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A dentist treats a patient.PHOTO : Associated Press / Joel Martinez

A class action lawsuit might shed light on the consequences of shoddy, sometimes even dangerous, dental work provided by the former Department of Indian Affairs between the 1960s and 1980s.

The plaintiffs want to obtain justice following the work of a “traveling dentist”. The latter would have gone from community to community to practice on young people who would not have given their consent.

In particular, he allegedly committed these abuses in several Aboriginal communities in Saskatchewan.

In the 60s, 70s, 80s, there was a completely segregated system. The First Nations went to different hospitals than we citizens of the provinces. And in the story we have class action lawsuits for abuse in the hospital. And instead of provincial funding, it was federal funding. In the case of dental services, it is an example of an uninsured health service, such as eyeglasses, medication. They were paid by the federal government but at a low level in terms of social policyexplains James Daschuk, a professor at the University of Regina and an expert on health issues in Aboriginal communities.