The Montreal-Toulouse model invites practitioners to rethink the role of the dentist within broader society. “We know that there’s a social contract between health professionals and society. Each professional has a duty to act for the wider collective health.” as much time as one might think, explains Dr. Bedos. “What I propose may take an additional three minutes. What sometimes holds people back is the fear of the unknown,” he says. To support this approach, the model comes with a list of questions. Not a checklist per se, but a reflective tool to restructure thinking and practice. These questions can help dentists explore the patient’s context, their own positioning and any potential biases or assumptions. Toward a Connected, Sustainable and Human Dentistry The Montreal-Toulouse model invites practitioners to rethink the role of the dentist within broader society. Beyond the clinic, Dr. Bedos proposes taking a civic-minded posture. “We know that there’s a social contract between health professionals and society. Each professional has a duty to act for the wider collective health,” he says. to practising professionals and aims to bridge the gap between technical expertise and social engagement. “We’re trying to build something on a small-scale initially, but with a potentially much larger effect,” says Dr. Bedos. “What we’re doing now in education is just the first step, but for some students, it will plant a seed.” He also encourages expanding interprofessional collaborations with social sciences, occupational therapy, public health, and ecology. Care Differently for Better Care Shifting towards more of a biopsychosocial model may seem unrealistic and utopian, but Dr. Bedos believes that it’s attainable. “It’s an invitation to reorient dental practice more towards human relationships. It doesn’t have to deny the biomedical foundations of our profession, but expanding our scope can remind our colleagues that behind every tooth is a person, and behind every person, a story,” he says. According to Dr. Bedos, in a health care system undergoing profound change—with the implementation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, increasing concerns about access and equity, and the climate and ecological changes—dentists have a central, strategic role to play. “People often tell me, they don’t have time for these sorts of things. But the quality of the relationship, the trust, the patient loyalty you gain far outweighs the time invested,” he says. This model can also bring renewed energy to a profession sometimes plagued by isolation, fatigue, and economic pressures. “Dentistry is a difficult profession, but the biopsychosocial model is a way to care for yourself by caring for others,” says Dr. Bedos. Dr. Christophe Bedos (PhD in Public Health) is a professor with the faculty of dental medicine and oral health sciences of McGill University and adjunct professor with the school of public health of Université de Montréal. In a small community this role is obvious—everyone knows the mayor, the local school principal or the pharmacist. But in larger urban settings, these connections must be built by joining networks and getting more involved locally. “This civic-minded approach also benefits the dental professional. It’s uplifting to know that your community sees you and respects you for your engagement,” says Dr. Bedos. Incorporating such changes also requires a shift in training at the university level and more advocacy for curriculum reform. “The majority of university professors are clinicians rooted in the biomedical model. But students who are sensitive to these questions are emerging, and some pilot programs are being developed to meet this need,” says Dr. Bedos. He is working on establishing a 12- to 15-credit microprogram at McGill, in partnership with the University of Toulouse. This program would be available 20 | 2025 | Issue 6 Issues and People
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