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The article focuses on the release of Canada's first National Oral Health Research Strategy, introduced at the Canadian Oral Health Summit in June 2024. Topics include collaborative efforts to address priority oral health issues, the integration of research into policy and practice, and the establishment of goals and timelines to improve access and reduce health inequities across Canada.

Purpose: In 2015, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) published the first Canadian Competencies for Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Programs (CCBDHP). To date, there is little evidence to support that baccalaureate graduates have gained these abilities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the confidence levels of baccalaureate graduates in their ability to demonstrate the CCBDHP. Methods: An online, anonymous study was conducted with the 2013‐2016 graduates of the University of British Columbia to rate their confidence level in the 13 competency domains and associated 110 sub‐competencies of the CCBDHP based on a 5‐point scale ranging from not confident to confident. Results: Thirty of the 84 graduates responded to the survey for a 36% response rate. The mostly confident and confident scores were added to determine the number of sub‐competencies within each domain in which 75% to 100% of respondents identified such confidence. The competency domains in which graduates expressed the highest confidence included Collaboration (100%), Communication (100%), Clinical Therapy (100%), Disease Prevention (100%), Oral Health Education (90%), Professionalism (90%), Research Use (90%) and Leadership (90%). They expressed the least confidence in the competency domains of Health Promotion (50%), Advocacy (22%) and Policy Use (0%). Conclusion: These data provided the UBC faculty with important insights into the educational preparedness of baccalaureate graduates. The findings are also relevant for other Canadian programmes and contribute to a larger national dialogue about the CCBDHP and the transition of graduates into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use is common in women of reproductive age, but limited data exist on the dental health of their children, including risk of caries. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 790,758 infants born between 2006 and 2016 in Quebec, Canada. We identified women with substance use disorders before or during pregnancy. The main outcome measure was hospitalization for dental caries in offspring up to 12 y after birth. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of maternal substance use with pediatric dental caries, adjusted for potential confounders. Children exposed to maternal substance use had a higher incidence of hospitalization for dental caries than unexposed children (105.2 vs. 27.0 per 10,000 person-years). Maternal substance use was associated with 1.96 times the risk of childhood dental caries (95% CI, 1.80-2.14), including a greater risk of caries of enamel, dentin, or cementum (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.82-2.19) and dental pulp (HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 2.07-2.70), relative to no substance use. Associations were elevated for alcohol (HR, 2.31; 95% CI, 2.03-2.64) but were also present for cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and other substances. Substance use during pregnancy was more strongly associated with dental caries hospitalization than prepregnancy substance use. Associations were stronger in early childhood. Maternal substance use is associated with the future risk of dental caries hospitalization in children. Targeting substance use early in the lives of women may contribute to dental caries prevention in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, the number of women graduating from North American (NA) dental schools has increased significantly. Thus, we aimed to determine women's representation in leadership positions in NA dental and specialty associations/organizations, dental education, and dental journals, as well as the proportion of men/women researcher members of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR). We contacted NA dental associations to provide us with the total number and the men/women distribution of their members. Men/women distributions in leadership positions were accessible from the internet, as were data on the sex of deans of NA dental schools. Data on the editors in chief of NA dental journals were gathered from their websites, and the AADR provided the number and sex of its researcher members. Collected data underwent descriptive statistics and binomial tests (α = 0.05). Our findings suggest that women are underrepresented in leadership positions within the major NA dental professional associations. While the median ratio of women leaders to women members in professional associations is 0.91 in Canada, it is only 0.67 in the United States. The same underrepresentation of women is evident in the leadership of the Canadian Dental Association and the American Dental Association. We found that women are underrepresented as deans and editors in chief for NA oral health journals. Only 16 of 77 NA dental school deans are women, while 3 of 38 dental journals have women editors in chief. The probability of finding these ratios by chance is low. However, the number of women dental researcher AADR members underwent an overall increase in the past decade, while the number of men declined. These results suggest that, despite the increase in women dentists, it will take time and effort to ensure that they move through the pipeline to senior leadership positions in the same manner as their male colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between quantitative measures of research productivity and academic rank for full-time pediatric dentistry faculty members in accredited U.S. and Canadian residency programs. For each pediatric dentist in the study group, academic rank and bibliometric factors derived from publicly available databases were recorded. Academic ranks were lecturer/instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Bibliometric factors were mean total number of publications, mean total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a single work, and h-index (a measure of the impact of publications, determined by total number of publications h that had at least h citations each). The study sample was comprised of 267 pediatric dentists: 4% were lecturers/instructors, 44% were assistant professors, 30% were associate professors, and 22% were professors. The mean number of publications for the sample was 15.4±27.8. The mean number of citations was 218.4±482.0. The mean h-index was 4.9±6.6. The h-index was strongly correlated with academic rank (r=0.60, p=0.001). For this sample, an h-index of ≥3 was identified as a threshold for promotion to associate professor, and an h-index of ≥6 was identified as a threshold for promotion to professor. The h-index was strongly correlated with the academic rank of these pediatric dental faculty members, suggesting that this index may be considered a measure for promotion, along with a faculty member's quality and quantity of research, teaching, service, and clinical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the main arguments made in favor of community water fluoridation is that it is equitable in its impact on dental caries (i.e., helps to offset inequities in dental caries). Although an equitable