Dr. Aaron Burry is Associate Director of Professional Affairs here at the Canadian Dental Association; and my colleague on the cannabis file. In an effort to round up the perspectives and the implications of the legalization of Marijuana on the dental profession, Aaron and I thought of bringing this conversation to the attention of our audience: you the dentist. It is important to know when to refrain from treating patients and when a patient is not a good candidate for treatment due to substance impairment.  We hope you benefit from this conversation. We would like to hear from you and ...

I had the pleasure to host Chris Kamel, Director of Health Technology Assessments and Rapid Response, Medical Devices at CADTH. CADTH recently published a Health Technology Assessment that compared amalgam to composite resin for dental restorations. The report is available for download here: Composite Resin Versus Amalgam for Dental Restorations: A Health Technology Assessment. CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit organization responsible for providing Canada’s health care decision-makers with objective evidence to help make informed decisions about the optimal use of drugs and medical devices in our health care system. Learn why we are a trusted pan-Canadian source of credible health care evidence. I ...

Highlights Although the tooth decay rate has improved in Canada in the last 40 years, one-quarter of children are still affected by tooth decay and it is two to three times worse for children within vulnerable populations. A recent report from the Canadian Institute of Health Information revealed that the rate of dental surgery to treat severe Early Childhood Caries in Canada is 12.5/1000 children aged 1 to 5.  Tooth decay is a chronic and infectious disease that is 100% preventable. Daniella DeMaré and Lisette Dufour spoke to Dr. Suham Alexander about the “Lift the Lip” videos which were produced ...

Dr. John O’Keefe spoke with Dr. Maxine Feinberg, past president of the American Dental Association and Periodontist from New Jersey, about her recent visit to Dalhousie University. Dr. Feinberg was touched by the warm welcome and impressed by the professionalism and the level of support and camaraderie that she and her colleagues witnessed at the Faculty of Dentistry.  We hope you enjoy the conversation and we congratulate the faculty, staff and students in the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University for creating such a welcoming and supportive educational environment for American and international students.  As always, your thoughts, suggestions, and ...

Colleagues, A press release that came across my desk today particularly caught my attention. It relates to Straumann acquiring an interest in a company called Dental Monitoring. I share this with you as I believe it could be of interest to all in the oral health care sector. My sensitivity to the profound implications of rapid technological change for healthcare in general and oral health care in particular has been heightened through my recent involvement with a CDA Task Force on the Future of the Profession. I will tell you more about that a little later, but first, I invite ...

To open a conversation that I believe is important for every dentist, their team members and their patients, I ask you to please take a minute to read through these two scenarios and consider what you would do next in each circumstance. Scenario 1 The dental assistant who works with you most regularly comes to speak with you privately. She tells you that she has endured lower back pain for the past few months and she suspects it may have something to do with the chairside stools she has been using at the office. For some time, she has wanted ...

Cannabis will become legal on July 1st, 2018; and we at CDA Oasis are exploring the many facets of this professional issue. In particular, we are exploring the various impacts of this substance, namely clinical and legal.  I welcomed once again Dr. Mark Donaldson, pharmacologist and senior executive director at Vizient Pharmacy Advisory Solutions. He is also clinical professor in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana. Dr. Donaldson shared his expertise on the topic of cannabis in the dental office.  We recognize this is an important conversation that needs to take place in the dental practice as ...

As the Ontario Dental Association‘s Annual Spring Meeting approaches, we at CDA Oasis are pleased to bring you highlights of some of the speakers and the sessions that will be offered this year. It is my hope that you learn from the various conversations; and if you happen to be in Toronto, you find it interesting enough to attend the event.  I had the pleasure to host Lonny Rosen, certified specialist in health law and founder of the law firm Rosen Sunshine LLP. Mr. Rosen advises dentists and other health-care professionals as well as regulators and health-care organizations. Mr. Rosen will ...