Beyond the Practice
International partnerships are essential to the field of periodontology, which is why the Academy is proud to be hosting the 111th AAP Annual Meeting in Toronto in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Periodontology. Additionally, the Dental Hygiene Symposium at the Annual Meeting will be held in collaboration with the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. To properly encapsulate the significance of these collaborations, the Academy reached out to two important individuals – the President of the Canadian Academy of Periodontology, Dr. Trudy Nwachukwu and the President of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, Alexandra Shepperd – to share their insights. Hear from them below!
Dr. Trudy Nwachukwu, BDS, MDPH, Dip(PDS),MRCPS(Glasg),MFD RCSI, MDent(Perio), FRCD(C)
“The CAP welcomes the opportunity to partner with the AAP this year. We appreciate the collegiality between the AAP and the CAP, whether it is in the form of joint meetings or attending each other’s conferences. This collaborative meeting will be a fantastic time for knowledge sharing, as well as networking for periodontists. I am excited about knowledge sharing, exploring new and innovative techniques for our periodontics and dental implants patients. I recognize that there may be slight differences in the practice of periodontics in each country, we are more similar than we are different, and we should take advantage of all opportunities to learn from each other. I also hope my AAP colleagues will take advantage of this meeting to visit Canada and explore the beautiful city of Toronto. The current landscape of Periodontology in Canada is evolving and very dynamic. Periodontists are performing even more advanced surgical procedures, aimed at improving oral health for our patients. Collaborations like these are extremely important as it helps us all to be focused on the same goals—friendship, collegiality and updating our knowledge banks/techniques to improve oral health for our patients. Education is the key to achieving all these goals and the AAP and CAP joint meeting is an excellent starting point as there will be lots of engaging and dynamic speakers scheduled for this conference! We are honoured to have the opportunity to practice periodontics, and we play a vital role in the overall health and well-being of our patients. This year’s meeting in Toronto is an exciting occasion for all periodontal colleagues to come together and learn from each other. The scientific program focuses on new advances in periodontal care and will provide excellent opportunities to gain experience with new techniques and exchange shared knowledge and experiences. It is also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones!”
Alexandra Sheppard, RDH, BA, DipDH, Med CDHA | ACHD President
“Dental hygienists are primary health care providers. Although the standards of practice are slightly different from coast to coast, dental hygienists are taking a leading role in assessing the periodontal health and disease of their patients. Dental hygienists use periodontal probes to assess the depth of the pocket, determine the clinical attachment level, and diagnose the appropriate periodontal classification based upon the 2017 Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. In many provinces and territories, dental hygienists make the independent decision to prescribe and take radiographs to assist in the diagnosis of the classification. The majority of dental hygienists in Canada graduate from educational programs that have met accreditation standards as set out by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC). Dental hygienists are implementing non-surgical periodontal therapy with their patients as well as educating them about their oral health and interventions, self and professional, to improve their oral, and subsequently, their overall health.
The amazing advocacy by staff of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) and by CDHA’s board of directors, who have continuously met with politicians from all political parties, senators, and key policy officials. Every politician has a dental hygienist. CDHA advocated for increased access to oral health care and was a key contributor in ensuring that the Canadian Dental Care Plan would come to fruition for all ages as of May 2025. Cost is an enormous barrier to professional oral care for many Canadians, and hopefully, by having an opportunity to seek out affordable preventive dental hygiene treatments, they will reduce their risks of experiencing oral disease.
I believe there has always been collaboration between dental hygienists and periodontists in Canada. Dental hygienists are regularly employed by periodontists and often spend the majority of their career with the periodontist. Certainly, periodontology is the dental specialty that most values the role of the dental hygienist.
It is exciting for dental hygienists to be able to attend this event in Canada! I do believe there is a benefit in having collaborative events with all members of the oral health care team attending, learning with each other, and learning about each other. In 2010 I attended AAP events held in Vancouver and in Honolulu. I was so impressed with the inclusiveness and value placed upon the dental hygienist as an integral member of the oral health care team.
In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that 24.7% of the population in Canada, 15 years of age and over, had severe periodontal disease.1 That same year, the total productivity losses due to five oral diseases were more than $6.5million (US).2 The five oral diseases were caries, periodontal diseases, edentulism, oral cancer, and noma.3 Going forward, we need to realize that we are all managing disease. I attended EuroPerio11 in Vienna, Austria, in May 2025. An important take-home message for me was providing patients and the public with appropriate therapies to manage periodontal disease so that they can enjoy life, living longer and better.”
