A study of factors affecting dental expenditures in Quebec: 1962-1991

The issue of dental manpower planning has received considerable attention in Quebec in recent years. Quebec dentists agree that there is a need for detailed information regarding the impact of economic factors on the supply of and demand for dental care in the province. This study examines the impact of economic factors on dental care expenditures in Quebec between 1962 and 1991. The functional form of the econometric model used by the authors is similar to the one used in a study of the growth of the U.S. dental sector between 1950 and 1989. The dependent variable is per capita dental expenditure, and the three independent variables are: dentist/population ratio, per capita personal disposable income; and percentage of the population with dental insurance coverage. All data come from secondary sources. The findings indicate that per capita dental expenditure has grown substantially in Quebec over the past three decades, with the rate of growth slowing dramatically during the 1980s. Dental insurance coverage, the number of dentists in the community and the disposable income of the population all have a positive impact on dental expenditure in Quebec. However, it is clear that the incomes of Quebec dentists may decrease in the future if: no restrictions are placed on the number of new dental graduates entering the profession; dental insurance programs are curtailed; or dental disease levels continue to fall.