Canadian Dental Association: The Dental Profession

CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program

The CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program provides an opportunity for one dental student from each accredited dental school in Canada to participate in a national clinical research competition.

Managed by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and sponsored by DENTSPLY International and DENTSPLY Canada (DENTSPLY), the program is held in conjunction with CDA's annual convention. The purpose of the program is to stimulate ideas, improve communication and most of all, increase student involvement in the advancement of the dental profession.

Method of Selection
Judging of Clinics
Prizes
More Information
2010 Winners

Method of Selection

Each year, CDA and DENTSPLY international forward an Invitation the deans of the 10 accredited dental schools in Canada. Each school may select a student to participate in the CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program. The selection is determined separately by each dental faculty. Students should contact their faculty for more information on how the selection process is conducted at their school.

The participating student clinician must be an undergraduate at the time of selection by his or her school. DENTSPLY provides funding for the qualifying students' airfare and travel expenses to the convention.

Judging of Clinics

Student clinicians provide a presentation (5 to 7 minutes) of their table clinic in one of two categories — 'clinical application and techniques' or 'basic science and research' — to a panel of qualified judges. Students must identify the purpose of the study, provide background information, outline how the study was conducted, and report on the results of the study and its possible significance.

Using established criteria, the judges evaluate the subject matter, presentation and table display of each clinician. The judges then select a first and second prize winner among all competitors on a total point basis, regardless of category. Following the program, CDA and DENTSPLY host a reception in honour of all student clinicians participating in the program. The winners are announced during the Awards Reception.

Prizes

The first prize is an expense-paid trip to the American Dental Association (ADA) Annual Session, where the student clinician will make his or her winning presentation on a non-competitive basis, as part of the ADA's scientific program.

The second prize is $1000 cash. All participants receive a certificate of appreciation from CDA and DENTSPLY for their contribution to the table clinic program.

More Information

Faculty members or students seeking further information about the CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program are invited to contact:

Monique Bouchard
Coordinator, Education
Canadian Dental Association
1815 Alta Vista Drive
Ottawa, ON K1G 3Y6

Tel.: (613) 523-1770, ext. 2201
Fax: (613) 523-7736
Email: reception@cda-adc.ca

2010 Winners

The most recent CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program was held on May 30, 2010, in Montreal, Quebec, at the CDA Annual Convention and the Journées dentaires internationales du Québec.

David Lee from the University of Toronto was awarded first prize for his research project exploring the relationship between bone morphogenetic proteins and bisphosphonates. As part of the award, Mr. Lee will be given an opportunity to present his research project at the 2010 American Dental Association Annual Session in Orlando, Florida.

Jeanne Sansfaçon of Laval University was awarded the $1,000 second prize for her project examining the relationship between periodontal diseases and intra-amniotic infections.