The Dutch dentists’ association ANT is highly critical of health ministry suggestions that dental hygienists be allowed to give injections, drill teeth and place fillings.

The ministry wants to expand the work which dental hygienists are allowed to do from 2017 but dentists say the measure is a way of cutting spending on healthcare by the back door.

While dental hygienists do very valuable work in monitoring patients’ oral health, ANT director Jan Willem Vaartjes said in a statement allowing them to do the work of dentists will increase costs and confuse patients.

‘In addition, this measure will not serve the quality of dental services or guarantee patient safety,’ he said.

The dentists’ association wants the government instead to increase the number of university places for dental students in an effort to stem the shortage of qualified dentists.