Rachel Boutet

Deputy prime minister visits clinics at U of T Faculty of Dentistry

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:45:04 +0000

Deputy prime minister visits clinics at U of T Faculty of Dentistry

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 07/10/2024 - 16:45

Cutline

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland meets with graduate students at U of T's Faculty of Dentistry (all photos by Sean Liliani)

Rachel Boutet

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

Health

Subheadline

Chrystia Freeland highlighted that children under 18 and persons with disabilities are now eligible for coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland visited several of the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry clinics on Tuesday, July 9, and highlighted how updates to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) are helping Canadians get the dental care they need – no matter their ability to pay.

At 14 clinics, the Faculty of Dentistry treats more than 15,000 new patients each year, many of whom experience barriers to accessing dental care. The deputy prime minister visited the Children’s Clinic and several others, speaking to pediatric specialty graduate students who help treat nearly 2,000 children annually.

The faculty has been closing the gap in access to dental care for the past 50 years with more than 400 doctor of dental surgery students working with vulnerable populations at a cost dramatically lower than that of a private practice.

Minister Freeland meets a student at the Faculty of Dentistry's Children's Clinic

Following the tour, Freeland said that effective June 27, uninsured children under 18 and adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate who have an annual adjusted net family income of less than $90,000 are eligible for the CDCP. Prior to this announcement, the plan already rolled out to more than 2.1 million uninsured seniors aged 65 or over – of whom about 250,000 have already received dental care.

“The Canadian Dental Care Plan aligns with our mission to provide dental care to those in need,” said Professor Laura Tam, the Faculty of Dentistry’s interim dean. “We have accepted many patients through the CDCP since we enrolled several months ago and are happy to say that our experience has been positive. Now, we look forward to providing the same wide-ranging scope of treatment to our youngest patients.”

Minister Freeland (L) highlighted updates to the Canadian Dental Care Plan – which interim Dean Laura Tam (R) noted aligns with the Faculty of Dentistry's mission to provide dental care to those in need

The deputy prime minister highlighted how the federal government is making it easier for oral health providers to treat patients and to submit CDCP claims. Providers who prefer not to sign on to the plan will now have the option of providing services on a claim-by-claim basis, opening up new channels for patients to access care. Canadians covered by the CDCP will be able to see the provider of their choice, as long as their provider agrees to bill Sun Life directly.

“Too many Canadians are going without the dental care they need – but ability to pay shouldn’t be a barrier to staying healthy,” said Freeland. “That is why we launched the Canadian Dental Care Plan – a transformative expansion of Canada's social safety net – and already, millions of seniors have signed up. Now, with children under 18 and persons with disabilities eligible to apply, even more Canadians will get the dental care they need.”

A dentistry student demonstrates a training mannequin to Minister Freeland

By 2025, the CDCP will be fully implemented to cover all uninsured Canadians with an annual adjusted net family income under $90,000, providing oral health care for up to nine million eligible Canadians.

U of T researcher explores use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:19:34 +0000

U of T researcher explores use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 03/25/2024 - 09:19

Cutline

Mercedes Ing, who is in her first year of U of T’s pediatric graduate dentistry program, talks about her research into using DNA nanotechnology to regenerate teeth during a recent Three Minute Thesis competition (photo by Jeff Comber)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

"Most treatments currently in dentistry involve filling the tooth with materials that don’t make the tooth stronger – in fact, they actually weaken them”

Researchers in the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry are exploring the use of DNA nanotechnology to regenerate biologic materials – including teeth.

Mercedes Ing, who is currently in her first year of the faculty’s pediatric graduate dentistry program, is taking research related to bone regeneration that’s being conducted by a PhD student in the faculty and applying it in a way that could one day reduce the need for cavity fillings.

She says the bone regeneration research has already shown promise in pre-clinical studies.

