March 2009

This is truly an amazing Faculty, you would think since our last Faculty Meeting of January 20th there wouldn’t be very much to report, but I would be most definitely wrong.

Since the cold, dark days of late January we have undergone a unique and challenging process which required 100% commitment from all faculty, students and staff, the CDA Accreditation Site Visit from February 16th to 20th, 2009.  At that time our Faculty hosted the Accreditation Team, the Senate Unit Review Team and observers from United States (ADA), Australia and Hong Kong.  During the week our DDS/QP, DH and Graduate Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program were reviewed.

I wish to thank everyone for their 100% support and dedication to the Faculty and the Accreditation Progress.  It was a time to demonstrate exactly what we are all about.  Initial results indicate the process went very well.  In 5 or 6 weeks we will receive a report for review and the final report will be submitted to CDA Commission on Accreditation in November.

I think you will agree that we can be thankful this process occurs only once very seven years. 

We will take this opportunity to review the process and task assignments for preparation in the near future to ensure the plan and timelines are intact as well as a succession plan to prepare for the next accreditation in 2016.

As you can well imagine there will be many changes in the landscape between now and then.

This year the DDS 2 students in cooperation with the Faculty of Dentistry and Alumni Affairs had a very successful Annual Winter Ball January 17, 2009.

During the course of the evening we were entertained with the many talents of the DDS 2 Class and a blast from the past of pictures from previous Dental Balls and celebrations.  One of the highlights was the presentation and cutting of the 100th anniversary Cake, a moment we shared with the DDS Class of 2012.

Soon there will be pictures of this event available on our web site.

Again this year Dr. Bob Loney and the DDS 2 Class had a very successful Prosthodontics Olympics.  It is truly amazing the skills and talents that were displayed by the Class of 2011, including the costumes.  This event continues to be a highlight of the Winter Term and I would like to congratulate Dr. Loney on a job well done.  The organization and planning for this even is unbelievable.

Faculty members continue to raise the profile of our Faculty:

 (1) Dr. David Precious has recently been featured in the Dalhousie Magazine “Smiles Far and Wide”.  A feature article which profiles David and his fellow surgeons providing treatment and their expertise in corrective surgery for children with cleft lip and palate in countries of Vietnam, Tunisia, Brazil and India.  Congratulations to Dr. Precious and his team.
(2) Ms. Carrie Xu, a DDS 1 student was selected by the Research Development Committee to represent our Faculty at the American Dental Association student research conference.  The goal of this conference is to introduce outstanding dental students to scientists from the ADA, industry, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the ADAF Research Centre.  This year’s conference is being held in Maryland from Sunday, May 3 to Tuesday, May 5.

(3) I think we call would like to extend our best wishes to Dr. Bill MacInnis on a speedy recovery after his surgery on March 3, 2009.  We look forward to his return to the Faculty.

(4) I would also like to congratulate Dr. Blaine Cleghorn on accepting the new position of Assistant Dean Clinics.  I think everyone will agree that Blaine will continue to bring to the position the enthusiasm, knowledge, expertise and build on our strengths as leaders in dental education.

We wish to congratulate Carrie on being selected to represent our Faculty and best wishes on her upcoming trip.

I’m not sure if you have received a copy of the 2007-08 Annual Report of the Atlantic Health Promotion Centre at Dalhousie.  It is really worth a review.  On page 6 you will find an excellent feature article on Good Oral Health – A Dilemma for Older Adults by Dr. Mary McNally.  This article speaks volumes about the importance of Oral Health especially for our seniors.  Dr. McNally continues to bring Oral Health to the spotlight and as with fellow researchers in this faculty move the agenda that oral health is and must be considered in overall health promotion.

Thank you Dr. McNally and her fellow colleagues cutting edge research in our Faculty.

Another reason to celebrate this evening is on our agenda for Faculty approval.  Dr. Debora Matthews and the Division of Periodontics, which include Dr. Ed Ghiabi and Dr. Christian Marquez and support from her part-time members will be bring forward a motion to Faculty to approve a new Program:  MSc in Periodontics.  I will save my other comments for the end of the meeting for this item. 

