The Ordre des dentistes du Québec Announces the Recipients of its 2013 Hommage and Honneur Awards

MONTREAL, May 24, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - On May 26, Dr. Barry Dolman, President of the Ordre des dentistes du Québec (ODQ), will present the Order's 2013 Prix Hommage to Dr. Denys F. Ruel at a special President's evening to be held in conjunction with the Journées dentaires internationales du Québec. At that time, Dr. Dolman will also award the Order's very first Prix Honneur to Jean-Pierre Léger, President and CEO of Groupe St-Hubert.

Caring for vulnerable patients
Dr. Denys F. Ruel was chosen to receive the 2013 Prix Hommage because of his continuing commitment to prevention and oral health promotion and his remarkable work with the most vulnerable members of society.

Dr. Ruel holds a Doctor in Dental Medicine (1983) degree and a specialized graduate diploma in public dental health (2004) from the Université de Montréal. He was in private practice until 2011, and then joined the dental clinic of the Centre Jeunesse de Montréal. For over 10 years now, with the help of dentistry students, he has been offering dental care for homeless youths and HIV-positive patients served by the Jeanne-Mance CSSS.

A member of the Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec and the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), Dr. Ruel is also a clinical teaching assistant and lecturer at the Université de Montréal. He has received numerous awards, including the Oral Health Promotion Award from the CDA, in 2006. He has contributed to many scientific articles dealing in particular with dental health among seniors and homeless young people.

Since 2007, the Prix Hommage of the Ordre des dentistes du Québec has been awarded to recognize the exceptional contribution by an ODQ member to the development of the profession, in keeping with the Order's mandate to promote dental health and public protection. As the recipient of the ODQ's 2013 Prix Hommage, Dr. Ruel will receive a blown glass sculpture evoking the different materials used in dentistry, including gold, porcelain and titanium, and symbolizing both the future and excellence.

A health pioneer
The members of the ODQ Board of Directors are pleased to announce that the Order's very first Prix Honneur will go to Jean-Pierre Léger, President and CEO of Groupe St-Hubert. The award recognizes the business leader's efforts to improve Quebecers' health, in particular his decision to offer a smoke-free environment to St-Hubert customers starting back in 2005, long before it was a legal requirement.

While this decision seems self-evident today, it must be remembered that at the time it was controversial and quite daring. Mr. Léger's courage reduced the exposure of Quebecers everywhere to second-hand smoke, a recognized health hazard.

The Order's Prix Honneur, awarded for the first time this year, is intended to honour non-ODQ members, firms or non-profit organizations who have made an outstanding contribution to improving Quebecers' health, in view of the close links between overall health and oral health. As the recipient of the 2013 Prix Honneur, Mr. Léger will receive a blown glass sculpture.

About the Ordre des dentistes du Québec
The Ordre des dentistes du Québec represents over 4,800 dentists. Its mission is to ensure the quality of dental services by maintaining high professional and ethical standards, and to promote oral health among Quebecers.

SOURCE: Ordre des dentistes du Québec

Carole Erdelyon
[phone], ext. 2232