Homa F, Jacqueline R, Christophe B. Moving towards social dentistry: How do dentists perceive the Montreal-Toulouse model? Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2023; DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12859.

Practitioners rarely see beyond their individual patients.

The Montreal-Toulouse model encourages dentists to look wider than the specific biomedical aetiologies of oral disease. It encourages dentists to take three types of actions - understanding, decision making, intervening - at three different levels - individual, community, societal. The individual level sets out to understand patients' expectations, the social determinants of their oral health and to jointly formulate treatment goals. At a community level, dentists are encouraged to learn about local demographics and co-partner with other medical providers. Societal level includes understanding the political and economic structures which impact oral health and advocating for change.

In interviewing 14 dentists with experience of teaching and general practice to understand their reaction to the model, the authors found that while person-centred care was central to the interviewees' practice, interest in the model declined as community and societal concepts were introduced. 'Business concerns are always at the forefront of dentists' thoughts.' The authors suggest oral health care provision should move from a market-based system to one which is socially orientated.