References:
1. World Health Organization. Prevalence of severe periodontal disease in people 15+ years [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/prevalence-of-severe-periodontal-disease-in-people-15–years
2. World Health Organization. Total productivity losses due to 5 oral diseases in million (US$) [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/total-productivity-losses-due-to-5-oral-diseases-in-million-(us-dollar)
3. World Health Organization. Oral health [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health
International partnerships are essential to the field of periodontology, which is why the Academy is proud to be hosting the 111th AAP Annual Meeting in Toronto in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Periodontology. Additionally, the Dental Hygiene Symposium at the Annual Meeting will be held in collaboration with the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. To properly encapsulate the significance of these collaborations, the Academy reached out to two important individuals – the President of the Canadian Academy of Periodontology, Dr. Trudy Nwachukwu and the President of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, Alexandra Shepperd – to share their insights. Hear from them below!
Dr. Trudy Nwachukwu, BDS, MDPH, Dip(PDS),MRCPS(Glasg),MFD RCSI, MDent(Perio), FRCD(C)
“The CAP welcomes the opportunity to partner with the AAP this year. We appreciate the collegiality between the AAP and the CAP, whether it is in the form of joint meetings or attending each other’s conferences. This collaborative meeting will be a fantastic time for knowledge sharing, as well as networking for periodontists. I am excited about knowledge sharing, exploring new and innovative techniques for our periodontics and dental implants patients. I recognize that there may be slight differences in the practice of periodontics in each country, we are more similar than we are different, and we should take advantage of all opportunities to learn from each other. I also hope my AAP colleagues will take advantage of this meeting to visit Canada and explore the beautiful city of Toronto. The current landscape of Periodontology in Canada is evolving and very dynamic. Periodontists are performing even more advanced surgical procedures, aimed at improving oral health for our patients. Collaborations like these are extremely important as it helps us all to be focused on the same goals—friendship, collegiality and updating our knowledge banks/techniques to improve oral health for our patients. Education is the key to achieving all these goals and the AAP and CAP joint meeting is an excellent starting point as there will be lots of engaging and dynamic speakers scheduled for this conference! We are honoured to have the opportunity to practice periodontics, and we play a vital role in the overall health and well-being of our patients. This year’s meeting in Toronto is an exciting occasion for all periodontal colleagues to come together and learn from each other. The scientific program focuses on new advances in periodontal care and will provide excellent opportunities to gain experience with new techniques and exchange shared knowledge and experiences. It is also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones!”
Alexandra Sheppard, RDH, BA, DipDH, Med CDHA | ACHD President
“Dental hygienists are primary health care providers. Although the standards of practice are slightly different from coast to coast, dental hygienists are taking a leading role in assessing the periodontal health and disease of their patients. Dental hygienists use periodontal probes to assess the depth of the pocket, determine the clinical attachment level, and diagnose the appropriate periodontal classification based upon the 2017 Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. In many provinces and territories, dental hygienists make the independent decision to prescribe and take radiographs to assist in the diagnosis of the classification. The majority of dental hygienists in Canada graduate from educational programs that have met accreditation standards as set out by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC). Dental hygienists are implementing non-surgical periodontal therapy with their patients as well as educating them about their oral health and interventions, self and professional, to improve their oral, and subsequently, their overall health.
The amazing advocacy by staff of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) and by CDHA’s board of directors, who have continuously met with politicians from all political parties, senators, and key policy officials. Every politician has a dental hygienist. CDHA advocated for increased access to oral health care and was a key contributor in ensuring that the Canadian Dental Care Plan would come to fruition for all ages as of May 2025. Cost is an enormous barrier to professional oral care for many Canadians, and hopefully, by having an opportunity to seek out affordable preventive dental hygiene treatments, they will reduce their risks of experiencing oral disease.
I believe there has always been collaboration between dental hygienists and periodontists in Canada. Dental hygienists are regularly employed by periodontists and often spend the majority of their career with the periodontist. Certainly, periodontology is the dental specialty that most values the role of the dental hygienist.
It is exciting for dental hygienists to be able to attend this event in Canada! I do believe there is a benefit in having collaborative events with all members of the oral health care team attending, learning with each other, and learning about each other. In 2010 I attended AAP events held in Vancouver and in Honolulu. I was so impressed with the inclusiveness and value placed upon the dental hygienist as an integral member of the oral health care team.
In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that 24.7% of the population in Canada, 15 years of age and over, had severe periodontal disease.1 That same year, the total productivity losses due to five oral diseases were more than $6.5million (US).2 The five oral diseases were caries, periodontal diseases, edentulism, oral cancer, and noma.3 Going forward, we need to realize that we are all managing disease. I attended EuroPerio11 in Vienna, Austria, in May 2025. An important take-home message for me was providing patients and the public with appropriate therapies to manage periodontal disease so that they can enjoy life, living longer and better.”
References:
1. World Health Organization. Prevalence of severe periodontal disease in people 15+ years [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/prevalence-of-severe-periodontal-disease-in-people-15–years
2. World Health Organization. Total productivity losses due to 5 oral diseases in million (US$) [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/total-productivity-losses-due-to-5-oral-diseases-in-million-(us-dollar)
3. World Health Organization. Oral health [Internet] [cited 2025 May 20]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health