effect of fluoridation has been demonstrated in cross-sectional studies, it has not been studied in the context of cessation of community water fluoridation (CWF). The objective of this study was to compare the socio-economic patterns of children's dental caries (tooth decay) in Calgary, Canada, in 2009/10 when CWF was in place, and in 2013/14, after it had been discontinued. Methods: We analyzed data from population-based samples of schoolchildren (grade 2) in 2009/10 and 2013/14. Data on dental caries (decayed, missing, and filled primary and permanent teeth) were gathered via open mouth exams conducted in schools by registered dental hygienists. We examined the association between dental caries and 1) presence/absence of dental insurance and 2) small area index of material deprivation, using Poisson (zero-inflated) and logistic regression, for both time points separately. For small-area material deprivation at each time point, we also computed the concentration index of inequality for each outcome variable. Results: Statistically significant inequities by dental insurance status and by small area material deprivation were more apparent in 2013/14 than in 2009/10. Conclusions: Results are consistent with increasing inequities in dental caries following cessation of CWF. However, further research is needed to 1) confirm the effects in a study that includes a comparison community, and 2) explore possible alternative reasons for the findings, including changes in treatment and preventive programming.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research use is a core component of evidence-based practice (EBP), contributing to improved patient outcomes; however, we know little about factors influencing research use among dental hygienists. The purpose of this study is to examine whether individual's attitudes and organizational context influence dental hygienists' research use. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used to study research use among a geographically stratified probability sample of 1100 Canadian dental hygienists. A translated French-language version was provided for Francophone dental hygienists. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS. Results: Mean responses were highest for conceptual research use (RU) (4.1), followed by overall RU (3.7), direct RU (3.3), and persuasive RU (3.3), on a five-point Likert scale. Internal consistency reliability for attitude and context scales was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.86 and 0.83, respectively). Repeated measures t-tests found significant differences between willingness to implement research and frequency of actually implementing research (P < 0.001 for paired comparisons), and ratings of importance of supportive practice characteristics were significantly higher than their actual presence (P < 0.001 for paired comparisons). A multiple linear regression model found the variables attitude, context, and years of practice explained 19.0% of the variation in responses. Discussion: Significant differences between willingness to implement research and actual implementation, and between perceived importance of supportive practice characteristics and their presence, require exploration of these differences. Conclusion: These findings support the importance of the practice context and individual attitudes for research uptake by dental hygienists. Knowledge translation theories can inform further research and contribute greater explanatory power to this preliminary model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the nature of emergency department (ED) visits for dental problems of nontraumatic origin in Canada’s largest province, Ontario. Methods: The Canadian Institute for Health Information’s National Ambulatory Care Reporting System was used, which contains demographic, diagnostic, procedural and administrative information from hospital-based ambulatory care settings across Ontario. Data of fiscal years 2003/04 to 2005/06 were included for emergency visits that had a main problem coded with an International Classification of Diseases – 10th edition code in the range K00–K14, representing diseases of the oral cavity, salivary glands and jaws. Volumes are presented by a number of different factors in order to describe patient and visit characteristics. Results: During this period, there were a total of 141 365 ED visits for dental problems of nontraumatic origin in Ontario, representing an estimated 116 357 persons. Approximately half of all visits (54%) were made by those 20 to 44 years old, and associated with periapical abscesses and toothaches (56%). The great majority (78%) were triaged as nonurgent, and most (93%) were discharged home. Conclusion: ED visits for dental problems of nontraumatic origin are not insignificant. Over the study period, these visits were greater than for diabetes and hypertensive diseases. Policy efforts are needed to provide alternative options for seeking emergency dental care in Ontario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study explored oral health disparities associated with food insecurity in working poor Canadians. Methods: We used a cross-sectional stratified study design and telephone survey methodology to obtain data from 1049 working poor persons aged between 18 and 64 years. The survey instrument contained sociodemographic items, self-reported oral health measures, access to dental care indicators (dental visiting behaviour and insurance coverage) and questions about competing financial demands. Food-insecure persons gave ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ responses to any of the three food insecurity indicators used in the Canadian Community Health Survey (2003) assessing ‘worry’ about not having enough food, not eating enough food and not having the desired quality of food because of insufficient finances in the previous 12 months . Results: Food-insecure working poor persons had poor oral health compared with food-secure working poor persons indicated by a higher percentage of denture wearers ( P < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of toothache, pain and functional impacts related to chewing, speaking, sleeping and work difficulties ( P < 0.001). Fewer food-insecure persons rated their oral health as good or very good ( P < 0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed that oral health disparities between food-insecure and food-secure persons related to denture wearing, having a toothache, reporting poor/very poor self-rated oral health or experiencing an oral health impact persisted after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and access to dental care factors ( P < 0.05). Food-insecure working poor persons reported relinquishing goods or services in order to pay for necessary dental care. Conclusions: This study identified oral health disparities within an already marginalized group not alleviated by access to professional dental care. Working poor persons regarded professional dental care as a competing financial demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with several oral health researchers in Canada is presented. Corey Felix comments on his relationship with his mentor doctor Richard Price who has helped him advance his dental and research career. The importance of promoting summer undergraduate research programs as an effective way to attract and retain new recruits was emphasized by doctor Michael Glogauer. Doctor Gilles Lavigne cites the role that the Quebec health agency has played in doing his research.

