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A History of Canadian and Albertan Dentistry

Canadians have a lot to be proud of when it comes to their dental care system. The Edmonton dentists at the Azarko Dental Group dental clinics think it's important to recognize some of the historical milestones that made dentistry what it is today in Canada and particularly in Alberta.

The first step to the Canadian dentistry of today occurred on July 2, 1867, with the founding of the Ontario Dental Association. The Ontario Dental Association was successful in passing an act which gave powers for dentistry licensing and regulating to a professional governing body.

This set the stage for the first meeting, in September of 1902, of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). About 20% of the dentists in the country travelled to Montreal for the meeting, and were given a copy of a proposed code of ethics and bylaws for the new association.

It wasn't long after that the Alberta Dental Association (ADA) was founded. In July of 1906, just after the creation of Alberta as a province in 1905, the first official meeting of the ADA was held in Banff.

The CDA and the ADA both quickly turned their interests to improving public oral health. At its third meeting in 1906, the CDA listed public health objectives which included a periodic examination of young children's teeth, informative private and public lectures, and special dental hygiene instruction in schools.

In 1907, the ADA was working on its own public health projects, which first and foremost required the securing of much-needed dental supplies that had been cut off by eastern dental firms. Plans were arranged by the ADA to open supply depots in Calgary and Edmonton.

By the 1950s, fluoride was high on the radar of both organizations. In 1953, the CDA recommended that Canadian communities adopt procedures for public water fluoridation. In 1959, the ADA began a program to bring preventative dentistry to school children in outlying rural areas. One of the goals of this program was to improve oral health education while providing free topical fluoride.

Today, Canadians enjoy some of the best dental care in the world. With low wait times, a high rate of annual dental visits, and 60 dentists per every 100,000 Canadian residents, Canada outpaces many other developed nations in dental care quality and access.

Dental care in Edmonton, Alberta is also of a high quality when compared to other Canadian provinces and territories. Albertans have one of the highest rates of annual dental visits, and high rates of public and private spending on dental services.

As an Edmontonian, your access to quality dental care is unique in the world and even in Canada itself. The Edmonton dentists of the Azarko Dental Group are proud to carry on the Canadian and Albertan tradition of providing excellent dentistry services.

Dental Care in Edmonton

The Azarko Dental Group can take care of all of your oral health needs at our conveniently located dental clinic in Edmonton. Come visit us today!

Azarko West
780-483-7079
14938 Stony Plain Rd.
Edmonton, AB T5P 3X8

Sources:
https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/about/history/
http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=5026
https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/practice/patient_communications/factsheets/
https://www.iedm.org/files/chapt3-cahier0115_en.pdf

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