crux of public health.

In another way, I sympathize that you paid tax all your working life and now cannot get the treatment you want.

Again I will say Dental Hospital Cork or Dublin, get a letter from your dentist and get on the waiting list.........do it.....do it now....

digzy

As a wise man once said, "it's very difficult to get dental treatment in the dental hospital". At the time I thought it was a ridiculous statement but as the years passed I saw what he meant. The wheels move very slowly so if you've plenty time to spare and dont mind a serious amount of visits by all means go ahead.

georgieporgy

For a small fee I'm willing to give a one-to-one seminar on how to build a successful practice for younger practitioners.

Tip #1 (offered here for free) : be nice to your patients. They pay your wages and they tell all their friends about you.:o

btkm8unsl0w5r4

georgieporgy wrote: »

For a small fee I'm willing to give a one-to-one seminar on how to build a successful practice for younger practitioners.

Tip #1 (offered here for free) : be nice to your patients. They pay your wages and they tell all their friends about you.:o

So should Medical Card dentists be nice to Mary Hearney

georgieporgy

I suppose it's ok to make the odd exception.

But, joking aside, to get back to the OP's problem. She doesn't need implants. She doesn't want extractions. She appears to have been prejudged (because she has a medical card)and offered an ultimatum by her dentist. He told her the teeth could be fixed with root canal and crowns . So why are we even contemplating extractions let alone implants.

As it stands at the moment, the med card will fund root canal and fillings on those teeth. So why not let her choose that option? The dentist providing the service won't get rich but he will have a new friend and a new referral source.

When patients visit the dentist they don't want to be scolded for having rotten teeth. They want their rotten teeth fixed. I love to see people with rotten teeth walking in my door. I have no use at all for patients with good teeth.

margam1

Georgieporgy thank you for your sound advice. I had no knowledge of any of these procedures but armed with this I can now go back with confidence to my dentist and discuss my options. It was in fact the dentist that spoke of implants not me.

thank you again

Big_G

The problem with med card referrals, Georgie, is that they are often other med cards of late. Not very valuable in practice building if you ask me, especially considering the med card is bankrupt.

I agree with digzy and fitzgeme. Healthcare costs money, lets get rid of the sense of entitlement in this country and we might get somewhere.

georgieporgy

Big_G I certainly agree with those comments too and don't want to give the impression that I like the med card scheme or advocate building a practice that would be dependent on it. Far from . I hate it.

But..... things have changed in the country lately. We can't presume the med card pts walking in our doors now are all useless layabouts. We have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Many of them have recently lost good jobs. They won't always remain med card pts. Others are the genuine poor who actually deserve a card.

I don't want us blaming the patients for the present mess and I don't want them blaming us. Meanwhile I am keeping an eye on prospects in Australia and am brushing up my Spanish. If I work for nothing in Spain at least I'll get a sun tan.

As each week goes by I am more inclined to think that the only answer is flee the country.