Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 3

Federally Funded Dental Care In March, when the federal government announced that it would provide significant funding for oral health care, Dr. Tomkins was surprised at the timing, but very excited for the potential it offers. “CDA has been working on solutions to close gaps in the oral health care system for years,” she says. Dr. Tomkins believes that recommendations from CDA’s Future of the Profession report have positioned dentistry well to work with the federal government on federally funded dental care. At the Canadian Oral Health Roundtable organized by CDA in 2019, various stakeholders in oral health brought forward ideas about what principles might guide a delivery of care model that would serve Canadians who lacked access to dental care. Dr. Tomkins says, “We’ve done our homework. It’s a big issue, but we’re ready for it.” Taking the helm of CDA when such a prominent issue as federal dental care is on the government’s agenda is exhilarating for Dr. Tomkins. Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Dr. Tomkins believes that it’s important that the profession reflects the diversity of the Canadian population. “I think we need to make an effort to increase the diversity and equity in representation among the profession’s leadership. That could mean that we need to identify and support young female and culturally diverse leaders earlier in the process.” A positive first step, Dr. Tomkins suggests, is making the career path to leadership more transparent to anyone who might be interested. “We could say, ‘If you want to be a president of an association, or a registrar, or a dean, these are the paths you can take to build your experience and skills so you can reach that goal. And we are here to help you.’” Dr. Tomkins cares deeply about maintaining the high quality and standards of Canadian dental education. “We need to invest more in world-class professors and research to bolster evidence-based dentistry, while also making sure that dental schools in Canada are accessible to a diverse group of students,” she says. Throughout her career, Dr. Tomkins has valued the community and camaraderie of organized dentistry. “Our association is our shared space to aspire, to dream, and to hope as a community,” she says. “In our association, we grow and develop our potential. We envision what we can become.” We need to make an effort to increase the diversity and equity in representation among the profession’s leadership. That could mean that we need to identify and support young female and culturally diverse leaders earlier in the process. Installation as ODA president 2010 Drs. Kmiecik and Tomkins at a pre-pandemic CDA event 34 | 2022 | Issue 3