The British Dental Association (BDA) stated that "changes to the future provision of Health Service orthodontic treatment have to be fully explained to patients waiting for care". In order to decide which cases should be funded by the Health Service, the General Dental Services will see the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The new regulations will stipulate that Health Service orthodontic treatment will be restricted to patients who score 3.6 or more on the IOTN scale.
Peter Crooks, Chair of the BDA Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, stated that:
"The use of IOTN for assessing eligibility for Health Service orthodontic treatment represents a significant change for patients. Undoubtedly some patients with an expectation of orthodontic care will be disappointed that they will not be eligible for treatment on the health service, so it's vital that DHSSPS ensures that patients understand what the index means for them. It's also important that a 'commonsense' approach to adjudicating on borderline cases is adopted."
"Savings made from restricting the provision of orthodontics must be reinvested back into primary dental services. With the costs associated with providing dental care rising dramatically, that investment is more important than ever in meeting the requirements of dental practice."
Source:
British Dental Association (BDA)
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