“Two different solutions of DNA are mixed together to make a gel where the DNA forms a structure that acts like scaffolding, attracting minerals to help regenerate the bone,” says Ing, who is working in the lab of Assistant Professor Karina Carneiro.

She adds that injecting DNA gel has aided with bone healing and that by applying the bone results to teeth, “we want to see how the gel performs in the environment of human saliva and human cells, and how it can help remineralize dentin in teeth.”

Ing says the developing field of nanotechnology has a lot of potential, which she can already see with this research – even in its preliminary stages.

“The cool thing about this is most treatments currently in dentistry involve filling the tooth with materials that don’t make the tooth stronger – in fact, they actually weaken them,” says Ing, who chose her area of research, in part, because of Carneiro, who taught her biomaterials during her dentistry degree. “This could be extremely promising if we’re able to use the DNA gel to rebuild the dentin of the tooth.”

Using DNA as a tool for regeneration could also yield other benefits for patients, including preventing root canals and additional invasive dental visits, she says.

“Nowadays, in pediatric dentistry especially, we are trying to move towards minimally invasive dentistry and fewer visits,” says Ing. “The ultimate goal is to be able to apply this gel to help promote more healing.”

Morris Manolson, the Faculty of Dentistry’s vice-dean, research, and Mercedes Ing at the faculty's 2024 Three Minute Thesis award presentation (Jeff Comber)

Ing presented her research at the Faculty of Dentistry’s Three-Minute-Thesis competition earlier this year and was chosen as the winner, moving on to the larger, U of T-wide competition.

“I was happy to win for my supervisors – they were really encouraging and supportive,” says Ing, referring to Carneiro and Anuradha Prakki, associate dean, undergraduate education. “I’m excited to represent the faculty in the next round and also to see the breadth of research from around the entire university.”

U of T students, prof help propel noma onto WHO's neglected disease list

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 21:42:52 +0000

U of T students, prof help propel noma onto WHO's neglected disease list

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 01/22/2024 - 16:42

Cutline

Sakina, age four, appears in Restoring Dignity, a documentary about noma survivors (© Claire Jeantet - Fabrice Catérini/Inediz)

Topic

Subheadline

“The effort by a group of dental students with one professorial support has helped lead to a result that could ultimately change the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable children on the planet”

The ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry played an instrumental role in the recent inclusion of noma on the World Health Organization’s official list of neglected tropical diseases – a move that will have an enormous impact on future global efforts to control the disease.

Noma, which occurs when bacteria and microbes quickly destroy facial bones and tissues, is a preventable disease. It typically affects young children in impoverished communities and leads to severe facial disfigurements and often death, with a mortality rate of up to 90 per cent.

U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry has been advocating for noma’s inclusion on the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) list for several years, lending its support to a global campaign that has been led by the Nigerian government.

“Seeing noma for the first time was life-altering,” says Joel Rosenbloom, director of student life and assistant professor, teaching stream, in the Faculty of Dentistry. “I felt a deep sense of embarrassment to be a member of humanity, knowing that noma exists and that we ignored it for so long.”

That experience prompted Rosenbloom to work with dentistry students to form the Noma Action Group (NAG) in 2020.

The group has since played a pivotal role in the international campaign to have noma listed as a neglected tropical disease, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), will help “amplify global awareness, catalyse research, stimulate funding, and boost efforts to control the disease through multisectoral and multi-pronged approaches.”

Front row, left to right: Andrew Seto, Riya George, Hartirath Brar, Ocarina Zheng and Athena Zhao. Middle row, left to right: Hellen Huang, Ken He, Zoha Anjum and Camryn Rohringer. Back row, left to right: Ifeanyichukwu Ezeliorah, Cassandra Collins, Shirin Esfahani and Joel Rosenbloom. Absent: Sharon Yoon (photo by James Long)

The road to getting noma included on the WHO list wasn’t an easy one. Rosenbloom and former Faculty of Dentistry Dean Dan Haas encouraged Canada’s minister of health to write a letter to support the Nigerian government’s dossier for noma’s inclusion, laying the groundwork to influence other ministers around the world to do the same. As a result, there are now 32 letters of support globally.

