Canadian Oral Health Summit (COHS) 2024
Fall 2024/2025
Schulich Dentistry Shines at COHS 2024
With numerous faculty and students in attendance, Schulich Dentistry had an impressive presence at the 2024 inaugural Canadian Oral Health Symposium (COHS), which took place from July 20-22 at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Keynote speaker Canadian Minister of Health Mark Holland was introduced by Dr. Noha Gomaa and Dalhousie’s Dean of Dentistry, Dr. Ben Davis. Holland described the symposium as “a pivotal platform” where attendees could “share impactful strategies that will positively shape the landscape of oral health care in Canada.”
Oral health professionals, researchers, and policy makers from across Canada gathered to discuss advancements and challenges in oral health care, seeking to foster collaboration and drive forward-thinking solutions in the field of oral health. Engaging presentations addressed key topics such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan, community-based research, and the use of multimodal data in oral health research. Importantly, COHS witnessed the launch of Canada’s first National Oral Health Research Strategy to which several Schulich Dentistry faculty contributed .
Key Contributions
Dr. Carlos Quiñonez was a panelist in a session titled "Federal Initiatives to Support Oral Health in Canada." Along with James Taylor, Chief Dental Officer of Canada and experts from Health Canada and Statistics Canada, Dr. Quiñonez provided insights on the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). The panel discussed its context, rationale, goals, and its potential to address oral health gaps among vulnerable populations in Canada. This presentation underscored the importance of federal health initiatives in improving access to dental care and reducing oral health disparities.
Dr. Noha Gomaa was a panelist in two sessions. In the first, titled “What Can Public Dental Care Achieve and What Are Its Limits? A Discussion”, Dr. Gomaa joined a panel discussing the potential contributions and limitations of public dental care in reducing oral health inequalities. The discussion, moderated by Paul Allison from McGill University, also featured experts from the World Health Organization and the American Dental Association.
Additionally, Dr. Gomaa was chair and panelist in a session titled “Harnessing Complex and Multimodal Data to Advance Canadian Population Oral Health Research: The Future is Now.” This session explored the application of machine learning and predictive modeling in analyzing national datasets and electronic health records to address oral health research questions.
Dr. Abbas Jessani sat on the panel for the session titled “Cultivating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Dental Education: Narratives from Four Canadian Dental Schools.” This session focused on the incorporation of EDI as well as Decolonization and Indigenization as essential pillars in the delivery of dental care.
Dr. Abbas Jessani was also a panelist for the session titled “Community-engaged research experiences with priority populations in Canada,” which offered a comprehensive overview of best practices, ethical considerations, and innovative methodologies in reducing oral health disparities faced by vulnerable populations.
Learners from Schulich were also there to highlight their exciting research in sessions dedicated to student and junior faculty research. Ahmed Abbas (Dents2026) shared highlights from his FORUS project titled "Multimorbidity Increases Periodontal Disease in Older Canadians," and Schulich PhD student Luis Limo from Dr. Gomaa’s lab presented on “Oral Health Inequalities in Adolescents and Young Adults in Ontario."
Dr. Selma Saadaldin also presented two posters titled “Fitness Assessment of RPD Frameworks Manufactured Using Selective Laser Melting” and “Impact of removable partial denture components on the prognosis of the abutment teeth: an exploratory clinical study.”
Student Presentations
- Ahmed Abbas (Oral/Gomaa lab)
- Abby Hensel (Oral and Poster/Gomaa lab)
- Luis Limo (Oral and Poster/Gomaa lab)
- Melika Sabbagh (Poster/Nikoloudaki lab)
- Deepmala Rana Bhat (Poster/Jessani lab)
- Alexia Athanasakos (Poster/Jessani lab)
- Emily Mundy (Poster/Jacinta Santos lab)
- Alex Pi (Poster/Butler lab)
- Joeleen Philip (Poster/Quiñonez lab)
To learn more about these presentations by Schulich Dentistry’s FORUS fellows and the outcomes from the COHS conference, be sure to register for the FORUS Forum on Tuesday October 8th! Deadline to register is September 22 and spots are limited, so don’t miss out.
Adding to Schulich Dentistry’s stellar presence at COHS, Abby Hensel from Dr. Gomaa’s lab received the COHS Best Graduate Oral Presentation Award for presenting her MSc work examining the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the oral health and chronic disease burden in older Canadians.
Abby Hensal (r) with Dr. Mark Filiaggi, Vice Dean of Research, Dalhousie University
Impact and Future Directions
Thank you to everyone who attended and presented at COHS 2024. Schulich Dentistry's active engagement in the symposium demonstrated our leadership in oral health research and our dedication to addressing Canada's health challenges. Looking forward to 2025!
Find out more about the 2024 COHS speakers and presentations by reviewing the program here.
Note: this article was written with some assistance from ChatGPT 4.0 (Open AI, https://chat.openai.com/chat) to review and provide a draft summary of the conference program. Photo of participants used with permission of Luis Limo.
