CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 5

19 Issue 5 | 2019 | CDA at W ork Since 2011, the scanning process has evolved to include more components in the annual CDA Scan. The main enhancement was the introduction of the “megatrends” concept. Given the volume of information presented in the CDA Scan, the megatrends were added to focus attention on the issues of greatest importance for dentistry in that year. This is now the first section of the report and serves as an overview of the major trends. The Scan also ranks the importance of 10 identified megatrends based on their potential impact on dentistry, along with the approximate timeframe a megatrend is expected to have its largest effect. Megatrends that are expected to have the biggest impact across many areas within a five-year time frame are identified as “prominent,” and those that are expected to have a lesser impact and in a longer time frame (greater than five years) are called “emerging.” In the 2019 CDA Scan, the most critical megatrend requiring urgent action is “human resource challenges in dentistry.” This includes the perceived shortage of dental assistants developing across the country, the growing supply of dentists relative to population and distribution imbalances of dentists across various parts of the country. Three other “prominent” megatrends identified were growing income inequality affecting access to dental care, evolution of alternative dental care delivery models, and evolving concepts of the workplace and benefits. The annual CDA Scan was also a key resource for the CDA Task Force on the Future of the Profession, as that group drafted its Canadian Dentistry 2032 report. This shows how the CDA Scan can be a useful part of the strategic planning process for the profession. a 2604 2497 2314 1963 1574 1892 1831 1744 1743 1621 1443 1442 1428 1385 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Newfoundland and Labrador Saskatchewan New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Quebec Manitoba Nunavut Alberta Nova Scotia Canada Northwest Territories Yukon Ontario British Columbia Population-to-Dentist Ratio (July 2018) 0% 4% 8% 12% 16% 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 Dentist Demographics – Age and Sex (June 2018) Male Female 2604 2497 2314 1963 1574 1892 1831 1744 1743 1621 1443 1442 1428 1385 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Newfoundland and Labrador Saskatchewan New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Quebec Manitoba Nunavut Alberta Nova Scotia Canada Northwest Territories Yukon Ontario British Columbia Population-to-Dentist Ratio (July 2018) 0% 4% 8% 12% 16% 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 Dentist Demographics – Age and Sex (June 2018) Male Female Now What So What What Highlights key emerging trends identified in the environmental scan that contribute to the megatrend. Summarizes the potential impact of the megatrend on dentistry. Outlines options that organized dentistry can consider in response to the megatrend.