Over the past few years, NAG has held multiple noma events such as lectures and guest speakers at U of T and other dental schools across Canada. NAG chapters are now forming at Western University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University.

“This is an example of the power of advocacy and I am beyond proud of the Faculty [of Dentistry]’s role in this achievement,” says Rosenbloom. “The effort by a group of dental students with one professorial support has helped lead to a result that could ultimately change the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable children on the planet.”

Rosenbloom notes that it is ultimately the vote at the World Health Assembly which will determine next steps and specific accountabilities such as increasing awareness, funding and supporting those affected by the disease.

“The fight is not over,” he says. “But I am very hopeful. This literally has the ability to change the world. It’s the first step toward eradicating this disease.”

After fleeing Syria, Aiman Ali finds a new home as co-ordinator of a U of T dentistry lab

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 19:15:52 +0000

After fleeing Syria, Aiman Ali finds a new home as co-ordinator of a U of T dentistry lab

geoff.vendeville Thu, 07/21/2022 - 15:15

Cutline

After fleeing the Syrian war, Aiman Ali came to Canada where he found a job that matches his qualifications at the Faculty of Dentistry (photo by Jeff Comber)

Aiman Ali and his family fled war in Syria six years ago and came to Canada in hopes of a better life. But the move to a new a country wasn't easy, especially at first.

“I came here on a Visiting Scholar Visa for six months – our transition to Canada was extremely arduous and we faced many financial difficulties at the beginning,” Ali says. “We were living cheque to cheque and it wasn’t easy to make ends meet.”

Despite having two advanced degrees in dentistry from universities in Syria and Spain – a doctor of dental surgery and PhD in oral cancer – Ali initially struggled to find a job that matched his qualifications. But earlier this year he became the manager and lab co-ordinator for the Histopathology Research Unit at the Faculty of Dentistry.

Histopathology refers to the branch of pathology dealing with tissue changes characteristic of disease. The lab uses both human and animal samples for precise experiments to determine the role of specific proteins in cells and their role in the progression of cancer and other diseases.

As manager, Ali is responsible for everything that goes on in the lab, including experiments, ordering materials and chemicals and training students and researchers to use the equipment.

Ali programming one of the automated machines in the Histopathology Research Unit (Jeff Comber)

The job put Ali and his family on firmer financial footing, and it's a good fit with his credentials, he says.

Ali took it upon himself when he arrived to modernize the lab with newer equipment so that it could provide more services, including the ability to perform immunostains experiments and full soft- and hard-tissues services for anything related to histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

“Now researchers are sending us work from Sinai and MARS because we can do it all in house,” he says. “Having the ability to deal with dental implants, mineralized tissue in the teeth, [and] bone and jaw puts us at an advantage as it’s difficult for a lot of other labs to complete.”

Ali says he's enthusiastic about using the lab's new machinery to help researchers in Canada and beyond. He says the new equipment has made the lab more efficient by automating certain procedures, thereby saving time and improving accuracy.

“Our lab is an example of the way forward in histopathology,” he says. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for this type of research.”

In a bid to improve accuracy, U of T students give Wikipedia's dental and oral health content a checkup

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 24 May 2022 18:59:10 +0000

In a bid to improve accuracy, U of T students give Wikipedia's dental and oral health content a checkup

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/24/2022 - 14:59

Cutline

(Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Rachel Boutet

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Dentistry

Many students use Wikipedia as a source of information multiple times a week, if not every day. But what happens when that information lacks accuracy and proper citations?

It’s a problem the Wikipedia Collaboration of Dental Schools (WCODS) aims to address in the dentistry field.

Linnaea Halpert, a ��Ƶ student who is graduating in June with her doctor of dental surgery degree, is the president of the Faculty of Dentistry’s WCODS club. The club was started three years ago with the assistance of Associate Professor Hashim Nainar and Helen He, the head of the Faculty of Dentistry’s library.