As dental hygiene responds to the increased need for quality oral health services, dental hygienists seek quality research findings on which to base their practice decisions. However, the amount of research published by dental hygienists, and addressing dental hygiene interventions, remains limited. There are few dental hygienists in Canada working in positions that have time dedicated to research activities. To increase the amount of dental hygiene research, innovative approaches such as collaborative research must be considered. This paper considers measures that facilitate the conduct of collaborative research, and discusses challenges to the process that should be considered during the design. An example of a group investigation is presented, involving dental hygiene educators who collaborated on a research project implemented within their respective educational institutions. A model for a collaborative approach to future research initiatives is proposed. Lessons learned are shared and recommendations are put forward. It is suggested that innovative collaborations such as this may help to increase the body of knowledge for dental hygiene in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a major reorganization of health and health care research in Canada, a study was performed to investigate the views of Canadian dentists on the utility and accessibility of the results of dental research. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Questionnaires and a postage-prepaid reply envelope were mailed with the December 2001 issue of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association (JCDA) to all registered Canadian dentists. No second mailing occurred. Of 17,648 questionnaires distributed, 2,797 were returned representing a 15.8 percent response rate. In this sample, 64.3 percent found research findings easily available, 88.8 percent found research findings useful, and 95.8 percent had already changed one or more aspects of their clinical practice due to research findings. Significant differences in preferred means of learning the results of research and preferred formats for written reports of research findings were evident between generalist/clinicians and specialist/researchers. These results suggest that Canadian dentists are interested in the results of research and apply them to their practice, but that there are two main groups (generalist/clinicians and specialist/researchers) with different needs for learning the results of that research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a brief history of Canadian dental research in the mid- to late-20th century. An overview of Canada's geopolitical situation is offered, and the creation of the Canadian Association for Dental Research in the 1970s is noted. The contributions of Harold K. Box, a pioneering researcher at the University of Toronto, in Ontario, are mentioned. Information on the awards presented to Canadian researchers by the International Association for Dental Research is included, along with a description of the expansion of the field in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The author reports on meetings of the Canadian Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). The meetings were held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on November 2, 1985 and in Toronto, Ontario, from June 10, 1986 through June 12, 1986. A list of people who took part in the meetings is presented as is a list of abstracts that were presented.

