November 11, 2024 – Ottawa, ON: This Remembrance Day, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) honours veterans and those currently serving our country. We pay tribute to their enduring courage and sacrifice.
Since 1915, the Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC) played a pivotal role in the World Wars, as well as in Korea, Afghanistan, and various peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. RCDC dentists have cared for the oral health needs of Canada's troops, both at home and abroad.
This year, CDA spoke to some current and former RCDC dentists about their service, and we are highlighting these heroes this Remembrance Day.
“My two tours in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2011 were the highlights of my career. I got to experience things that most people never get to,” says Dr. Antonella Trache, who served for 21 years and retired as a Major.
“During our deployment, my certified dental assistant, Sgt. Angela Brownell, and I were able to offer a range of treatments, including direct restorations, root canal therapy, dental extractions, and basic denture repairs, to help maintain the well-being and readiness of North Atlantic Treaty Organization soldiers,” says Dr. Jesse Barker, a Major who deployed to Iraq in 2021.
“I appreciate the ability, as an RCDC dentist, to work closely with other specialists, dental and medical alike, for a more collaborative healthcare approach to ensure patient-partnered care,” says Dr. Danial Shirvani, a Captain who has served in Ottawa, including at the Canadian Forces Health Services Headquarters. “The biggest privilege of serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, especially being an immigrant to this country, is honouring those who came before us and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the peace and freedoms of today.”
“Military service is an exceptional way of giving back to your community and showing appreciation and respect for the sacrifices of our soldiers in having secured the freedoms we enjoy today as Canadians,” says Dr. Lancelot Brown, who retired at the rank of Captain and is now a dental surgeon in Toronto.
In recent years, the RCDC has supported our troops by providing care during natural disasters and other crises in Canada, as well as playing a key role in Health Canada’s Canadian Health Measures Survey. Today and always, CDA honours the contributions of military dentists in the service of Sanitas in ore, their motto, both in times of war and peace.
To learn more about the experiences of the dentists highlighted in this release, see CDA’s Remembrance Day posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Learn More
- History of Canadian Dentistry
- Royal Canadian Dental Corps Centennial 1915 - 2015
- Recent fallen Canadians
- Remembrance all year
- Why we have a Day of Remembrance
About the Canadian Dental Association
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is a trusted national voice for dentists and leader working to improve the oral health of all people living in Canada. We promote oral health, support our members, and advance the dental profession. Founded in 1902, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is an association that has no regulatory role. It is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose corporate members are Canada’s provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). CDA represents over 21,000 practising dentists nationwide and is a trusted brand and source of information for and about the dental profession on national and international issues.
Media Contact:
Jeff D’Andrea
Media Relations Specialist
Spécialiste des relations avec les médias
Canadian Dental Association
613-523-7963
media@cda-adc.ca