“Wikipedia is the first point of access for patient and student questions,” says Halpert. “WCODS is a community of dental students and dentists who monitor dental and oral health-related content on Wikipedia and keep the information up to date.”

WCODS was started by Dr. Nour Geres at Dundee University in the U.K. and now has chapters all around the world, including the one at U of T. At the beginning of every year, each chapter is assigned a topic of focus with specific Wikipedia articles to work on to ensure that there is no overlap in editing efforts among different chapters. Since Wikipedia utilizes open collaboration, one of the challenges is that editing work can be undone. Halpert says each chapter therefore monitors the pages after they have been updated to ensure accuracy.

Halpert became interested in WCODS when she was working at Princess Margaret Hospital alongside someone who went to dental school in the U.K.

“I know I have been told that Wikipedia isn’t a credible source and we shouldn’t use it, but I also know it’s a website many of my classmates go to for a last-minute check,” she says. “So, I thought if so many of us are using it anyway, why not try to make it as good as it possibly can be.”

She notes that Wikipedia is also used by patients and other dentists, making it even more important that everyone is accessing the same accurate information.

The WCODS club prior to the pandemic. From left to right: Bronte Murcar-Evans, Linnaea Halpert, Noah Gasner and Joshua Tordjman (photo by Adam Tepperman)

Halpert says WCODS is also an opportunity for students at the Faculty of Dentistry to join a community of students and dentists around the world.

“Joining the WCODS club gives students great networking opportunities, the chance to bridge the gap between dentists and patients, and allows them to gain dentistry knowledge and literature appraisal skills,” she says. “Being a part of WCODS also helps students in their pre-clinical years as a way to improve content online so that when the patient sits in their chair, they can help further bridge that knowledge gap.”

Halpert encourages all students and faculty to get involved in the club.

“We would love to have more faculty members involved so we can further expand the scope of the topics we edit and make more accurate.”

Drill-free fillings? Researcher says antimicrobial resin could lead to 'more positive' patient experience

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:11:03 +0000

Drill-free fillings? Researcher says antimicrobial resin could lead to 'more positive' patient experience

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 02/28/2022 - 13:11

Cutline

(Photo by Ryan King/iStock/Getty Images)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Hetal Desai’s PhD research project will be welcome news to those who dislike having cavities filled.

The second-year PhD student in the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry is exploring a method to repair cavities without the need for a drill – typically used to remove decay from a tooth – by developing a low-viscosity resin with antimicrobial properties that would restore early carious lesions.

Hetal Desai

While there is currently a low-viscosity resin available that, when applied to the tooth’s surface, acts like a barrier to prevent further damage, the material doesn’t have antimicrobial properties. So, Desai hopes to use drug-loaded nanoparticles to levy antimicrobial properties onto this resin.

The nanoparticles are designed to carry a high drug load and are capable of gradually releasing the drug for a prolonged duration in order to maintain the antimicrobial effect for a long time. The result is the reduction of secondary decay occurrences around the restored tooth.

“Essentially, this resin will penetrate the tooth and form a barrier that will protect the tooth from being demineralized by the acids produced by the decay causing bacteria,” Desai says. “Additionally, the drug from the nanoparticles incorporated within the resin will eliminate the bacteria and protect the tooth from the bacteria and bacterial enzymes.”

An international student from India, Desai says she chose to pursue her PhD at the Faculty of Dentistry because it allowed her the opportunity to do a dual degree. She also holds degrees from Nair Hospital Dental College in Mumbai, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Louisville.

“I came to the ��Ƶ to investigate less invasive procedures for fixing dental caries,” she says. “This is especially important in children because fillings often need replacing years later. Finding a different solution has the potential to avoid multiple tooth restorations.”

She adds that she hopes her research will help ease people’s anxieties around dental appointments.

