Articles tagged "public health"
The SHINE Clinic: Providing Dental Services for Inner-City Youth
University of Alberta dental students volunteer at an inner city clinic in Edmonton, providing oral care services to young people between ages 15 and 25. This article evaluates the SHINE clinic’s patient demographics, logistics and its perceived value. Read more
Operation NANOOK 2011 Dental Outreach Initiative, Resolute Bay, Nunavut
Operation NANOOK 2011 was a Department of National Defence military operation that took place in the Canadian Arctic in the summer of 2011. Operation NANOOK was a joint Navy, Army, Air Force and Special Forces two-part operation involving the United States and Denmark. Read more
Dentists Leaders in Health: Thinking Outside of the Mouth: Audiovisual Presentation
Are dentists placing too much emphasis on restoration rather than prevention? What is the primary role of a dentist—as a health professional or disease facilitator? Read more
Colgate Motion Electric Toothbrush Recall
Health Canada advises that Colgate-Palmolive is recalling its Colgate Motion Electric Toothbrush in response to receiving 9 incident reports from consumers associated with the use of this battery-operated electric toothbrush. Read more
New Dental Implant Program
The University of Manitoba is coordinating a new dental implant program that will provide treatment for edentulous First Nations patients in Western Canada. Read more
Saskatchewan Funds Preventive Oral Health Care Services for Children
Saskatchewan has launched new programs that will increase access to preventive dental care services for preschool and school-age children at risk living in areas of the province with the highest need. Read more
Burns from Rotary Handpieces
A case presentation about a patient receiving a burn from a dental rotary handpiece was included in Health Canada’s Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter in October. Read more
CDA Applauds New Tobacco Labelling Requirements
CDA was pleased with Health Canada’s announcement in September that it will set strict deadlines for tobacco manufacturers and retailers to place new health warnings and information on all cigarette and little cigars packaging. Read more
Toward Safer Care: Reporting Systems, Checklists and Process Standardization
Sir Liam Donaldson, the former chief medical officer of England, discusses patient safety and outlines some successful methods developed by the World Health Organization and U.K. health agencies that can be used to address this public health issue. Read more
Oral Health Included in New Guidelines for Physicians Treating Newly Arriving Immigrants and Refugees
The Canadian Collaboration for Immigrant and Refugee Health recently released clinical practice guidelines for primary care physicians regarding health conditions common to newly arriving immigrants and refugees to Canada. Read more
Access to Care for Young and Old
Dr. MacGregor outlines how a new national working group will be building on recommendations from previous CCSA reports and looking to implement access to care advocacy initiatives for children and seniors across Canada. Read more
Solving a Big Problem One Small Step at a Time
Citing the example of a program that uses radically new methods to deliver surgical eye care to India's poorest citizens, Dr. O'Keefe believes the time has come for the profession to take action on the issue of lack of access to oral health care. Read more
Oral-B Mouthwash Recall
Health Canada advises that Procter & Gamble (P&G) is voluntarily recalling its Oral B Anti-Cavity Dental Rinse - Alcohol Free (NPN 02129930) and Oral-B Anti-Bacterial with Fluoride - Alcohol Free Daily Use Mouthrinse (DIN 02130823) products due to possible microbial contamination. Read more
Position Statement on Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities
In May, the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a joint position statement on early childhood caries (ECC) in North American indigenous communities. Read more
Utilization of Dental Services by Children in Low-Income Families in Alberta
Surveys of clients of 2 provincial health benefit programs in Alberta revealed that, despite great need, low-income families underutilized the dental benefits available to their children. Read more
McGill Creates Early Childhood Oral Care Resources for Parents
McGill University has developed an early childhood caries awareness program for parents and caregivers, designed to give these groups the knowledge and tools necessary to improve the oral health of children. Read more
Public Education Booklets Available
The “Smile: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Body” booklet, which promotes optimal oral health for the Canadian public, is readily available for dentists. Read more
Toronto Votes to Continue Community Water Fluoridation
The Toronto Board of Health voted to continue community water fluoridation in the city of Toronto, during an open meeting held on April 4. Read more
Can a Prenatal Dental Public Health Program Make a Difference?
