Odontology: the regulation of the profession in Mercosur

Abstract

The Mercosur also aims to enable the free circulation of services and people, including health professionals. However, there is still a knowledge gap to be filled before dental services can be integrated. The aim of this article was to identify the current state of dental legislation in Mercosur with a view to enabling the free movement of these professionals and the liberalization of services in the sector. It was found that the legislation pertaining to the dentistry profession in the different States from Mercosur – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela – is very different and the urgent need for harmonization of laws and policy around the issue.