Federal Government Grant Aimed at Advancing Oral Health Across Canada
Promoting and advocating for oral health research is essential to ensure a high level of oral health and care for all Canadians
Today, Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for
Outremont, announced, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of
Health, a new investment of $2 million over five years from the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to support an established national
research network that will advance oral health science in Canada and help
improve dental care for Canadians.
From left: Dr. Melvin Schwartz, Chief of the Department
of Dentistry at the JGH; Dr. Alain
Moreau, Scientific Director, Viscogliosi Laboratory in Molecular Genetic
of Musculoskeletal Diseases, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, and NCOHR Executive Committee member; Lucie Tremblay, Associate CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal; Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and
Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Outremont; Dr. Ana Miriam Velly, Investigator at the Lady Davis
Institute, Director of the NCOHR and Director of the Research Department of Dentistry at the JGH; Dr. Maryam Sharifzadeh-Amin, Professor of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Dentistry Department, University of Alberta, and NCOHR Executive Committee member; and Dr. Belinda
Nicolau, DDS, Professor, Assistant Dean of Research and Canada Research
Chair in Life Course Oral Epidemiology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral
Health Sciences, McGill, and NCOHR Steering Committee member.
The Network for Canadian Oral Health Research
(NCOHR) is led by Dr. Ana Miriam Velly, a researcher at the Lady Davis
Institute, the research arm of the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), and one of
Canada’s leading experts in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic
pain. With the support of the new funding from CIHR, Dr. Velly and her team
will work together with scientists, health care providers, industry partners,
and patient representatives to spearhead new discoveries and strengthen
existing approaches for improving and maintaining oral health. They will also
support the training of the next generation of oral health researchers and
clinicians with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
To this end, a greater emphasis will be placed on
engaging students, researchers, patients, and partners from minority groups to
play a more active role in improving oral health research deliverables and
promoting patient-oriented research with particular consideration for the oral
health of Indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups.
“There is no healthy body without oral health," says Dr. Velly. "NCOHR’s
mandate is to promote and support oral health research excellence, which is
critical to ensure a high level of oral health and care for all Canadians.”
For nearly a decade, the Network for Canadian Oral
Health Research (NCOHR) has proven its ability to initiate, support, and
advance collaborative oral health research across the population. With a
well-established infrastructure in place and more than 840 members across the
country, including researchers from all academic ranks and different
disciplines as well as trainees, dental health professionals, patient
representatives, and industry, the NCOHR is ready to advance oral health
research and knowledge translation even further.
“The Jewish General Hospital’s Department of Dentistry
plays a vital role in the management of dental care for patients who are
compromised by underlying medical conditions or with special needs and is also
home to a significant training program for residents," says Dr. Melvin Schwartz, Chief of the Department
of Dentistry at the JGH. "Research and knowledge dissemination
initiatives by the NCOHR inform us on best practices, new protocols, and
innovations that translate into ever better access and care, especially for the
vulnerable patients we serve.”
Oral health is a major contributor to the overall
health and well-being of Canadians. Researchers have found links between the
quality of a person’s oral health and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic
respiratory diseases, diabetes, and arthritis. Evidence has also shown that
poor oral health is linked to socioeconomic factors, mental health, race,
ethnicity, and nutrition.In particular,
there is a growing issue around oral disease among the frail elderly and there
are groups of Canadians who still have high rates of oral disease and little
access to oral care.
“I want to congratulate Dr. Velly and her team for their commitment to
strengthening capacity for oral health research in Canada," says Ms.
Bendayan. "The work that will be done at the JGH and institutions across
the country will make an important contribution in our efforts to improve
dental care and promote the health of Canadians.”
Quick facts
- Good oral health is an important part of overall health.
- Vulnerable groups living
in Canada have both the highest level of oral health
problems and the most difficulty accessing oral health care.
- Seeing a dentist is important to maintain good oral health, but it can
be expensive. A third of Canadians currently do not have dental insurance, and
in 2018, more than one in five Canadians reported avoiding dental care because
of the cost.
- The Government is supporting oral health research with $2 million in
new funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support the
Network for Canadian Oral Health Research. The Network will support research,
training, and knowledge sharing to improve oral health care for Canadians.
Associated links
|