The article discusses the effect of heredity and environment on the eruption of deciduous teeth in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins in Canada. Topics include the comparison of mean eruptive times for eight teeth in both groups. The estimation of the intraclass correlation is 0.91 for MZ and 0.56 for DZ twins. The estimation for the effect of heredity on the timing of eruption is 78 percent.

The article focuses on the strategic planning of the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for oral health research. It emphasizes the need for more clinicians and scientists who will generate new diagnostic and treatment directions for dental practice. It says that IMHA-related investigators must be informed and prepared for funding opportunities announced by other institutes of the CIHR.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and causes of injuries to the mouth and teeth among adults aged 18 to 50 years in Ontario, Canada.Methods: 2001 individuals in the target age range participated in a telephone interview survey based on random digit dialling.Results: Overall, 15.5% of subjects reported a history of injury with 5.4% having multiple episodes of injury. One third of the injuries occurred in adulthood. The majority (85.0%) with a history of trauma reported damage to the teeth and of these, 26.0% broke one or more teeth, 25.4% reported one or more teeth being knocked out and 6.5% reported displacement of teeth. The most common cause of injury was playing sports, followed by collisions and falls. Violence accounted for 10.0% of the injuries reported. The causes of injury varied according to gender, education and the age at which the injury occurred.Conclusion: Oral and dental injuries occur throughout the lifespan, although the causes appear to vary according to the age at which they happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on 4th Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference and Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) biennial conference held in Canada from October 19-21, 2017. It mentions that the conference focused on topics like risk assessment in dental hygiene, alternative practice in the U.S. and Canada, and seniors' oral health. It also mentioned the need of collaboration to address national research agendas and to improve the dental health of the population.

In the last few decades, the number of women graduating from North American (NA) dental schools has increased significantly. Thus, we aimed to determine women's representation in leadership positions in NA dental and specialty associations/organizations, dental education, and dental journals, as well as the proportion of men/women researcher members of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR). We contacted NA dental associations to provide us with the total number and the men/women distribution of their members. Men/women distributions in leadership positions were accessible from the internet, as were data on the sex of deans of NA dental schools. Data on the editors in chief of NA dental journals were gathered from their websites, and the AADR provided the number and sex of its researcher members. Collected data underwent descriptive statistics and binomial tests (α = 0.05). Our findings suggest that women are underrepresented in leadership positions within the major NA dental professional associations. While the median ratio of women leaders to women members in professional associations is 0.91 in Canada, it is only 0.67 in the United States. The same underrepresentation of women is evident in the leadership of the Canadian Dental Association and the American Dental Association. We found that women are underrepresented as deans and editors in chief for NA oral health journals. Only 16 of 77 NA dental school deans are women, while 3 of 38 dental journals have women editors in chief. The probability of finding these ratios by chance is low. However, the number of women dental researcher AADR members underwent an overall increase in the past decade, while the number of men declined. These results suggest that, despite the increase in women dentists, it will take time and effort to ensure that they move through the pipeline to senior leadership positions in the same manner as their male colleagues.

The article presents a study on providing dental care to children. The study took place in spring of 1995 and involved 15 randomly selected schools in North York, Ontario. The study examined the impact of fluorosis and occlusion on parents and child satisfaction with dental appearances. However, these studies have focused on only one clinical aspect of oral health, excluding cases with other oral manifestations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between five clinical measures of a child's health and parent satisfaction with the appearance of the child's teeth.

