Green Shield and partners invest in community oral health project in Québec City

Clinique SPOT offers preventive oral health care services to vulnerable and marginalized individuals in the Québec Capitale-Nationale region

Québec, March 20, 2023 – Clinique SPOT has developed an innovative oral health service that helps vulnerable and marginalized individuals in the Capitale-Nationale region access the care they need. This project was brought to life thanks to a collaboration between several partners, including Green Shield, the Fondation Philanthrope Québec, the Université Laval Faculty of Dentistry and the Relais d'Espérance. All of these organizations are dedicated to championing access to oral health care, and proudly came together to support Clinique SPOT in their pioneering work.

As part of this unique project, preventive dental care services are being offered on-site at Clinique SPOT using an innovative approach designed to better serve the clinic’s targeted population. This project is made possible by a $120,000 contribution from Green Shield via a fund administered by the Fondation Québec Philanthrope.

The project comprises three core objectives, the first of which is the prevention of dental issues, which can often lead to other health concerns. The second goal is to ensure that marginalized individuals are able to access safe and dignified care, paving the way for improved wellbeing. Not only is good dental health synonymous with good overall health, but a healthy smile is often the first thing that is noticeable when meeting someone. The third objective of this project is to foster a better understanding of the needs and daily realities of marginalized people among the health care providers of the future. With that goal in mind, Clinique SPOT is offering an integrated learning opportunity for students at the Faculty of Dentistry at Université Laval.

This preventive dental care project was created to complement an existing initiative at the Relais d’Espérance that offers emergency dental care and addresses more complex cases. This initiative is also offered two days per week thanks to the support of students from the Faculty of Dentistry at Université Laval, and the creation of the new project at Clinique SPOT was sparked by their observations on the many challenges and barriers that vulnerable and marginalized people face in accessing oral health care, despite an overwhelming need among this population.

This thoughtful approach to improving access to oral health care for all, driven by partnership and collaboration, reflects the priorities and community spirit of the Capitale-Nationale region. Find more information about local community wellbeing in the recent Vital Signs report from the Fondation Québec Philanthrope.