The Consumers’ Association of Ireland

45 Years of Independent Representation

1966 – 2011
The Consumers' Association of Ireland is a wholly independent, non-profit,
non-government organisation registered with charitable status. CHY No. 8559.
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Telephone: 01 – 497 8600 Dermott Jewell CEO 087 230 7496

PRESS RELEASE
****EMBARGO Till Midnight Tuesday 3rd May

CAI INVESTIGATION FINDS UNREGISTERED AND UNREGULATED

PROVIDERS INAPPROPRIATELY TREATING DENTURE PATIENTS.

Adequate consumer protection is lacking in the provision of dentures in Ireland. A Consumer

Choice investigation has found unregistered, unregulated providers are potentially treating
consumers needing dentures.

Since 2008 a new class of dental worker was established, the clinical dental technician who
can directly provide dentures to consumers. This change in how dental services are provided in
Ireland was intended to increase competition delivering better value and more choice for
consumers. But competition among properly qualified clinical dental technicians is low, of which
there are 15 on the regulator’s register. However, a situation has developed where denture
providers who have not gained the relevant qualifications to treat consumers directly are
operating alongside clinical dental technicians who have.

By law unqualified denture providers can only provide dentures to dentists, and not directly to
consumers. The Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) wished to establish if dentures are
being provided direct to consumers by unregulated providers - despite such providers not
having the adequate clinical qualification deemed sufficient to treat consumers.

We found 38 providers operating in the Dublin area and advertising denture services. Of these,
only found 5 are on the Dental Council register. The CAI contacted a random sample of the 33
unregistered Dublin denture providers and asked if they would provide dentures to a relative to
replace some missing teeth. Our research found that all except one said they would. In fact,
over 80% of providers in our survey agreed to provide denture services directly to consumers,
despite not being registered.

Dermott Jewell, CEO of the Consumers’ Association of Ireland stated that

“We have provided the names and addresses of those we sampled and who appear to
be in breach of the law directly to the Registrar of the Dental Council. The Registrar has
advised that this is a matter of concern to the Council as the practice of dentistry by a
non-registrant may constitute a criminal offence under Section 51 of the Dentists Act,
1985.
This blatant disregard for the law and the health and entitlements of consumers, if and
when acknowledged to be a criminal act, requires immediate and punitive action by the
Dental Council. We eagerly await their considered opinion”

The research uncovered that consumers are potentially exposed to unregulated and
unregistered denture providers in Ireland. This leaves consumers exposed to receiving denture
treatment by those not adequately qualified to do so and also compromising the oral health of
consumers.

The CAI advises consumers who need new dentures or have issues with their existing
dentures to check their denturist is on the Dental Council’s register. If consumers have now or
in the past had issues they should now report these to the Dental Council and the CAI.

The full report is published in the May issue of Consumer Choice, the Consumers’ Association
of Ireland monthly magazine. For further information, please contact CAI on (01) 497 8600 or
cai@consumerassociation.ie

ENDS

• Editors Notes:
Consumer Choice is published monthly by the Consumers' Association of Ireland
(CAI) limited, a wholly independent, non-government, non-profit making body. Charity
No. CHY 8559.
• Consumer Choice does not carry any advertising. For that reason it can offer readers
an unbiased view of all the products and services they review.
• Consumer Choice is available through a subscription of €24 per quarter direct from the
Consumers' Association of Ireland, - contact subscriptions at
cai@consumerassociation.ie www.thecai.ie or call subscriptions on (01) 497 8811.
• Reports in Consumer Choice are based on market research, laboratory tests or user
surveys, all of which are independently and scientifically conducted. All reports are
produced by the editorial staff. Some material is occasionally drawn from other foreign
independent consumer magazines.
• Reports cannot be reproduced without the prior consent of the Editor.