The article offers information on the 3rd North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference held in Bethesda, Maryland which was a meeting between Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) Research Advisory Committee and the National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice (NCDHRP) Advisory Committee. It mentions information on focus of the conference over dental hygiene research findings. It presents information regarding dental hygienists.

The article offers information on the general session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), and the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) meeting held on March 22–25, 2017 in San Francisco, California. Topics discussed include the presentation of Stanford University's Steven Chu on climate change, the discussion on metabolites of oxidized linoleic acid, and the discussion on temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

The article offers the author's insights regarding the development of dental hygiene research in Canada in reflection to the 50th anniversary celebration of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). The author states that their acquisition of knowledge takes other perspectives like a constructivist approach. She says that the 50 years were seen as an increased use of research by all medical personnel as well as the evolution of dental hygiene research.

The article focuses on the publication of the policy documents "CDHA Education Agenda: Pathways to Oral Health" and "Dental Hygiene at a Crossroads: Knowledge Creation and Capacity Building in the 21st Century" by the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). The first document addresses issues on oral health and abilities that health professionals should possess. It upholds its commitment to create bachelor, master, doctoral and post doctoral degree programs. The second one discusses interprofessional practice and research.

The article focuses on the correlation between dentoalveolar and systemic diseases which changes the scope of dental research. Among the studies that suggest such link found associations between maternal periodontitis, preterm delivery and low-birth weight, and periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. It adds that more dentists are participating in medical research. The author urges dentists and dental professionals in Canada to stop describing themselves as dental researchers as it undermines their contribution to medical research.

The article discusses the importance of clinical oral research in Canada as well as the problems and solutions to facilitate research. The difficulty to obtain funding for clinical research in the country is tackled. One suggested solution to the problems of delay in evaluation and approval of research at the Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) is to increase staffing. Also suggested is to approve a particular study protocol in Canada when such a study receives U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

The article announces that dental students Sheri Muradali of McGill University and Hilary Prada of the University of British Columbia had won the 1999 Canadian Dental Association (CDA)/Dentsply Student Clinician Program awards.

The author stresses the need to establish a dental research institute in Canada as the first step toward a true science policy that will present benefits to future generations. He notes the announcement by the federal government on February 16, 1999 about its plan to spend about 450 million dollars to create these institutes. Programs being targeted by the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) are cited. He says spending on research and development in the country accounts for about 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).

This article reports on the current status of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF) Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection--an AAOF-supported multi-institutional project that uses the Internet and cloud computing to collect and share craniofacial images and data for orthodontic research and education. The project gives investigators and clinicians all over the world online access to longitudinal information on craniofacial development in untreated children with malocclusions of various types. It also is a unique source of control samples for testing the validity of consensually accepted beliefs about the effects of orthodontic treatment or of failure to treat., (Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to give insight into the article review process by investigating the characteristics and the fate of manuscripts submitted to the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO)., Methods: The following information was obtained for original articles submitted to the AJO-DO in 2008: (1) for rejected articles: the reasons for rejection and the journal of subsequent publication when applicable; (2) for accepted articles: the number of revisions and the time elapsed to publication; and (3) for all articles: study topic, study design, area of origin, and statistically significant findings. Findings were reported using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test for equality of proportions, and multiple regression where appropriate. Post-hoc pair-wise tests were checked against the Bonferroni correction to account for multiple testing., Results: Of the 440 original articles submitted to AJO-DO in 2008, 116 (26%) were accepted and published an average of 21 months (SD, 5 months) after acceptance. Rejected articles totaled 324 (74%), with 137 (42%) finding subsequent publication an average of 22 months (SD, 11 months) after rejection by the AJO-DO. The top 3 reasons for rejection by the AJO-DO were (1) poor study design (59% of rejected articles), (2) outdated or unoriginal topic (42%), and (3) inappropriate for the AJO-DO's audience (27%). Manuscripts rejected for poor study design had the least success for subsequent publication, whereas those rejected as inappropriate for the AJO-DO had the highest rate of publication elsewhere. Area of origin was significantly associated with acceptance by the AJO-DO, with articles from United States and Canada most likely to be accepted (P < 0.01). Articles from countries with the lowest publication rate in the AJO-DO had the highest publication rate elsewhere. The presence of statistically significant findings was shown to be significantly associated with acceptance by the AJO-DO (P = 0.013) but not with publication elsewhere (P = 0.77)., Conclusions: Rejection by the AJO-DO does not preclude publication elsewhere, although articles rejected for poor study design were least likely to be eventually published. Many publishable articles are rejected by the AJO-DO as inappropriate for its readership, and these were the most likely to find publication elsewhere. Articles with the highest chance of acceptance by the AJO-DO were those from the United States and Canada and those reporting statistically significant results., (Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The article announces that Doctor Mandeep Sood was one of the recipients of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) Student Research Awards in the Senior Basic Science Category.

