Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) is working to establish clearer legal regulations for emergency dental services.
Currently, it is unclear how many dentists participate in emergency duty services in each province or municipality. Although professional associations drafted their own rules for these services in 2022, and some hospitals organise them, certain regions lack on-call dentists entirely, while calls in other areas reportedly go unanswered.
There is no oversight by federal bodies like the supervisory commission or the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (Riziv) regarding these services or dentists’ compensation.
Vandenbroucke, in response to a written query from Vooruit MP Jan Bertels, stated that he is collaborating with professional organisations to create a clear legal framework. This would formalise the structure of organised emergency dental services and grant oversight bodies access to duty lists.
The aim is to ensure patients have access to reliable information on where to find emergency dental care outside regular hours. It will also provide dentists with assurance of fair compensation for their participation in on-call services.
“This is good news for both dentists and patients,” Bertels said. “Patients will benefit from a clear overview of available emergency care, while dentists can count on fair remuneration for their essential service. That’s only fair.”
