The Quebec health care system is based on the principle of universality, one that ensures financial accessibility and equity of care. At a time when public financing of health care systems in countries facing economic constraints is at issue, dental health care, which organized and distributed by the private sector is often held up us an example of success in Quebec by those defend private financing. However as dental care is excluded from the universal health insurance, accessibility is restricted. Oral health is affected, and teeth loss is more widespread in the disadvantages (Brodeur, 2000). Indeed, several epidemiologic studies underline the poor oral health of underprivileged of populations (Brodeur, 1995; Mizrahi, 1994) whose needs in terms of dental care are greater (Damiano, 1992; Rizk, 1994).;Our research is focus on the exclusion of dental care in universal health insurance programs, the adoption of dental health programs. In the past, researchers have shown little interest in analysing public dental health policies and their evolution in spite of fragile attempts to regulate oral health care.;Through this project, we seek to understand the historical reasons and factors that determined the exclusion of dental care in the universal health program and vulnerability of the oral health programs that was established between 1974 and 1983. Our research is focus on intervention in terms of financing and payment of dental health care services, concentrating on the period between 1970 and 1996. Our methodology is based on conceptual model in which services financing terms stems from a compromise reached among the irreducible tensions of regulatory logic (professional logic, technocratic logic, economic logic and democratic logic) (Contandriopoulos, 1999). It is based on the semi-structured interview with the various interested parties and on the study of secondary and primary sources. The documentary study is focused on the primary sources and secondary concerning the period around the Commission Hall and the Commission Castonguay. Archives, Commission Reports, memories submitted to the commissions, official publications, professional press and national press are the subject of our examination. The triangulation of the data collected aimed at establishing their agreement.;Finding enable us to bring to light the dominating role of democratic logic. Thus, the absence of universal dental coverage and the vulnerability of targeted dental programs are the result of a absence of democratic pressure as dental health does not constitute an electoral stake for political parties. Social representation of dental health, marked by a little importance afforded dental health as opposed to general health, as well as commercial perception of dentists are the main factors underlying absence of pressure.;The social recognition, the evolution of abstracts knowledge coupled with a clearer understanding of the link between dental health and general health and the delimitation of the professional field constitute the three major issues that need to be addressed for the future of our profession.;Keywords: Dental health, dental services, dental insurance, dental profession, social representation, international comparison.
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