Dental Industry

Study links typical fluoride exposure to modestly better cognitive performance in U.S. adolescents

by Oral Health
Public-health agencies in both Canada and the United States recommend an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L. (iStock)

U.S. children exposed to fluoride concentrations typical of community water systems show “modestly better” cognitive performance in secondary school, according to a new national study. Published Nov. 19 in Science Advances, the study—“Childhood fluoride exposure and cognition across the life course”—examined data from the nationally representative High School and Beyond cohort, which followed 26,820 students … Read more

U.S. plan to cap federal student loans would hit dental hygiene and other health programs

by Collin Binkley And John Seewer, The Associated Press
New Brunswick received $552,011 in OHAF grants for two dental-training projects, support Blanchard says will help but won’t quickly ease staffing shortages. (iStock)

A coalition of nursing and other health care organizations are angry over a Trump administration plan that could limit access to student loans in some cases. Students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public health and some other fields would face tighter federal student loan limits under the plan because it doesn’t consider them … Read more

Health Canada invests $35M in 30 projects to expand dental training at 22 post-secondary institutions

by Oral Health
The University of Manitoba received the largest single award at $3,592,000. (iStock)

Health Canada has announced more than $35 million in funding for 30 projects across 22 post-secondary institutions to improve dental training, expand outreach and strengthen access to oral-health services nationwide. The funding—delivered over three years through the Oral Health Access Fund (OHAF)—is designed to support and complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) by improving … Read more

Nova Scotia court acquits retired dentist accused of slapping young patients decades ago

by Oral Health
“I get that she’s sorry,” said presiding judge Gord Wong. “It’s less impactful at this stage in the game.”(iStock)

A Halifax provincial court judge on Thursday has acquitted the 83-year-old retired pediatric dentist Dr. Errol Gaum of assaulting four child patients for incidents alleged to have occurred in the 1970s and ’80s. The allegations gained public attention after former patients created a Facebook group titled The victims of Dr. ERROL GAUM (public), which had … Read more

University of Saskatchewan study plans to help dentists recognize signs of domestic violence

by Oral Health
domestic abuse dental alternate text for this image

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are leading a study to help dentists recognize signs of domestic violence and learn how to respond. “At the end of the process, we want to create something that is approachable and will be disseminated on socials and online platforms,” Dr. Liran Levin, a periodontist and researcher at the … Read more

Army warns troops against ‘Turkey teeth’ amid rising dental concerns

by Oral Health
british-soldiers alternate text for this image

British soldiers are being warned not to travel abroad for so-called “Turkey teeth” procedures, which could render them medically unfit for deployment, the Daily Mail reported. Army dentists have urged service members to avoid cheap cosmetic treatments promoted on social media by influencers. The procedures — which involve filing down natural teeth and fitting veneers … Read more

FDA restricts use of kids’ fluoride supplements citing emerging health risks

by Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press
children fluoride alternate text for this image

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday moved to limit the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, the latest action by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his deputies against a chemical that is a mainstay of dental care. The FDA said that the products are no longer recommended for children younger than 3 and those who … Read more

BBC’s under-cover investigation exposes ‘appalling’ illegal teeth-whitening trade

by Oral Health
Global whitening market is expected to near US$10.6 billion by 2030. (iStock)

An investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) — including one reporter who obtained a fraudulent teeth-whitening qualification — has revealed serious breaches in the regulation of teeth-whitening services in the United Kingdom. Investigators found bleaching gels offered on social-media platforms and delivered in car parks or to doorsteps, some containing hydrogen-peroxide concentrations of up … Read more

New study of data up to 2018 shows U.S. dentists had higher suicide mortality than general population

by Oral Health
New U.S. research shows suicide mortality among both male and female dentists was higher than in the general population from 1979 to 2018. (iStock)

A new U.S. study of death records from 1979 through 2018 found that both male and female dentists had higher suicide mortality than the general population, and that the risk has trended upward since the mid-1990s. The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Dental Association in October 2025, set … Read more

Gum disease and cavities linked to higher risk of stroke, study finds

by Oral Health
“People with signs of gum disease or cavities should seek treatment not just to preserve their teeth, but potentially to reduce stroke risk,” says study author Dr. Souvik Sen. (iStock)

A new study published by the American Academy of Neurology suggests that having both gum disease and cavities may nearly double a person’s risk of ischemic stroke compared with having a healthy mouth. The study found that participants who had both conditions were 86 per cent more likely to experience a stroke compared to those … Read more

