The Real Star of the Month: My Dentist

Star
Noun.
A person who stands out for his or her talent, importance, or impact on the lives of others.

We spontaneously think of artists, athletes, and public figures.

But what if, for Oral Health Month, the real star could instead be someone who looks after your health, reassures you, listens to you, and follows up with you year after year?

In Quebec, thousands of patients enjoy a lasting relationship of trust with their dentist. A dentist’s constant, professional, human presence contributes not only to maintaining good dental health, but to preserving overall health.

This month, the Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec is focusing on these professionals who, far from the spotlight, play an essential role in their patients’ lives.

The real star of the month is your dentist.

A real relationship based on trust
• 82% of patients have a favourable opinion of dentists.*
• 89% believe they play just as important a role as doctors.
• 80% are loyal to their dentist.
• 58% have been going to the same dental clinic for 5 years or more.
• 72% had a dental exam in the past year.

Behind these statistics lies a strong, lasting human relationship based on trust.

An experience that makes all the difference
The quality of care and the welcome you receive at the clinic are very important:
• 88% of patients say they are satisfied with their experience at the clinic.
• 83% consider quality of care to be very important.
• 84% follow their recommended treatment plan.
• 64% of the population visits the dentist at least once every 12 months.

Because a dental appointment is not just a medical check-up. It is a human experience.

Your dentist plays an essential role in your overall health. Regular examination of your mouth by a dentist can help prevent and detect problems at an early stage, when it is much less complicated to treat them.

Your dentist is familiar with the 200 or so diseases and injuries that can affect your mouth. That is why, during your oral exam, your dedicated professional carefully assesses your teeth, your gums, the soft tissues under your tongue, your palate, the inside of your cheeks and your glands, to name but a few, to ensure that your mouth and surrounding tissues (e.g., joints, sinuses) are in good health. Your dentist is the only dental professional qualified to examine your mouth, make a diagnosis, and establish a treatment plan.

And patients agree:
84% follow their recommended treatment plan.
What more proof do you need of the trust placed in dental professionals?

Don’t forget to see your dentist every year.
And maybe say a nice word when you do. Real stars deserve to be applauded too.

*Source: Survey on the perception of dentists 2025 conducted by Ad Hoc Research

The ACDQ would like to thank Mercredi Studio for illustrating the love patients feel for their dentist.