May 12th 2014

1. Report on the CDA National
Oral Health Action Plan
Symposium (NOHAP)
Gerry Uswak
Saskatchewan Oral Health Coalition
May 12, 2014

2. NOHAP Symposium
O Held February 27, 2014 in Ottawa
O Hosted & facilitated by the CDA
O Attended by representatives from
national organizations to discuss the oral
health status of Canadians who are
underserved because they face access to
care barriers

3. NOHAP Symposium - Attendees
O Alberta Dental Association & College
O Assembly of First Nations
O Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry
O Association of Dental Technologists of Ontario
O British Columbia Dental Association
O Canadian Association of Public Health
Dentistry
O Canadian Association of Social Workers
O Canadian Dental Assistant Association
O Canadian Dental Hygienists Association
O Canadian Dental Specialties Association
O Canadian Dental Therapists Association
O Canadian Institutes of Health Research
O Canadian Medical Association
O Canadian Nurses Association
O Canadian Paediatric Society
O Canadian Pharmacists Association
O Canadian Public Health Association
O Canadian Teachers' Federation
O College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan
O Dental Association of Prince Edward Island
O Denturist Association of Canada
O First Nations Health Authority of British Columbia
O Health Canada
O Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
O Manitoba Dental Association
O New Brunswick Dental Society
O Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association
O Northwest Territories & Nunavut Dental
Association
O Nova Scotia Dental Association
O Ontario Dental Association
O Ordre des dentistes du Québec
O Patients Canada
O Patients for Patient Safety Canada
O Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia
O Royal Canadian Dental Corps
O Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario

4. We cannot expect that a one-day
symposium can solve a complex
issue like gaps in oral health care
delivery. Rather, to use a dental
analogy, we hope to identify areas
where we can take „bites‟ out of the
issue
Dr. Peter Doig, CDA President

5. NOHAP Symposium Objectives
O Achieve a common understanding of the key
issues and challenges for optimal oral health
in Canada.
O Review and consider the vulnerable groups
and their oral health needs.
O Identify existing programs for addressing the
oral health challenges of vulnerable groups.
O Determine areas of potential collaboration for
improving the oral health of Canadians.
O Agree on next steps for collaboration

6. Keynote Speakers
O A Collaborative Approach to
Promoting Oral Health – Dr. Peter
Cooney, Chief Dental Officer, Public Health Agency
of Canada
O Towards a National Oral Health Action
Plan – Dr. Louise Desjardins, Senior Consultant
Specializing in Health and Life Sciences
O Report on Consultations with
Stakeholders – Mr. Bill Tholl, Senior Health
Policy Consultant

7. Facilitated Discussion
O Children
O Prevalence of Early childhood caries &
how it accounts for 1/3 of all day surgeries
for children between the ages of 1 and 5
O Early targeting of pre-schoolers
O Educating caregivers and teachers

8. Facilitated Discussion
O Residents Living in Long-term Care
Facilities
O The discussion paled as compared to
what has been accomplished by SOHC

9. Facilitated Discussion
O Aboriginal Peoples
O Recognizing the diversity and unique
challenges facing Aboriginal peoples—First
Nations, Inuit and Métis and how solutions
must be tailored to the particular
community
O Focus of the impact of the social
determinants of health

10. Facilitated Discussion
O New Immigrants with Refugee Status
O Homeless People and People with
Drug Addictions
O Oral Health, General Health
O Impact of Socioeconomic Status
O Training of Oral Health Professionals
O Community Water Fluoridation

11. Facilitated Discussion
O Successful Provincial Initiatives
O At the provincial level, leaders are needed
to effectively channel dental public health
knowledge to programs.
O In Saskatchewan, an initiative for
providing oral health care in long-term care
facilities through a coalition of interested
parties has been a “phenomenal success”

12. Facilitated Discussion – Next Steps
O Three priority areas:
O A common position on community water
fluoridation
O Oral health standards of care for long-
term care facilities
O Oral health education programs for
children and parents

13. Facilitated Discussion – Next Steps
O Consensus on a shared concern
regarding oral health inequity & a desire to
improve things
O Identified a need for a clearing house for
oral health initiatives that have been
developed across the country
O Further discussion & another NOHAP in
2015

14. A commitment to meaningful
change to help us better
serve our vulnerable
populations