JCDA.ca (Journal of the Canadian Dental Association)

Body Antibiotics are essential to the practice of dentistry. They are used to prevent distant-site infections, such as infective endocarditis, reduce the risk of surgical-site infections and treat serious odontogenic infections.

Body It is of persistent concern that the diversity of health care professionals does not adequately represent the diversity of the patients whom we serve.1,2 For example, just 0.12%, 5.84% and 10.3% of applicants to dental schools in the United States in 2024 were Indigenous, Black and Latino,3 respectively, whereas these 3 groups represented 1.3%, 13.7% and 19.5% of the US population.4 At the time of the current study, no similar Canadian studies were available, and only 2 Canadian dental...

Body Good oral health implies the ability to comfortably eat and chew, smile, communicate and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort or disease.1 It has a significant impact on a person’s general health and quality of life, whereas poor oral health worsens certain conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease, while increasing rates of aspiration pneumonia.2,3 Yet oral health care remains neglected and overlooked by...

Body Teledentistry refers to any remote interaction involving oral health care providers, either among themselves or with other health care providers, patients and/or caregivers.1,2 This remote interaction is accomplished through any form of information or communication technology and includes synchronous (e.g., live virtual consultation) and/or asynchronous (e.g., store-forward, remote patient monitoring and mobile oral health) modalities.1,2 The evidence suggests that teledentistry is a...

Body Dentists are embracing social media as tools to aid in business-related and patient-centred needs.

Body Biopsychosocial approaches to medical education, which aim to go beyond the biological model of disease to address the broader social determinants of health (SDOH), have gained interest over recent decades.1 Defined by the World Health Organization as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age,”2 these determinants include factors such as income, education, housing stability, food security and access to health care services.

Body Head and neck cancers (HNCs) rank among the malignancies with the highest mortality rates.1 In 2022, an estimated 2100 of the 7500 Canadians who received a diagnosis of HNC died from the disease.2 Despite global efforts to control HNCs,3,4 the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), a specific subsite of HNC, has substantially increased over recent decades, particularly in high-income countries such as Canada.2,5 Although smoking and alcohol consumption are well-established risk factors...

An environmental scan of medical–dental integration in community health centres (CHCs) in British Columbia revealed that although strides have been made toward incorporating oral health into the CHC practice model, significant gaps remain in the implementation of integrating processes.

Body Cannabis, known colloquially as marijuana or “weed,” has received increasing attention in recent years, both for its evolving legal status in numerous countries and its potential impact on public health.1 Currently, cannabis has been legalized for recreational use in 24 of the 50 US states and for medical use in 38 states.2 In Canada, cannabis was legalized in October 2018 through the Cannabis Act, which provides a comprehensive framework for its regulation.3,4 Cannabis originates...

Body Oral and maxillofacial surgeons commonly treat mandibular fractures. Condylar fractures account for roughly 24% of mandibular fractures, presenting as a sole or secondary fracture, depending on the mechanism of injury.1 The mandibular condyle is subdivided into 3 regions: the condylar head, condylar neck and subcondylar region1 (Fig. 1); fractures can occur in any of these areas. Figure 1: Prevalence of mandibular fractures and regions of the mandibular condyle.