In 2026, which platform do dentists use most? Despite being one of the oldest major social platforms still in widespread use, Facebook remains the clear leader — 87% report having a presence on Facebook, making it the most widely used platform among dental professionals.
Balance billing occurs when dentists charge patients the difference between the CDCP’s reimbursement rate and the dentist’s standard fee. Whether to balance bill is entirely at the discretion of the practice owner.
U.S. tariffs affect Canadian dental practices in several ways, most notably through higher costs and supplier disruptions. In an Oral Health survey, 21% of respondents reported that tariffs have significantly increased costs and created sourcing challenges.
Despite growing interest, many dentists remain cautious. When asked whether they had implemented AI-assisted technologies for clinical diagnostics in the past five years, 60% of Canadian dentists said they had not.
Oral Health’s recent Data Driven Dentistry survey of practicing Canadian dentists revealed that 55% of respondents are not using AI tools for administrative tasks. This finding demonstrates that despite the hype surrounding AI in dentistry, a significant gap in adoption remains.
Oral Health is pleased to introduce a first look at the Data Driven Dentistry series for 2026. After surveying Canadian dental patients last year, we have returned to surveying practicing Canadian dentists to reveal the trends taking place within the profession. Our goal with this collected data is to encourage dental practice owners to reflect … Read more
Here is a round up of highlights from the Data Driven Dentistry stories that were released this year, including stats about AI, the CDCP, and more.
With increasing awareness of climate change, sustainability in dentistry has become more than just a talking point—it’s quickly becoming an expectation. Dentistry contributes roughly 3% of the total healthcare industry’s carbon footprint, largely due to disposable products, energy consumption, and travel emissions.1 This means dental professionals and practice owners have a unique opportunity: to deliver excellent … Read more
Your dental patients are on social media—but how exactly are they using it? And how can you best leverage your own platforms to reach them? According to our latest survey, half of respondents said they are open to following business accounts, including dental practices. If you are deciding where to focus your efforts, Facebook, YouTube, … Read more
While dentistry has seen many technological advancements over the years, artificial intelligence (AI) is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about developments in recent times. At Oral Health, we’ve published numerous articles exploring how AI can be integrated into dental practices to enhance experiences for both patients and professionals. We’ve also examined the potential risks of … Read more
Fear of the dentist, or “dentophobia,” has been widely discussed within both the dental profession and general society, with extensive research conducted on the topic. In our recent survey of Canadian dental patients, 73% of respondents did not consider themselves to have a dental phobia. While this is an encouraging result, dental professionals must still … Read more
Don’t just fit your patient into an appointment; adjust the appointment for your patient. This sentiment is relevant not just for the clinical aspects of an appointment but also the administration side. Most dental offices have a patient base that varies demographically, and often the different generations have different preferences. When we asked patients how … Read more
More than half of Canadian patients would take to Google if in need of a new dentist. Once they come across your dental practice during their search, the most important element they consider is the online reviews. However, the list of procedures and services offered has increased in importance over the last five years, especially … Read more
According to our 2024 survey of Canadian dental patients, over half of respondents do not feel aware of new dental technologies or procedures, and they have even less awareness of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in the dental office. This is a huge problem. If patients don’t understand the procedures and technology being … Read more
Now that the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has been in place for about a year, both patients and dentists have had time to form opinions on how the program is working. Among CDCP patients surveyed, 95% expressed an overall positive view of the plan. Despite ongoing discussions between the dental profession and the federal … Read more
We asked Canadian dental patients if they would like to see anything improved for their experience at the dentist and while 35% said “everything was fine,” 61% made a suggestion. Patients aged >30 to 49 years of age were more likely to leave a suggestion for improvement while patients aged 50 and up were more … Read more
As discussed last month, we surveyed Canadian dental patients on their preferences and opinions when visiting the dentist’s office. When comparing the data to the survey conducted in 2019, there were a few changes that we wanted to highlight that demonstrate how the patient population is evolving. The number of patients attending appointments every 6 … Read more
Oral Health is thrilled to introduce the first look at our Data Driven Dentistry series for 2025. After surveying dentists themselves over the past few years, we decided to return to surveying Canadian dental patients, which we have only ever done once before back in 2019. Our goal with the collected data is to start a … Read more
Tips for avoiding burnout in dentistry There are many reasons why most dentists agree their career leaves them feeling burned out, from daunting administrative tasks to dealing with difficult staff members. We explored some ways to handle burnout, such as by delegating tasks, finding your passion, and connecting with your community. Who should be in … Read more
More than half of the Canadian dentists who responded to our survey reported having to resolve conflict between team members at their practice. A dental office is full of people working in close quarters, with potentially very different personalities and opinions. It’s not a question of if conflict will arise at your clinic, but when … Read more