The Future of Pediatric Oral Health Surveillance in Canada: What Data We Have, What We Need, and How Specialists Can Shape It.

Reliable, timely data on children’s oral health is essential for planning services, guiding policy, and improving clinical outcomes—yet Canada still lacks a cohesive national surveillance system. This session explores the current state of pediatric oral health data in Canada, highlighting what is known, where critical gaps remain, and how emerging sources such as the CDCP may reshape the landscape. Participants will examine the limitations of existing surveillance efforts, the implications for clinical practice and health equity, and the opportunities for pediatric dental specialists to lead improvements in data quality, reporting, and system design. The session emphasizes practical, actionable ways clinicians and institutions can help build a stronger, more coordinated surveillance framework for Canadian children.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the current landscape of pediatric oral health surveillance in Canada, including existing national, provincial, and program‑level data sources.
• Identify critical gaps in surveillance related to disease burden, service utilization, equity, and outcomes for children.
• Analyze how emerging programs—particularly the CDCP—are reshaping data availability and influencing clinical and policy decisions.
• Evaluate the role of pediatric dental specialists in strengthening surveillance systems through clinical data, research, and advocacy.
• Propose actionable strategies for improving the quality, completeness, and utility of pediatric oral health data at local, provincial, and national levels.

Dr. Keith Da Silva is an Assistant Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. A dual specialist in Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health, he brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and population‑health insight to issues of access, equity, and system design in children’s oral health. Dr. Da Silva is the current Vice‑Chair of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and serves as an Examiner in Dental Public Health, contributing to national standards for specialist certification. He is also a Fellow of the RCDC in both specialties and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. His research focuses on underserved and medically complex pediatric populations, including children requiring general anesthesia for dental care. A frequent invited speaker nationally and internationally, he is widely recognized for his leadership in evidence‑based practice, health policy, and dental education.

What Lies Beneath: Gingival Enlargement and Oral Clues to Systemic Disease in Pediatric Patients.

Gingival enlargement in children is not always a consequence of local irritants and may reflect underlying systemic diseases. This lecture will explore key conditions associated with gingival changes in the pediatric population, including Crohn disease, spongiotic gingival hyperplasia, and leukemia-associated gingival enlargement. Emphasis will be placed on distinguishing clinical features, underlying pathophysiology, and the importance of early recognition and appropriate referral. The role of the dental professional in identifying oral signs of systemic disease and coordinating interdisciplinary care will also be highlighted.

Learning objectives

• Recognize the clinical features and oral manifestations associated with key systemic conditions presenting in pediatric patients.
• Differentiate between inflammatory, immune-mediated, and systemic causes of gingival enlargement based on clinical presentation and history.
• Formulate appropriate diagnostic pathways and referral strategies when gingival enlargement may indicate an underlying systemic condition. 

Nadia Marchese completed her Master of Science degree and residency training in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology (OMOP) at the University of Toronto. In 2015, she obtained fellowship in both specialties from the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC). She is actively involved in teaching and clinical practice in oral medicine.

She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University, where she directs the undergraduate Radiology and Pathology course. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she maintains an active clinical oral medicine practice at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nadia is a member of the Canadian Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Medicine and currently serves as its Vice President. She is also serving her second term on the Board of Directors for Oral Medicine at RCDC.

Trust, Compassion and AI: A Multidisciplinary Dialogue for Dental Professionals.

As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare delivery, dental professionals face fundamental questions: How do we maintain the trust our patients place in us? Can AI enhance rather than diminish compassionate care? This session brings together two perspectives on these critical questions. Dr. Thomas Nguyen examines trust in AI adoption, exploring how dental professionals perceive, develop, and recalibrate their trust in AI tools, and why that trust is foundational to effective and ethical integration of AI in clinical practice. Dr. Peter Fritz follows with practical applications of AI for compassionate care, sharing the tools he uses daily to solve real clinical problems while keeping patients at the center. Together, these perspectives offer dental professionals a framework for navigating AI adoption that honours our profession’s core commitment to trustworthy, compassionate patient care.

Learning objectives

• Describe how dental professionals perceive and develop trust in AI tools, and explain why trust calibration is central to the responsible adoption of AI in clinical practice.
• Recognize practical AI applications available to dental clinicians and assess their potential to support patient-centered, compassionate care.
• Critically evaluate AI tools for use in their own practice, balancing efficiency gains with professional accountability and patient trust.

About Dr. Peter Fritz

Dr. Peter Fritz is a certified specialist in periodontics and founder of an innovative periodontal practice in Fonthill, Ontario. His clinical expertise encompasses dental implant treatment, hard and soft tissue reconstruction, and the interdisciplinary advancement of long-term periodontal wellness. 

Since 2005, Dr. Fritz has lectured internationally and presented research at leading dental and scientific conferences worldwide, earning recognition for his contributions across both clinical and academic spheres. 

Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Fritz brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to dentistry. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University and dual law degrees from the University of Toronto. He is currently pursuing his fourth master’s degree in blockchain, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Dr. Fritz chairs the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Digital Technology for the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and serves as an AI consultant to several provincial dental regulatory bodies.  He also maintains academic appointments at five universities, embodying his guiding principle: ‘Never stop learning, because the world around you never stops teaching.’

