# Dental Benefits



## Chuckles (23 Oct 2008)

Does anyone know what entitlements we have in respect of dental benefits? My wife went for a 6 monthly check up and without any other work taking place or indeed needed, except a cleaning, they charged €40.00 with a PRSI No. provided... It was my No. as she is a stay at home housewife and mother.

Would this charge be fairly standard or does it differ from practice to practice?

Thanks in advance!


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## Welfarite (24 Oct 2008)

Not really a SW query? More a comusmer issue? Here are the benefits covered by SW.


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## Chuckles (24 Oct 2008)

Thanks for that...!


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## paulacadwell (24 Oct 2008)

hi 

i rang around the other day about this and it seemed without a medical card the norm is €30 for an examination and an extra €30 for a clean


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## Henny Penny (26 Oct 2008)

Did your wife fill up a PRSI claim form? I have never had to pay the dentist -go every 6 months for clean and check up. PRSI covers this. I too was a SAHM for a number of years and always claimed on Mr. HPs PRSI. No harm in questioning charge - some dentists may charge and refund you when they get the PRSI refund.


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## markowitzman (26 Oct 2008)

check up covered once per year


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## billyjoja (27 Oct 2008)

markowitzman said:


> check up covered once per year


 
 Last week my daughter asked me to check if my dentist covered cleaning under the PRSI scheme. News to me - but seems some dentists have pulled out of the PRSI scheme.


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## chrisboy (27 Oct 2008)

markowitzman said:


> check up covered once per year




twice per year..


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## anon473 (16 Jan 2009)

looking at http://www.welfare.ie/EN/publications/sw24/Pages/1WhatisTreatmentBenefit.aspx it appears that the spouse must be in receipt of carers allowance (which is means tested) so many SAHMs wouldnt necessarily qualify. Is this new or has this always been the case.
anon473


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## gipimann (17 Jan 2009)

You only have to meet one of the 4 conditions (copied below as written on the website) to qualify as a dependant spouse, not all 4. The website doesn't make that clear.

"You can get Treatment Benefit on your spouse's or partner's PRSI record provided they satisfy the qualifying contribution conditions and you are dependent on your spouse or partner.


To be dependent on your spouse or partner, you:​
have a gross income of €76.18 or less per week,
earn more than €76.18 per week and were dependent on your spouse or partner before entering or resuming insurable employment at *Class A, E, H *or *P*,
are *not *getting a social welfare payment (except Disablement Pension, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Child Benefit),
are getting Carer's Allowance or the State Pension (Non-Contributory) in your own right and were dependent on your spouse or partner immediately prior to getting the Allowance or Pension. "
I've sent a note to DSFA asking them to clarify the text on the website to avoid mis-interpretation of the information given.


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## markowitzman (17 Jan 2009)

> twice per year..


wrong!
once per year......scaling twice per year


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## griswold (18 Jan 2009)

All though a routine clean is supposed to be free (for PRSI qualified adults) every six months, a lot of dentists put a surcharge on it of 30 - 50 euro. Not all do though.
Technically the dentist is in breach of his contract with the DSFA.


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## markowitzman (18 Jan 2009)

> Technically the dentist is in breach of his contract with the DSFA.


code 051 treatment of preexisting gum condition provides for the surcharge.


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## caracian (30 Jan 2009)

Hi Markowitzman,

Are minor dependent children also entitled through an adult paying full prsi, to have yearly check up and clean free. Mine are charged same price as me, €60.00 for this. They are hardly likely at such a young age (10 & 7) to have this gum condition that dentists are charging under. 

Older child is 14 and needs a brace, I assume as he is gone from Primary school, this can't be done by State, certainly not category A, probably not even category B, private orthodontist recommended brace.. 

Accepted and paid all fees when times were good, now it's tight.


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## markowitzman (30 Jan 2009)

minor dependent not covered to my knowledge but contact dscfa to verify.


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## caracian (2 Feb 2009)

Thanks for reply.

No kids not covered.


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## mrsc (25 Mar 2009)

how can you find out what dentists take PRSI, ive heard a lot dont, my filling has come loose and my tooth chipped and going travelling in 4weeks so cant afford to pay cash up front so would be handy to hand in PRSI number..
anybody know plz??


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## Berni (25 Mar 2009)

There is a list of participating dentists here http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/dentists/Pages/dentistlist.aspx

Make sure to tell them when booking your appointment that you want to claim on your prsi, so they can check that you qualify beforehand. Otherwise, they may ask you to pay up front and reclaim it later.


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## markowitzman (25 Mar 2009)

it is the patient's responsibility to verify eligibility.
there is no requirement onthe dentist to refund in the case of eligibility not being verified.


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## samanthajane (25 Mar 2009)

Have a little story for you all.....now i dont think this would be any good if you were just looking for a check up or a clean but if you need anything else done it could be helpfull.

Move to london last year to do a college course, had to go in for 1 filling, at the time of my appointment my daughters father was over visiting and he happened to come with me. While i was being drilled away ( such fun ) he was gasing to the receptionist. He had had a check up a month before( in ireland ) and was told he needed 3 fillings. Was going to cost around 300 euro i think, but he had to wait to book the appointment because he didn't have the money.After i was finished the recepionist asked if he wanted to make an appointment for him to get his teeth sorted out. It would only cost £40.80 under the nhs ( it covers a check up, x-rays and up to 4 fillings, the next opion up is i think around £100 pound and thats for unlimited fillings root canals ect ect ) I told her that he couldn't get it done in the uk as he's not a resident, he doesn't work here and he doesn't live has no N.I number ( I'm english so i already have one ) he's only over visiting. She told us that doesn't matter you dont need to give your N.I number all you need is an english address and he used mine. 

So he made an appointment to come over in 3 weeks time (€20 with ryanair both ways including taxes ) he had his appointment on the monday where they did x-rays, turns out he needs 4 fillings, and on the tuesday he got all his fillings done, clean, polish the works all for the lovely price of £40.80. This was 7 months ago i still think a huge bill is going to come through the door but it never has! 

You have to go to a dentist that is in the catchment area of the address where you are living/staying, cause he was thinking of going up to the north instead of flying over as he's only a 40 min drive from the border. But he couldn't do that he had to go to my dentist. But if your every visiting anyone in the uk and need a bit of work done, as them to make an appointment for you with their dentist. Make sure you get them to pencil in another appointment while your over there just incase you need something done, if you dont then they can cancel and there's no harm done.


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