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Volume 3 Issue 5
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CDA
at
W
ork
FIRSTVISIT,
FIRSTTOOTH
CE Course Gaining Momentum
As part of CDA’s
First Visit, First Tooth(FVFT)
initiative promoting first dental visits by
12 months of age (or within 6 months of first tooth eruption), CDA launched its
FVFT
continuing education (CE) course in January 2016.
Dr. Ross Anderson, head of pediatric dentistry at Dalhousie University and
chief of dentistry at the IWK Health Centre, and also a member of the CDA
Access to Care Working Group, developed the course to reinforce the first
visit as a best dental practice to help reduce early childhood caries (ECC).
According to a 2013 report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information,
dental surgery to treat ECC accounts for about one-third of
preventable
day
surgeries in preschoolers.
1
“Seeing the dentist by 12 months of age is essential,”
stresses Dr. Anderson. “The consequences of untreated ECC can be serious.
We too often see infants with pain, trouble eating and sleeping which can
have an impact on normal growth and development in an infant or toddler.”
The
FVFT
course is customizable and can be adapted to suit the presenter’s own material and
presentation style, and to focus on locally relevant issues. It is also interactive and comes with
supplies (including brushes, varnish and a doll) to simulate hands-on examinations.
The course content goes beyond examination procedures to outline key conversations
dentists should be having with caregivers about topics such as diet and oral health habits.
“The course incorporates both knowledge transfer and experiential learning to offer the
best educational experience for dentists and their dental teams,” explains Dr. Anderson.
Reference
1.Canadian Institute forHealth Information.
Treatment
ofPreventableDentalCavities inPreschoolers:AFocus
onDaySurgeryUnderGeneralAnesthesia.
2013
Dr. Heather Carr, chair of the CDA Access to Care Working Group, underlines the importance
of raising awareness on this issue: “Even within our dental community, there can be
hesitations or misconceptions about treating infants. Each time the
FVFT
course is given, we
reinforce the notion that first dental visits by 12 months of age are best practice,” she says.
Since its launch, the
FVFT
course has been delivered to over 700 oral health professionals
across Canada. Dr. Anil Joshi of Moncton, New Brunswick, has led
FVFT
sessions for over
200 dental team members. “Many were overwhelmed by the extent of ECC in our province
and in Canada, and they found the tools to be very helpful,” says Dr. Joshi. “They also clearly
expressed the need for continued support from CDA and the provincial associations to keep
this program at the forefront,” he adds.
a
First visit to the dentist
by age 1,
or within 6 months of
eruption of first tooth.
CDA BEST PRACTICE
BC
35
AB
10
SK
60
MB
15
ON
155
QC
10
NB
50
NS
281
NL 100
Number of participants per province
(January to June 2016)
Dr. Ross Anderson (c.) lends
his expertise during a hands-on
examination session.