The CDA Awards Recognition Program acknowledges individuals across the country who have demonstrated unwavering passion and support for the dental profession in Canada and exhibited consistent commitment to the oral health of Canadians.
This week we feature recipients of the Oral Health Promotion Award 2022-23, which recognizes individuals or organizations who have improved the oral health of Canadians through efforts in promotion. These efforts include creating public health policy and supportive environments, encouraging community action, developing personal skills, and increasing awareness of preventing oral diseases and disorders.
2022-23 Oral Health Promotion Award Recipients
Dr. Jerry Baluta
Dr. Jerry Baluta is recognized for his work in establishing an oral cancer health screening program for Manitobans. Established in 2014, and in partnership with the Never Alone Foundation and the Manitoba Dental Association, this program has screened over 600 people and referred 70 people to oral surgeons.
Dr. Baluta has provided extraordinary leadership in the establishment and ongoing management of this program and in encouraging MDA member participation. As a result, Manitobans who are at risk are provided with free screening examinations and on average 10 percent are referred immediately to a specialist. This early detection screening program can be a lifesaver and demonstrates the commitment that Dr. Baluta and his colleagues have made to the oral health of Manitobans. The program is run annually during oral health month and is an integral part of the MDA’s public facing initiatives.
Dr. Frances Power
Dr. Frances Power is recognized for her leadership role in supporting McGill University’s oral health promotion activities. Dr. Power is the community oral health services course director at McGill. In this role she has supported and mentored McGill dental students to give free personalized oral health promotion sessions to the underserved in Montreal communities. This has created a supportive environment for underserved people to gain and expand their knowledge of the benefits of good oral health, and for dental students to learn about working with vulnerable groups. Over 40 community centres throughout Montreal are visited each by third year dental students and over 3,000 people have received this service. McGill’s community service and oral health promotion work was internally recognized in 2019 with the ADEA William J Gies Award for Vision, and Dr. Power contributed enormously to the faculty being recognized for this award.
Direct Dental
Direct Dental is a free emergency outreach clinic in Saskatoon serving priority populations in the inner city. It is run from an inner-city outreach clinic and is open to patients on Saturdays from September to April each year.
The program was spearheaded in 2018 by senior dental students who have since graduated, but continues to be organized and operated by students at the college. The program has had a significant impact on access to care concerns in the inner city of Saskatoon and allows a population with significant barriers to dental treatment receive access to emergency care.
Smiles 4 Canada
Smiles4Canada is a program of the Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Orthodontics (CFAO) and is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Orthodontists (CAO). The program assists low-income youth in receiving orthodontic treatment. It connects orthodontists willing to provide treatment without charge to patients under the age of 14. Dr. Stephen Roth and his colleagues began the program in Atlantic Canada as a pilot in 2016 and launched the program nationally in 2017.
The program has been transformative for many patients who may be having difficulty chewing their food or are in pain and who otherwise would not have been able to afford this care.
Dr. Roth has demonstrated dedication and leadership through this initiative and Smiles 4 Canada is making a difference to the oral health of young Canadians.
Please click on the videos below to watch recipient acceptance speeches and tune in next week to hear from more CDA Award recipients!