Dr. Thomas T. Nguyen is an Associate Professor and Director of Continuing Dental Education at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences of McGill University. He previously served as Director of Predoctoral Periodontology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

About Dr. Thomas Nguyen

Dr. Nguyen earned his DMD from Université de Montréal, followed by an AEGD residency at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, a Master of Science from McGill University, and specialty training in Periodontology at the University of Minnesota. He also holds an Executive MBA from McGill–HEC Montréal, reflecting his strong interest in leadership, strategy, and innovation in healthcare.

A board-certified specialist in periodontology and implant surgery, Dr. Nguyen is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. His clinical and research work focuses on implant dentistry, soft and hard tissue regeneration, and the integration of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance clinical outcomes and elevate the patient experience.

Vital Pulp Therapy and Regenerative Endodontics in Permanent Teeth: Clinical Outcomes Based on the Best Available Evidence.

This presentation will provide a clear, clinically focused summary of the best available evidence on the outcomes of vital pulp therapy and regenerative endodontic procedures in permanent teeth. Emphasis will be placed on pooled outcome data from high-level evidence, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses, to present what the literature demonstrates about treatment performance and what clinicians can expect from these approaches in practice.

Learning objectives

• To summarize the best available clinical evidence on outcomes of vital pulp therapy in permanent teeth.
• To summarize the best available clinical evidence on outcomes of regenerative endodontic procedures in permanent teeth.
• To interpret pooled outcome data from high-level evidence to understand expected treatment performance in clinical practice.

Dr. Amir Azarpazhooh (pronounced, “Azar pa joo”) earned his DDS (Iran, 2001) and completed graduate training in Dental Public Health (2007), Endodontics (2010), and a PhD (2011) at the University of Toronto. He is a tenured Full Professor of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, specializing in Dental Public Health and Endodontics, and a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He is also an investigator with the Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative and leads the Divisions of Endodontics and Research at Mount Sinai Hospital.

He has secured $1.5 million in research funding, supervised forty-five MSc and PhD trainees, edited an evidence-based dentistry textbook, authored seven book chapters, and published three hundred papers. His work has been cited over seven thousand times and is reflected in an H-index of forty-four and an I10-index of ninety-nine. He has delivered more than ninety presentations at national and international meetings and has received honours from Cochrane Canada, the Canadian Academy of Endodontics, the American Association of Endodontists, the WW Wood Award for Excellence in Dental Education, and multiple Journal of Endodontics Publication Awards (2020–2024). He also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Endodontics.

He is a Board-Certified Diplomate and Director of the American Board of Endodontics (2025–2028), and a fellow, examiner and a member of the Board of Directors of The Royal College of Dentists of Canada in Dental Public Health. He practises part-time in a multi-specialty setting in Toronto and provides endodontic care to medically compromised patients at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Specialized Dental and Surgical Care for Children and Youth with Medical Complexity: The Holland Bloorview Model.

Children and youth with special health care needs often face significant barriers to accessing comprehensive dental and oral surgical care. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada’s largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital and provides specialized, interdisciplinary care to children and adolescents with medical complexity, neurodevelopmental disabilities, craniofacial differences, and acquired conditions.

This presentation will provide dental specialists with an in‑depth overview of the Holland Bloorview dental program and its integrated model of care. The session will explore how orthodontic, restorative, and surgical services are delivered within a medically complex pediatric population. Through real‑world clinical cases, participants will gain practical insights into managing patients with physical, cognitive, behavioural, and medical challenges, in addition to oligodontia, enamel dysplasia and craniofacial differences, understanding referral pathways, and adapting specialist care to optimize safety, function, and quality of life for this vulnerable population.

Learning objectives

• Describe the structure and scope of the dental program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and its role within an interdisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation setting.
• Recognize the unique oral health needs and treatment challenges of children and youth with special health care needs, medical complexity, and developmental disabilities.
• Apply principles of comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment planning for orthodontic and oral surgical care in medically and behaviourally complex patients
• Illustrate the value of interprofessional collaboration between dental specialists and families in achieving optimal outcomes.
• Identify strategies for improving access to specialist dental care and facilitating appropriate referrals for patients with special needs within hospital‑based and community practices.

About Dr. James Noble

Dr. James Noble completed his Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Dental Surgery, and hospital residency at the University of Toronto. He subsequently completed his specialty training and Master of Science in Orthodontics at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Noble is the Chief of Dentistry and a staff orthodontist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where he provides care to children and youth with complex medical and developmental needs. He is also a partner in a private orthodontic practice in Toronto. Dr. Noble serves on the executive of the Toronto Orthodontic Club and is an editorial board member of the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.

About Dr. Amina Bouzid

Dr. Amina Bouzid was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, where she earned a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and developed an early interest in research through work in molecular oncology and with Health Canada. She completed her dental degree at McGill University in 2018, followed by a General Practice Residency at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where she gained experience caring for medically complex and underserved patients. She then pursued specialty training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Toronto, with clinical and research interests in orthognathic, reconstructive, and temporomandibular joint surgery. She is currently an Associate Surgeon at Crescent Oral Surgery and a Staff Surgeon at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where she focuses on treating complex craniofacial conditions. She is committed to advancing patient care, education, and collaboration within her field and is motivated to contribute to the growth and excellence of oral and maxillofacial surgery in Ontario.