Overview
Located in Eastern Quebec and on the edge of the St. Lawrence River, this region is often known for tourism. Benefits in terms of quality of life and choices in recreational activities, sports and schools go hand in hand with settling in this territory.
Distribution of dental professionals
In Bas-Saint-Laurent, dentists are mainly located in the most populated areas of this region (Rivière-du-Loup and Rimouski). An adequate distribution of dentists is extremely important, since 53.9% of the population live in rural areas (Développement économique, 2011). The territories of Témiscouata, Les Basques, Matane and La Matapédia have a relatively low ratio of dentists per 5000 inhabitants and are spread over a large territory (a dentist every 500 to 1000 km2).
Depleting dental workforce is the biggest concern. When a dentist takes his retirement, about 2000 patients have to find a new dentist. In addition, the sale of dental clinics by retiring dentists seems very difficult because the graduates show very little interest in getting established in rural areas. If the situation does not improve, clinics will be overloaded and waiting times for a routine visit will be longer.