The article investigates the utility and accessibility of dental research for Canadian dentists. It mentions that the principal sources of information on dental researches are the "Journal of Canadian Dental Research" (JCDR) and continuing education courses. The article also mentions that survey respondents suggested that research information be synthesized in formats such as practice guidelines and commentaries with related abstracts.

The article discusses whether Canadian dentists find dental research useful in their practice in Canada. It says that a joint study was conducted by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) on the utility of research, the future priorities of dental research and its accessibility. According to the author, the study found that 96 percent of respondents considered research as very useful. The impact of research on the dental and general health of Canadians is also discussed.

The author focuses on the collaboration between the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (CAOMS) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in producing a 2001 issue of the "Journal of the Canadian Dental Association" (JCDA). He cites the involvement of the CIHR in the distribution of a questionnaire about the priorities for dental research. He says that the collaboration stresses the role of CDA in bringing to various sections of the profession together for the benefit of the public.

The article discusses the need to maintain dental education in Canada. According to the author, the key problem facing dental schools is the recruitment and retention of dental faculty who will dedicate their careers to dental education. Most dentists do not consider becoming a full-time teacher because the starting salary is way below to the earning they could get in their private practice. According to the author, encouraging young people to consider a career in dental research is one way to sustain dental education.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article that calls for a national dental research institute in Canada by Benoit Gareau in the July 1999 issue.

The author discusses dental research funding in Canada and argues the need for distinct funding for oral research separate from general biomedical research funding. The article references a previously written guest editorial on the subject, furthering the argument of guest editor A. R. Ten Cate. Details about dental research and dental education in Canada are also provided.

The author discusses the financial support given to dental research in Canada and examines the sources of dental research funding. The support given to dental research by governmental agencies is described and the role of agencies such as the Canadian Medical Research Councils and U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) are explored. The need for the Canadian dental research community to differentiate itself from the general biomedical research community is also argued.

Objectives: Policymakers worldwide are challenged by the problem of oral health inequities. The goal of an interprovincial partnership in Canada was to guide policy aimed at improving the oral health of vulnerable populations. Insights regarding barriers and enablers to developing such policy in one province (Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada) were required to enhance collaboration between decision makers and researchers and to contribute to the evidence informing policy development., Methods: Snowball technique identified fourteen key informants. Semistructured audio-recorded interviews were conducted in person or by telephone. Two researchers independently conducted the analyses of the transcribed interviews, one using NVivo software and the second, manual coding. Triangulation of the analyses confirmed the findings., Results: Agreement between the two approaches showed that most key informants believed that oral health is an important policy issue; however, most felt it was not a high priority among the general public and most were unable to articulate the policy process. Barriers to oral health becoming a governmental priority were related to resource allocation and to poor communication among some groups including dentists and dental hygienists. Current government programmes and initiatives were praised but considered weak in health promotion strategies. Recommendations for enhancing oral health priority varied., Conclusions: Attention to the methodological considerations of qualitative research enhanced the credibility of the method and confidence in the findings. Leveraging of existing programmes and improving communication were recommended to contribute to raising the priority of oral health within the government, thereby increasing their commitment to address oral health care, particularly for vulnerable populations., (© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Background: Prenuptial tooth extractions, extractions of all teeth in at least one dental arch before marriage, are not identified in the dental literature. Driven by a professional encounter, the purpose of this study was to confirm the existence of this practice among Acadian women., Methods: An 8-item survey instrument with space for comments was mailed to 182 dentists from traditionally Acadian regions of Canada. The survey was provided in English and French., Results: Ninety dentists responded (50.3%); 8 of them (9%) had been asked to perform prenuptial extractions, and an additional 9 volunteered awareness of this practice. Awareness and requests were associated with dental practice in a county with a ≥20% French-speaking population., Conclusions: Prenuptial extractions in this population have been confirmed by the current cohort of dentists. The potential public health, clinical, and systemic health research implications for women who are edentulous for most of their adult life merit further study. Additionally, it is important to determine if interventions are needed to curtail cultural expectations of such practices.