This past February was also the celebration of two outstanding scholarly events.

The Integrated Health Research Training Program Presentations which took place on February 11, 2009 in the Tupper foyer and theatres.

Dentistry was well represented this year by student researchers and faculty mentors, excellent presentations and attendances by the Faculty of Dentistry.

Karim Al-Khatib - "Assessment of subjective and objective outcomes following maxillomandibular advancement surgery for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome"

Jacqueline Cox – “Incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients receiving/having received intravenous bisphosphonate therapy"

Allison Denny - "Evaluation of outcomes for tobacco cessation counseling within a dental hygiene curriculum"

Lindsay Dietrich - "Methotrexate incorporation into and release from gelled calcium polyphosphate matrices"

Claire Jamieson - "Survey of Behavioural Guidance and Management Modalities of Members of the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry"

Zack Kerr, - “Congentially missing and supernumerary primary and permanent lateral incisors in patients with unilateral and bilateral clefts"

Leslie Ramsay - "Potential markers for progressive premalignant oral lesions"

Belinda Vatcher - "Intraoral indices of seniors: a comparison of two dental indices used to measure seniors' oral health"

Alex Wishart - “Construction of lacZ Transcriptional Reporter Gene Fusion Strain to Assay the Promoter Activity of the bceAB-RS Operon of Streptococcus mutans in Response to Bacitracin

Without exception this year was a record attendance at the Annual Table Clinics on February 13, 2009.  I wish to congratulation all the DDS 3, Qualifying and Dental Hygiene 2 students on their excellent and informative presentations.

DDS winners

First Place: Jacqueline Cox  “ Incidence of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Patients Receiving/Having Received IV Bisphosponate thereapy”
Second Place: Devon Jones  “ The Composite Scare: Is the Use of Dental Composites Synthesized using Bisphenol A Safe?”
Third Place: Brian Pysanczyn  “Does Your Cement Really Set?”
Fourth Place: Jon Ballard  “JAWBREAKERS: the etiology and implications of mandibular jaw fractures in Halifax 2003-2007

DH Winners:
First Place:  Jessica Rix & Meaghan McLachlan “ Toothbrushing: a Risk for Endocarditis”
Second Place: Allison Denny “Evaluation of Outcomes for Tobacco Cessation Counseling within a Dental Hygiene Curriculum”
Third Place:  Olu Brown & Natasha McNamara “ The  Benefits of Digital Imaging – The Wave of the Future”
Fourth Place: Kaila Wiebe & Natasha Dillman “ Licorice: more than a yummy for your tummy”

In addition, I wish to congratulate all the prize winners.

During the CDA Convention we organized a Faculty of Dentistry Booth at the Exhibition Site and a Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry Alumni Reception, we made a lot of contacts with Dalhousie Alumni and Friends.  I believe it was an outstanding success.

During the same convention a number of Alumni and Faculty were inducted in the International College of Dentists:  Dr. Debora Matthews, Dr. Tom Raddall, Dr. Jamie Allen, Dr. Peter Jackson, Dr. Dean Miller and Dr. Lex MacNeil.

Congratulations folks.  This is a milestone in your lives and recognition of your outstanding accomplishments and contributions to organized dentistry.

On the university front I would like to draw your attention to the proposed changes in Governance for Senate.  Please review the documentation available on the Web Site for the proposed changes in Senate Standing Committee Structure.  The highlights would be with new Committees on Academic Integrity, Senate Budget Sub-Committee, Senate Sub-Committee on Student Experience and Senate Courses and Programs Sub-Committee.

I will continue to support senior administration to value and recognize Faculty members’ contribution to Senate Committee work as an integral expectation for career development.

This brings an end to my report for now, let me say how proud I am of this Faculty and I wish you continued successes.

As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said,  “What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us”.

Thank you.