Health Canada grants $4M to eight dental faculties following CDCP rollout

by Dina Al-Shibeeb, Oral Health Group
Student examining a patient at dental school under the supervision of a teacher. (iStock)

Health Canada has provided more than $4 million to eight of Canada’s 10 dental faculties to help sustain student clinical training, amid reports of fewer patients since the launch of the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). “Health Canada launched a targeted call for proposals to faculties of dentistry to help them address an immediate … Read more

What Ontario’s new bill means for dentists and dental hygienists across Canada

by Oral Health
Ontario’s new legislation would open the door for dental professionals across Canada to practise in the province with fewer barriers. (iStock)

A new Ontario bill promising a “more competitive economy” could make it easier for health professionals — including dentists, dental hygienists and dental technologists — from across Canada to work in the province. The Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 — also known as Bill 56 — was introduced in the Ontario Legislature on … Read more

Health Canada corrects ‘error’ in income assessment impacting 70,000 CDCP applicants

by Oral Health
(iStock)

Health Canada says it has corrected an “error” in the income assessment portion of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) that affected about one per cent of active members — roughly 70,000 people — whose eligibility or dental co-payment levels were miscalculated. During eligibility processing, a calculation error in how income was assessed caused some … Read more

Death & taxes: Lessons for dentists

by Gurtej Varn, wealth advisor at White Coat Financial Inc.
Worried senior couple looking at inheritance tax documents at home alternate text for this image

A recent news story described an Ontario family who was shocked when their parents passed away within the same year and the estate owed more than $660,000 in taxes. The children expected to inherit a cottage and retirement savings, but much of the money went straight to the Canada Revenue Agency. This wasn’t a mistake. … Read more

Operational efficiency and authentic leadership are reshaping the future of dentistry

by Dina Al-Shibeeb, Oral Health Group
“The most important piece is getting the patient in the door,” Ohri says. (iStock)

The days of dentistry as a “boutique” business are long gone, says Prashant Ohri, president of Henry Schein Canada and Americas (non-U.S.), Global Distribution Group. For years, many dentists weren’t trained to run a business. Today, they’re expected to standardize workflows, track key performance indicators (KPIs), market online and adopt digital tools—all while preserving the … Read more

Antibiotic resistance keeps climbing, WHO warns

by Oral Health
WHO’s 2025 report shows rising antibiotic resistance—South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean have the highest rates, with about one in three lab-confirmed infections resistant in 2023. (iStock)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that resistance to common antibiotics continues to rise worldwide, with “one in six” lab-confirmed bacterial infections in 2023 showing resistance to treatment. Between 2018 and 2023, resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the pathogen–antibiotic combinations WHO tracks, with average annual rises of 5 to 15 per … Read more

‘First national study’ finds few U.S. dentists screen teens for substance use

by Oral Health
Public-health agencies in both Canada and the United States recommend an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L. (iStock)

Fewer than half of U.S. dentists screen adolescents for substance use, according to what authors describe as the first national survey of dentists’ practices on the issue, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) Screening Survey assessed dentists’ knowledge, attitudes and current practice behaviours related to … Read more

The end of real estate investing in Canada? What’s changing in 2026 and why it matters for dentists

by Gurtej Varn, wealth advisor at White Coat Financial Inc.
From 2026, many mortgages will be classified as “income-producing” if more than half of the income used to qualify comes from the property’s own rent. (iStock)

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that a new bill announced by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), the federal government agency that regulates Canadian banks, could mark the end of real estate investing in Canada as we know it. Significant changes are coming in 2026 to the way Canadian … Read more

‘First’ study says a heart attack might be an infectious disease in another link to oral bacteria

by Oral Health
New research has found DNA from oral bacteria inside arterial plaques, suggesting heart attacks may partly be triggered by infection. (iStock)

Yet another study is strengthening the connection between oral and overall health — this time suggesting that heart attacks may partly be an infectious disease. Researchers from Finland and the UK, writing in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), report they found bacterial DNA from common oral species inside arterial plaques. Their findings, … Read more

What Dentalcorp’s $2.2B sale means for dentists in Canada

by Gurtej Varn, wealth advisor at White Coat Financial Inc.
“Oral Science is a Canadian success story much like our own,” says René Goehrum, president and CEO of BioSyent. (iStock)

The Canadian dental industry is entering a new chapter. Dentalcorp Holdings Ltd., the country’s largest dental services organization with more than 550 practices, has agreed to be acquired by U.S. private equity firm GTCR in a transaction valued at C$2.2 billion. Once complete, Dentalcorp will no longer be publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange … Read more