“There is a lot of fear associated with visiting the dentist for a cavity, especially for young children,” says Desai. “I hope this research will help eliminate the need for this procedure and a more positive experience for patients of any age.”

12 research projects at U of T and its partner hospitals receive support through John R. Evans Leaders Fund

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 14:55:35 +0000

12 research projects at U of T and its partner hospitals receive support through John R. Evans Leaders Fund

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 02/23/2022 - 09:55

Cutline

Karina Carneiro, of the Faculty of Dentistry, is one of 12 researchers at U of T and its partner hospitals to receive support this week through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (photo by Elizabeth Silva)

Rachel Boutet

Topic

Our Community

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

Sunnybrook Health Sciences

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute

Computer Science

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Dentistry

Research & Innovation

University Health Network

The ��Ƶ’s Karina Carneiro is focused on using DNA nanostructures to develop materials for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that affect connective tissues, as well as the regeneration of those tissues.

She is one of 12 researchers at U of T and its partner hospitals to receive funding this week through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), which helps institutions to recruit and retain outstanding researchers, and provide them with the necessary tools and technology to perform their work.

An assistant professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, Carneiro will use the nearly $160,000 to support her research project, “DNA nanomaterials for connective tissue diseases.”

“This funding is essential for my research program,” she says. “It will allow me to purchase crucial instruments needed for the synthesis and characterization of the DNA-based materials we develop in my group.”

More than $30 million was provided to 136 research infrastructure projects at 31 universities across the country in the latest funding round. Named after a former U of T president, the John R. Evans Leaders Fund supports projects that deal with a range of pressing issues, from climate change to innovation in the food sector.

The projects at U of T and its partner hospitals that received support through the latest funding round span studies of aging and dementia to soft, stretchable robotic devices.

Mihai Duduta, a researcher in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, received JELF support for his team’s work on soft robots, which can be made of a common polymer combined with carbon nanotubes (photo by Mihai Duduta)

“The federal government’s ongoing support for research through the John R. Evans Leaders fund is critical to equip Canadian researchers with the tools they need to address some of the world’s greatest challenges,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“Professor Carneiro’s research, which could facilitate diagnosis and treatment of fibrotic diseases, is an excellent example of how strategic investment in university infrastructure benefits the public.”

The materials Carneiro is helping to develop will enable the design of biomaterials for collaborative projects with the co-applicants Professor Christopher McCulloch and Vice-Dean Research and Professor Bernhard Ganss. Although custom DNA-based materials can be purchased at high cost, having these instruments in-house will give Carneiro and her team the freedom to optimize the molecular design as new insights are gained.

With aging – and in several high prevalence diseases such as heart failure, osteoarthritis and periodontitis – the connective tissues undergo critical structural alterations, leading to loss of organ function, disability and in some cases, death.

The new, customized infrastructure being developed by Carneiro and her team will enable them to perform state-of-the-art research for advanced synthesis and high-resolution imaging that will provide unprecedented levels of resolution.

“This funding with help with two goals of the program,” Carneiro says. “To enable reliable diagnosis of fibrotic diseases at earlier stages than allowed by current methods, and to provide therapeutic options for challenging tissue lesions.”

Here are the recipients of the John R. Evans Leaders Fund at U of T and its partner hospitals:

Karina Carneiro of the Faculty of Dentistry
Tom Chau of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Howard Chertkow of the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Baycrest Health Sciences
Mihai Duduta of the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Daniel Létourneau of the department of radiation oncology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the University Health Network
Christopher Maddison of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science
Avril Mansfield of the department of physical therapy in the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and the University Health Network
Jamie Near of the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Sunnybrook Research Institute
Peter Roy of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Ervin Sejdić of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Walter Swardfager of the department of pharmacology and toxicology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Chao Wang of the department or immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Sunnybrook Research Institute

Staying engaged: U of T Faculty of Dentistry student makes community volunteer work a priority