Little systematic information has been collected about the nature and types of studies published in dental education journals. The goals of this study were to conduct a content analysis of articles published in dental education journals in two recent years, describe the type of research published, identify possible gaps, and propose future agendas. A content analysis of articles published in two leading dental education journals was performed for the years 2003 and 2008 with 253 articles reviewed. Most articles were descriptive and observational in nature. Curriculum was the most common topic of study addressed. The mean number of authors per article increased slightly over time, and authors held mostly a combination of D.D.S. and M.S. degrees or Ph.D. degrees. A review of the literature was present and critically discussed in almost three-quarters of the articles studied. One-third of the articles mentioned ethics review or approval. Most of the studies were conducted in North America, followed by Europe. About one-third of the articles reported a source of funding. A plea is made for more systematic studies of the effectiveness of instructional and curricular innovations and more clarification studies to better understand why certain initiatives or interventions work or not.

Competency-based dental education was introduced in 1993 and has proven to be a robust innovation, guiding curricular design, clinical education and evaluation, and accreditation. At the same time, it has been irregularly implemented and is understood in different ways. These paradoxes were explored in a survey of academic and clinical deans and chairs of departments of endodontics and restorative dentistry at U.S. and Canadian dental schools. It was confirmed that fewer than half of the respondents can identify the ADEA and ADA definition of competency. Significant differences were reported in the perceived understanding and value placed on competencies and their impact on dental education. Differences were also found to exist in evaluation practices and in how evaluation data are used to determine students' readiness for graduation. It is concluded that the openness of the competency concept is one reason for its longevity and usefulness in dental education.

The application of knowledge is fundamental to human problem solving. In health disciplines, knowledge utilization commonly manifests through evidence-based decision making in practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of the evidence-based practice (EBP) movement in health professions in general, and dental hygiene in particular, and to examine its relationship to the professionalization agenda of dental hygiene in Canada. EBP means integrating practitioner expertise with the best available external evidence from research. Proponents of EBP believe that it holds promise for reducing a research-practice gap by encouraging clinicians to seek current research results. Both the Canadian and American Dental Hygienists Associations support practice based on current research evidence, yet recent studies show variation in practice. Professionalization refers to the developmental stages through which an organized occupation passes as it develops traits that characterize it as a profession. The status conferred by professionalization privileges a group to make and monitor its own decisions relative to practice. Dental hygiene's success in acquiring attributes of a profession suggests that transformation to a profession is occurring. This paper compares the assumptions and challenges of both movements, and argues the need for a principal focus on the development of a culture of evidence-based dental hygiene practice.

The aim of this joint CDA-IMHA study was to investigate what Canadian dentists think about the utility of dental research. A questionnaire was sent to all dentists in Canada with the December 2001 JCDA. By April 1, 2002, 2,788 questionnaires, representing a response rate of approximately 16%, had been returned. In this second article in a 3-part series, we address the theme of research accessibility. The study results show that while 75% of respondents think that research results are easily accessible, 90% would like them to be more accessible. For clinical dentists, the most important source of information about research is generalist dental journals ( JCDA in particular), while teachers/researchers prefer specialist journals. In addition, clinical dentists prefer to learn about research through clinical practice guidelines rather than conventional scientific reports.