10
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Volume1 Issue1
CDA
at
W
ork
About16%ofCanadians—more than5million
people—reported in the2007–09Canadian
HealthMeasureSurvey that theyhavepoor
oral health.While the issueofhavinga signifi-
cantunderserved segmentof thepopulation
maynotbenew, it remainsaglaringomis-
sion.With thehistoricFebruary27thevent,
CDAopened thedoor to teamingupwithall
parties for a trulypatient-focusedconversa-
tionon theaccess tocare issue.
The symposiumbrought together representa-
tives fromawidevarietyof organizations: oral
healthcareproviders, academia, government,
otherhealthprofessionsand special interest
groups. It allowed for anoverviewofboth
thenatureandextentof thecountry’soral
healthchallenges, and fordiscussing the
work that liesahead toensureappropriate
care for all Canadians.
“Attendeesagreed thatweneed todevelop
a scientifically supported strategicplan to
addresschallenges inoral healthpromotion
anddelivery,” explainsDr. PeterDoig, CDA
president. “While thedevelopmentof
suchanactionplan is toobigamouthful
tochewatonce,wecan set thewheel in
motionby takingabite-sizeapproachusing
collaborative solutions.”
Collaboration is thecornerstoneof thisCDA
initiative—theoral healthactionplanmustbe
acomprehensive framework thathighlights
thedifferent roles relevant stakeholders
canplay. As such, the symposiumprovided
participantswithanopportunity todiscuss
their currentpriorityprograms, andultimately
toexploreavenues for futurecollaborations
and further actions.
Dr. Peter Cooney, Canada’sChiefDental
Officer, underscored thecrucial roleof
collaborationduringhispresentationon
projects implemented in thepast—some
very successful, othersnot somuch. “Ifwe
work together,wecanachievea lot. And if
wedon’twork together, thingsdon’t happen
at all,” summarizedDr. Cooney.
Working Together to
ImproveCanada’s
OnFebruary27,
2014,CDAhosted
theNationalOral
HealthAction
PlanSymposium in
Ottawa, a significant
first step inopeninga
dialogueabout oral
health care inequities
inCanada.
