Nearly half of the 5.2 million Canadians approved under the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) have yet to see a dentist, Health Minister Marjorie Michel acknowledged Thursday. “It’s still a new program,” Michel told reporters when pressed on the uptake rate. “It’s like, you can go to your doctor, and you don’t feel the … Read more
Alberta dentists are caught in “limbo” as confusion persists over how the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is overlapping with the province’s existing coverage and when Ottawa’s program will end for Albertans. “Without a time frame, our dentists are in limbo with respect to knowing how to encourage patients, which plan to utilize. Should … Read more
New York University scientists are developing a zinc-based treatment for cavities that could eliminate the need for drilling and filling, while also avoiding the black staining that limits use of existing products. Marc Walters, a professor of chemistry at NYU, has created a colourless compound called zinc tetramine difluoride, which forms zinc oxide crystals deep … Read more
A substance recently banned from gel nail polishes across the European Union is reportedly still in use in certain dental procedures in Portugal — raising concerns that regulatory action could expand to medical-device materials, Euro News reported Friday. The chemical, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO), acts as a photoinitiator, triggering polymerization (hardening) of gels and resins … Read more
The American Dental Association is pushing back against claims from the Trump administration that Tylenol could be linked to autism, stressing that peer-reviewed science shows acetaminophen is safe. “Acetaminophen is well studied and proven to be safe for use in pregnancy and is one of the few medicines available to pregnant individuals for pain relief … Read more
A U.N. political declaration on noncommunicable diseases, negotiated over months and backed by most member states, failed to win formal endorsement Thursday after the United States blocked its adoption by consensus at a high-level General Assembly session. Shortly after its release, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Washington would formally object, arguing the … Read more
Dentalcorp Holdings Ltd., Canada’s largest dental services provider, said Friday it has agreed to be acquired by U.S. private equity firm GTCR LLC in a deal valued at C$2.2 billion. The announcement comes as Dentalcorp carries an estimated $1.1 billion in total debt and a debt-to-equity ratio of about 60 per cent, according to financial … Read more
A bacterium best known for causing tooth decay has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, in what researchers call the first study to show a direct microbial pathway driving the condition. The study, published this month in Nature Communications, was led by researchers in South Korea at POSTECH and Sungkyunkwan University, with collaborators from Seoul National … Read more
University of Toronto researchers are testing whether probiotics infused into common foods such as milk or yogurt could help prevent childhood cavities — one of the world’s most widespread chronic diseases. Led by dentistry professor Céline Lévesque, the team is using synbiotics — a combination of probiotics and prebiotics — to determine if beneficial bacteria … Read more
Corus Orthodontists, a North American orthodontic partnership network, said Wednesday it has increased its secured syndicated credit facility to C$250 million from C$175 million. The facility, provided through a syndicate of Canadian and U.S. lenders, also includes an uncommitted accordion feature that allows for expansion up to C$325 million. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce … Read more
A University at Buffalo postdoctoral researcher will use artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover how gum disease develops and progresses. Lu Li, a postdoctoral associate in the School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Oral Biology, has received a $993,098 Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). The five-year grant will … Read more
Dentalcorp Holdings Ltd. has declared a dividend of $0.025 per share, payable Oct. 21, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 2. The company will release its third-quarter 2025 results on Nov. 6, before markets open. This marks Dentalcorp’s third consecutive quarterly dividend since its board authorized an inaugural payout in March 2025. At … Read more
The rollout of the national dental care program is improving, industry representatives say — but political statements are still driving a misconception among patients that the program will cost them nothing. “When the plan was initially announced, the government of the day continually talked about free dentistry, free dental care,” said Dr. Bruce Ward, president of the Canadian Dental Association. Former … Read more
A new cohort study of 122,000 adults reports that specific oral bacteria — and the fungal genus Candida — were linked with a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer years later. Published Sept. 18 in JAMA Oncology by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and collaborators, the nested case–control analysis identified 445 people who … Read more
A team of University of Washington scientists has discovered that spotted ratfish are the first known animal to grow teeth outside of the jaw. The research, published Sept. 4 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), overturns earlier assumptions that the male spotted ratfish’s club-like, barbed structure between its eyes was used to … Read more
Sixty-five dental practices across the United Kingdom say they have not missed a single patient call since introducing AI receptionists in May, according to results released Sept. 17 by Wildix and RoboReception. The companies say their joint 24/7 “Wilma AI” system has answered more than 50,000 calls to date, capturing nearly $1.2 million (about £700,000) … Read more
Brain fog, weight gain, mood swings, lower libido, painful intercourse, night sweats, hot flashes and insomnia — these are among the symptoms that affect about 85 per cent of women during menopause, varying in intensity and combination. For some, these struggles create a bond and a willingness to talk about what has long been taboo. … Read more
TempStars and Mouthboxx have announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2025 RDH New Grad Summit, billed as Canada’s premier career launchpad for soon-to-be registered dental hygienists. The one-day event takes place Nov. 23 at the Toronto Islington Golf Course and is designed to help dental hygiene students bridge the gap between licensing … Read more
Ontario is consulting on expanding the scope of practice for several regulated health professionals, including dental hygienists and denturists, to improve access to care. Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Wednesday the proposal would allow a range of regulated health professionals — including dental hygienists, denturists, speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and chiropodists — … Read more
Heavy alcohol consumption has sharply increased the global burden of lip and oral cavity cancers over the past three decades, with the steepest rise seen in Southeast Asia and in lower-middle SDI regions, according to a new analysis based on Global Burden of Disease 2021 data provisionally accepted for publication in Frontiers on Sept. 15. … Read more