A dental program aimed at pregnant women can not only improve their oral health, but also increase their knowledge and lead to better oral hygiene and dental care for their children. Read more
FDI World Dental Federation Report
Dr. Jack Cottrell of Port Perry, Ontario, is a member of the FDI World Dental Federation Council. Dr. Cottrell provided JCDA with an update on FDI’s activities. Read more
Integrating Oral Health and Medicine: Impending Change in the Canadian Health Care System?
Tangible demonstrations of applying knowledge of the oral health and systemic health relationship to new models of population health within the Canadian health care system have begun to take place. Read more
Dental Clinic Honours Former McGill Dean
The Jim Lund Dental Clinic, located within the Welcome Hall Mission in Montreal, was officially opened on February 11. Named in recognition of the late former dean of McGill’s faculty of dentistry, this clinic will provide free basic dental care to low-income families, homeless men and women and new immigrants enrolled in programs at the shelter. Read more
Dimensions of Dental Need and the Adequacy of Our Response: Forum Proceedings
This paper summarizes proceedings of a workshop funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to develop a research agenda that would contribute to a reduction in oral health disparities of British Columbians. Read more
UBC Dentistry: Community Involvement
The UBC faculty of dentistry’s commitment to external communities runs deep and far, and is expressed as a mighty call to action: increase community involvement. Read more
ADA Publishes Clinical Recommendations on Infant Formula and Enamel Fluorosis
The American Dental Association Council of Scientific Affairs (CSA) published a report1 in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) concerning potential associations between infant formula and enamel fluorosis. Read more
The Looming Geriatric Dental Care Crisis
This was the title of a piece1 I wrote for JCDA in 1998. In my first 10 years or so in practice, I had developed a concern for the elderly and in particular for folks living in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Read more
Seeking Dentists’ Input on Pandemic Plan
In 2009, CDA’s Committee on Clinical and Scientific Affairs developed a Pandemic Plan jointly with the provincial and territorial dental associations. Read more
Vaccines and Acute Myocardial Infarction
A case control study1 examining the possible relationship between the flu vaccine and acute myocardial infarction (MI) was recently published in CMAJ. Read more
Oral Health for a Lifetime
The profession needs to make a concerted effort to ensure that those who are unable to see a dentist on a regular basis, such as seniors living in long-term care facilities and children in need, have greater access to quality oral health care. Read more
Ontario Cities Vote Against Water Fluoridation
In a referendum held on October 25, residents of Waterloo, St. Jacobs and Elmira, Ontario, voted to remove fluoride from their municipal water supply. Read more
Hyland’s Teething Tablets Recalled on Risk of Belladonna Poisoning
Hyland’s Teething Tablets (125 tablets, DIN 01956485) have been voluntarily recalled from the Canadian market because they may pose a risk to infants and children. Read more
Guidelines on Oral Health During Pregnancy
In February 2010, the California Dental Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published guidelines regarding oral health during pregnancy and early childhood. Read more
Our Global Connection
CDA’s ongoing involvement with the FDI World Dental Federation culminates each year with participation at the FDI Congress. This year’s event included discussions regarding a United Nations policy on the mining of mercury that could have an impact on the availability of dental amalgam worldwide. Read more
Improving Nutrition for Better Oral Health
Restricting dietary refined carbohydrates can effectively limit dental and systemic diseases, says Dr. Milan Somborac. The author believes the dental profession should increase its efforts to promote good nutrition for better oral and general health. Read more
Best Practices Portal for Community Oral Health Programs
An oral health section is currently being developed for an online portal that compiles best practice information on chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs. Read more
Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) 2007–2009: Oral Health Results
CDA invites you to consult the summary report on the findings of the oral health component of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). For further details, including tables and appendices, please consult the technical report. Read more
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Children’s Dental Health Program Extended
The Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association (NLDA) reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government to extend the Children’s Dental Health Program for an additional 4 years. Read more
Volunteerism: An Opportunity to Give Back
Dr. Jack Cottrell of Port Perry, Ontario, shares his insights as a volunteer on medical–dental missions to Central America. He encourages his colleagues to consider volunteering in their community or beyond. Read more