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 19:03:53 +0000

Staying engaged: U of T Faculty of Dentistry student makes community volunteer work a priority

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 02/02/2022 - 14:03

Cutline

In her final year of the Faculty of Dentistry's Doctor of Dental Surgery program, Marta Thorpe's volunteer work ranges from high school outreach to helping visually impaired runners train (photo by Anna Dzieciol Photography)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

Despite her hectic schedule, ��Ƶ student Marta Thorpe makes time to stay connected to the community through volunteering – and says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of having limited time, but I’ve found if something is really important to you, you find a way to prioritize it,” says Thorpe, who is in her final year of the Faculty of Dentistry’s Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program. “Volunteering helps me stay grounded. It reminds me of what I value.”

Thorpe has many volunteer commitments both inside and outside of the university. Last summer, she worked with U of T’s Black Medical Students' Association to organize presentations and meetings with Toronto high school students. The goal was to encourage young, disadvantaged students to pursue careers in health care.

“I think it’s really important to plant the seed early and show young students that they can have a career in health care,” Thorpe says. “I also think representation in dentistry is valuable so students can see themselves in the person they want to become.

“We are serving a diverse population so ideally we’d have diversity in the profession. It helps students see their place in the dental office as a patient, as an assistant and as a dentist.”

That mentality carries through with Thorpe’s work on the Faculty of Dentistry’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) committee. She was nominated by Dean Daniel Haas to be a committee member in her second year and has served ever since. The EDI committee is composed of staff, faculty and students, and is currently putting together an action plan on how to improve equity, diversity and inclusion efforts at the Faculty of Dentistry.

Thorpe is also involved in the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry EDI working group as a student representative, thanks to the nomination by Haas. The group’s aim is to collect data and identify shortcomings of both individual schools and dentistry as a profession overall. The findings will be used to determine the best way to affect change related to EDI.

Thorpe also volunteers with the Out of the Cold program in downtown Toronto to provide lunches and other donations to those who struggle with housing insecurity or who have low incomes. She spends a few hours every Sunday assisting with food preparation. Some of her other volunteer engagements, including being a guide for the visually impaired runners who are training for races, have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It's very important to me to stay engaged in the community weekly even in the busiest times of the school year,” Thorpe says. “I do better when I have time to separate myself from my schoolwork and get to know my community. Prioritizing these types of involvement may come at cost, but it’s such a worthy one to me.”

Researchers at U of T's Faculty of Dentistry show effectiveness of fluoride-free toothpaste

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 15:28:39 +0000

Researchers at U of T's Faculty of Dentistry show effectiveness of fluoride-free toothpaste

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 12/03/2021 - 10:28

Cutline

A study by researchers at U of T and in Germany found that toothpastes containing hydroxyapatite appear to demonstrate either superiority or equivalency to fluoride toothpastes in fighting tooth decay (Photo by Ivan-balvan/iStock via Getty Images)

Topic

Research and Innovation

Researchers at the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dentistry have shown that new fluoride-free toothpastes with hydroxyapatite can provide equivalent protection to those containing fluoride.

Kelsey O’Hagan-Wong, a second-year pediatric dentistry resident, was the first author of a review paper that investigated the efficacy of fluoride-free hydroxyapatite toothpastes on re-mineralizing and therefore repairing teeth. Through her research, she found that hydroxyapatite toothpastes appear to demonstrate either its superiority or equivalency to fluoride toothpaste as anti-caries agents.

Typically, fluoride is used in the prevention of dental caries, but due to the decreased acceptance among the public and the risk of fluorosis in children, there is the need for effective alternatives. Hydroxyapatite is the main mineral of human tooth enamel and can be used in toothpastes as a biomimetic active ingredient.

The paper was recently published in the journal Odontology.

“Fluoridated toothpaste is often a concern for very young kids who are more likely to swallow it,” says O’Hagan-Wong, who worked closely with Professor Bernhard Ganss, vice-dean research at the Faculty of Dentistry, and scientists Joachim Enax and Frederic Meyer – both based in Germany.

