CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 7

54 | 2019 | Issue 7 O bituaries REMEMBERING DENTISTRY LEADERS DR. GORDON NIKIFORUK Dr. Gordon Nikiforuk of Toronto passed away on July 22, 2019. He was 96 years old. Dr. Nikiforuk dedicated his life and career to promoting oral health. He made great contributions to research in preventive dentistry and children’s dental care and was awarded CDA Honorary Membership in 1993. Dr. Nikiforuk was born of Ukrainian parents in Redfield, Saskatchewan. He grew up with his eight brothers and sisters on the family farm. Early on, he developed a particular interest in oral hygiene and academia. He completed his pre-dental training in Saskatchewan, and then moved to Ontario to study dentistry at the University of Toronto (U of T), where he obtained his DDS in 1947. He continued his studies in pedodontics and biochemistry at the University of Illinois. After completing his MSc in Illinois in 1954, he returned to U of T, where he took up a position as a researcher and instructor. In the 1960s, Dr. Nikiforuk found himself at the heart of the debate over community water fluoridation in Toronto. Dr. Nikiforuk was a strong advocate of preventive dentistry and as a result, he was a staunch supporter of water fluoridation as a safe and effective method to prevent tooth decay and build healthy communities. Dr. Nikiforuk had a long and storied academic career. In 1963, he was appointed professor of dentistry and pediatrics at UCLA. While he was there, he became the head of the Faculty of Oral Biology and served as an associate dean. In 1970, Dr. Nikiforuk accepted a position of professor and assistant director of the post-graduate division of Biological Sciences with the faculty of dentistry at U of T. Later that year, he was appointed dean of the faculty and held this position until 1977. At U of T, Dr. Nikiforuk created the first pediatric dentistry specialization program in Canada. He became dean emeritus and remained with the faculty as an associate even after his retirement, in 1989. Dr. Nikiforuk received U of T’s Award of Distinction—the highest honour from the faculty of dentistry. In addition to his academic roles, he served as a senior dentist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He was a charter fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC) and an honorary fellow of the International College of Dentists (ICD). Over the course of his career, he actively contributed to academic journals and, in 1985, he published a two-volume textbook Understanding Dental Caries . Dr. Nikiforuk was also the editor of the Colgate Oral Care Report , a newsletter delivered to 250,000 dentists. In 1997, Colgate created the Dr. Gordon Nikiforuk Bursary in his honour, which is awarded to an outstanding and deserving first-year student in the DDS program in Canada every year. Dr. Nikiforuk was married to his wife Margaret in 1950. He is survived by his sons, Andrew and Chris; his siblings, Alice, Ray and Yaris; and many nephews, nieces and grandchildren. a Dr. Gordon Nikiforuk, U of T Dentistry yearbook photo, 1970. Credit: University of Toronto.