Dental research at the faculty of dentistry at the Vaughan Dental School is resurging, which is good news for the faculty and the dental community. The number of Vaughan dentists at the faculty has slightly more than doubled in the past year. The dentistry boom is largely thanks to interest generated by the Dental Research Group at the Vaughan Dental School. The national group is composed of one dentist from each of the provinces in Canada.
Dental representatives serve as the presidents of the local research groups and work to recruit other dentist Vaughan, oral research assistants and a dedicated dental faculty advisor. The local groups organize dentists interested in oral health research, advocate for curricula that support improvement of dental health for the Vaughan community.
A unique program, headed by Dentist Vaughan is aimed at reducing tooth decay in northern children. The project is dedicated to educating the public about the links between dental health and overall physical health, and has a long history of community outreach initiatives. Such programs typically cut tooth decay rates significantly in participating children. The project will give a gift card for children free of cavities when they visit the Vaughan Dental School. Additional cards will be given every time the children return for a regular dental check-up and have no tooth decay.
The class of 2011 at the Vaughan Dental School’s faculty of dentistry was welcomed in July at the annual dental white coat ceremony. Almost 30 new dentistry students shared the stage as they were presented with their white coats during the faculty of dentistry’s opening assembly. The ceremony is a symbol of a dentist’s commitment to the profession.
Concern for the public’s dental health is escalating. Of particular concern are issues of access to dental care for high-risk groups, such as low income, minority, institutionalized and elderly populations. There is an increasing public perception that Vaughan dentists are experiencing a financial boom, while so man people are without access to dentistry. This should serve as a wake up call for the dental profession that change is needed and that we can no longer continue with business as usual when delivering patient dental care. Routine dental visits are in important aspect of patient health. Vaughan dentists are often the first line of defence in the prevention, early detection and treatment of both oral and systemic disease and, therefore, must become more involved in assessing and ensuring overall health of their dental patients through screening. We must know that oral health and general health are inseparable.