“The problem is kids are getting cavities, so there needs to be an alternate solution.”

Hydroxyapatite products can be considered as an alternative in young children where fluorosis is a concern. The challenge, says O’Hagan-Wong, is the toothpastes are often expensive, difficult to obtain and not well-known.

“Although this toothpaste has been on the market for a while, most people are unaware of it,” she says. “Hopefully with more knowledge, it can be used to prevent cavities.”

O’Hagan-Wong believes more can be added to fluoride-free toothpastes to further improve and protect teeth. Her master’s research involves looking at adding a special protein to hydroxyapatite toothpaste that can help rebuild the tooth and prevent further decay.

Her research has already received an Ontario Society of Preventive Dentistry-Public Health Research Fellowship, an award given out by the Faculty of Dentistry that supports graduate students further research in the areas of preventive dentistry and public health.

Dentists at lower risk of getting COVID-19: Study

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 21:31:10 +0000

Dentists at lower risk of getting COVID-19: Study

geoff.vendeville Mon, 11/22/2021 - 16:31

Cutline

A study by researchers at U of T and other Canadian universities found that dentists were less likely than the general public to get COVID-19 (photo by Jeff Comber)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Does close contact with patients put dentists at greater risk of catching COVID-19?

According to a new study by researchers at the ��Ƶ and three other Canadian universities, dentists appear – perhaps counterintuitively – less likely than the general population to contract the virus.

“When we started this study in July of 2020, there was so much unknown about COVID-19,” says Michael Glogauer, a professor in U of T's Faculty of Dentistry and dentist-in-chief at the University Health Network. “There were no vaccines and it was unclear how much of a risk dentists were actually at in terms of this virus. We wanted to get a good assessment of how much risk there actually was.”

The study, published in The Journal of the American Dental Association this fall, was led by Assistant Professor Sreenath Madathil of McGill University and was co-authored by eight other researchers, including Glogauer and Professor Carlos Quiñonez at U of T's Faculty of Dentistry.

The study was based on a sample of 644 licensed dentists across Canada from July 29, 200 to Feb. 12 of this year. The researchers used an online questionnaire and self-collected oral swabs to track the incidence of COVID-19 among the study participants.

Six people reported catching COVID-19 during the study period. The incidence rate was estimated to be 1,084 per 100,000 dentists, compared to 1,864 per 100,000 people in the general public during the same period, the study says.

“I wasn’t really surprised by these results because similar data has also been published in a study of American dentists, and in Canada, we are taking even more precautions,” Quiñonez says. “What’s interesting is there appears to be a slightly higher rate of infection in European jurisdictions, so something is different, we just aren’t sure exactly what yet. What we’re trying to determine is what is the actual nature of the risk and why would we see this differentiation in different parts of the world.”

Glogauer notes that dentists take precautions to protect the public, patients and dental office staff from outbreaks.

“We have a rapid ability to upgrade PPE and have undertaken many other measures to protect all of these groups,” he says. “This study further shows the safety of dental care. The profession’s ability to adapt quickly is shown in this study and the data is there that we remain a very safe profession.”

Quiñonez agrees, citing a whole host of reasons for the relatively low infection rate observed in this study, including: personal protective equipment, increased awareness and the fact that dentists may be exercising extra caution outside of work.

“We don’t have all the explanations other than to say that dentists aren’t getting COVID-19,” he says. “This is a quick peek under the hood meaning there is a lot going on. We are adding to the evidence base here in Canada which is suggesting that COVID-19 infection risk is potentially not high or is at least controlled by what’s going on in dental offices, which is good news.”

Glogauer says this is a good time to ask if the current measures are appropriate or overly stringent.

“We can use the results as a starting point to determine what measures are actually necessary to continue to ensure the safety of the public, patients, office staff and dentists,” he says.

This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, among others.