The ACDQ believes that Bill 29 threatens the quality of dental care provided to Quebecers

MONTREAL, June 5, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Dr. Serge Langlois, President of the Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec (ACDQ), has reservations about the bill introduced today, entitled An Act to amend the Professional Code and other provisions in particular in the oral health and applied sciences sectors, and believes that, contrary to what the bill suggests, the oral health of Quebecers can only be ensured by dentists, who lead teams of professionals.

The President of the ACDQ, which represents 4,300 dentists in Quebec, is convinced of this position after the bill's first reading. "As presented, this bill will have major consequences for the oral health of Quebecers and will not improve the quality or accessibility of care in any way. In fact, the proposed changes will instead result in reduced access to a complete oral health examination, which only dentists can perform. This is a major step backward for dental health in general. That is why we demand that the bill be referred to a parliamentary committee for consultation, so that the government can hear all the parties involved and then make an informed decision," stated Dr. Langlois, President of the ACDQ.

Bill 29 is inapplicable because the professional orders must first agree on practice guidelines before it is passed. Under the bill, the government entrusts entire facets of healthcare to individuals who do not have the required training, which threatens the quality of dental care received by Quebecers.

Dr. Langlois also points out that Quebec has an effective organizational model for health care, a model based on dental clinics where dentists and their teams, including hygienists, work closely together in a unique environment to provide their patients the wide range of treatments they require. As the only professionals with a university degree in dental medicine, dentists perform examinations, establish diagnoses and develop treatment plans, which are preconditions for any treatment performed by hygienists, as stipulated in the regulations currently in force. The same principle applies to certain implant treatments which, according the bill, may now be performed by denturologists.  

Finally, it is critical for dentists to be at the centre of the oral healthcare services that are provided to the entire population in Quebec.

SOURCE Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec (ACDQ)