(l to r) Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, MP Dan Mazier, Dr. Bruce Ward Inside Days on the Hill Two days. Nearly 30 meetings. One message: oral health policy only works when it serves patients, providers and Canada’s future dentists. Days on the Hill is CDA’s annual opportunity to bring dentistry’s biggest issues directly to federal decision-makers. Over two days in November 2025, CDA board members, dentist volunteers, education leaders, and CDA staff met with Members of Parliament (MPs) to discuss a short list of priorities affecting patients and the dental profession across Canada. This year, the CDA delegation also included the deans of two Canadian dental schools and a fledgling dentist who graduated in 2025. The conversations, held in close to 30 meetings, were focused and practical: what’s happening, why it matters in specific constituencies, and what federal policy can do to help. The event featured a CDA booth, sponsored by MP Dan Mazier, on Parliament Hill where MPs and their teams could stop for informal, on-the-spot discussions. CDA was honoured to share the booth space with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC). The RCDC highlighted its main operational engagements and the intricate connection between oral and physical health, underscoring the importance of dental care in supporting Canada’s national defence and well-being. Days on the Hill is about policy, but it’s also about relationship-building—creating continuity so that oral health remains a federal priority. CDA serves as a reliable partner for the federal government to help inform policies that impact oral health. “This is the one time of year when our advocacy committee, including six of our board members, comes to Ottawa to talk directly with MPs,” says Dr. Bruce Ward, CDA president. “We organize meetings with senior officials and MPs from all over the country, concentrating on two or three topics, to avoid overwhelming them.” (l to r) Dr. Marc Mollot, Dr. Aaron Burry, Dr. Bruce Ward, Dr. Walter Siqueira, Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, Dr. Stuart MacDonald, MWO Martine Leboeuf, Col Geneviève Bussière 8 | 2026 | Issue 1
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