Improvement in the Oral Health of Canadians
The publication of the oral health component of the Canada Health Measures Survey (CHMS) reveals that the oral health of Canadians has improved over the last 30 years. CDA and the Office of the Chief Dental Officer worked together to ensure that oral health data was included in this national health survey. Although the CHMS results indicate that the current oral health care system is benefitting the majority of Canadians, CDA will continue to advocate for improved access to care. Read more
Mount Sinai Hospital Dental Program for Persons with Disabilities: Role in Undergraduate Dental Education
Educators are responsible for ensuring that dental graduates have the necessary education and desire to provide oral health care to persons with disabilities. In addition to clinical programs, university-based activities that focus on personal interaction can help to build more understanding relationships between students and patients. Read more
Dentist Disputes Water Toxicity Claim
I disagree with Dr. Nestor Shapka’s position that water fluoridation is unsafe.1 Along with the use of amalgam fillings, fluoridation of drinking water is one of the longest running, most widespread health programs in existence. Dr. Shapka’s unreferenced comment that “one should never ingest fluoride, as fluoride is a toxin to all other bodily tissues and organs” is the kind of statement that is trotted out by antifluoridationists time and again. Sodium chloride is a toxin as well, and the amount found in a salt shaker would kill a person if it were ingested all at once. Read more
BCDA Launches Educational Resources on Children’s Oral Health
The British Columbia Dental Association (BCDA) has produced an educational CD on children’s oral health designed for parents and caregivers of children under 3 years of age. Read more
Volunteer Dentistry: From Bolivia to Haiti
In October 2009, I travelled to Bolivia with Remote Area Medical Volunteers (Canada) (www.ramv.ca) as the lone volunteer dentist in a team comprising 2 physicians and 6 support team members. The objective of our journey was to provide medical and dental treatment to the Aymara and other indigenous peoples who live in a remote and almost inaccessible area of the Amazon. For perspective, from La Paz airport it took an 18-hour bus ride followed by a 16-hour boat journey to reach the Carmen Del Emero region, where life gets as primitive as one can imagine. Read more
Examining the Implications of Dental Treatment Costs for Low-Income Families
To afford dental care, low-income families in Nova Scotia are faced with having to forgo other essential needs, such as a nutritious diet. As the authors point out, in the face of these difficult choices about how income is to be spent, it is easy to understand why many Canadians are unable to place a high priority on dental care. Read more
Dalhousie University’s Communities of Practice: Part 2. Research Collaborations
The mission of Dalhousie University’s Collaboration of Oral Health Researchers is to improve the oral health of underserved populations and to build capacity for oral health-related research through strong partnerships with decision-makers, stakeholders and the community. Read more
Dalhousie University’s Communities of Practice: Part 1. Education and Service Models
Dalhousie University’s communities of practice provide a network of oral care services that extends beyond the school walls to the Nova Scotia community, its provincial neighbours and internationally. Read more
Treatment and Care Options for Patients with Facial Differences
Patients with cleft lip and palate are now being treated by multidisciplinary care teams in a clinic setting. These teams work in conjunction with support organizations, such as AboutFace, to address the psychosocial health of patients with facial differences and their families. Read more
Dalhousie Grants Its First Bachelor of Dental Hygiene Degrees
A milestone event took place in May 2009 when the school of dental hygiene at Dalhousie University graduated its first students from the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene (BDH) program. The BDH program is available to dental hygienists who have obtained a Diploma in Dental Hygiene and have met the requirements to be licensed in Nova Scotia. Read more
Dalhousie Cleft Lip and Palate Outreach Initiatives Extend Internationally
Dr. David Precious says volunteering internationally gives him “a direction that has meaning.” Since 1995, the dean emeritus of dentistry at Dalhousie University has travelled annually to Vietnam with a team of maxillofacial surgeons to perform surgery on children with cleft lip and palate. Read more
Managing Change Successfully
Providing its members with the tools required to meet the “challenge of change” is one of CDA’s goals. This review of CDA’s recent accomplishments and current projects highlights how the Association is positioning the dental profession to achieve success. Read more
A Healthy Public: The Role of Dentistry
One of dentistry’s challenges in communicating with government decision-makers has been the shortage of national statistical indicators of oral health. This will soon change when the results of the Canadian Health Measures Survey are released this spring. Read more
