A brief history of the Ontario Dental Association, as compiled by Dr. James W. Shosenberg, Ontario Dentist Editor Emeritus.

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1866

Dr. Barnabus Day (right) a Kingston dentist and physician, circulated a letter to the dentists of Ontario, asking them to join with him to create a professional dental association. The response was immediate. Day noted "I found in the profession a sufficient number of loyal and hard workers who responded in the affirmative." The outcome of Day's letter was that, on January 3, 1867, the Ontario Dental Association was born.

The purpose of the new Association was described in its constitution:
"This Association is instituted with the view of promoting professional and social intercourse among dental practitioners in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, and to encourage a disposition for investigation on their part in every direction which relates to the principles and practice of the profession and collateral science."

The new association was a small one - including Day, only nine dentists attended the first meeting - but the strength of its resolve was great.

1868
• Within a year of its founding, the ODA successfully pressured the government of Ontario to create an act regulating dentistry; the first such Dental Act in the world.

• That same year, ODA members formed the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, the governing body for dentistry in Ontario, which a year later opened the first dental school in Canada - today the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto.
  

1880
ODA members’ strict adherence to a code of professional ethics virtually eliminated dishonest professional advertising in Ontario.


1889
The Association convened its first scientific meeting “with the view of promoting professional and social intercourse among dental practitioners.” The meeting became an annual event, growing in size each year. Today, that meeting has become the ODA Annual Spring Meeting, which hosts over 10,000 dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and other professionals.


1900-1910
In the first decade of the 20th century, the ODA - appalled at the condition of Ontarians oral health – formed local education committees to instruct Ontarians how to prevent oral disease. When ODA members discovered that sugar was the principal ingredient in commercial toothpastes, the association developed and marketed its own, safe, alternative. With the profits, the association distributed oral hygiene literature, developed oral hygiene programs and lobbied governments to introduce dental screening programs for schoolchildren.

1911

• Pressure from the ODA and other organizations forced the City of Toronto to open a six-chair dental clinic to treat city children -- the first of many municipally funded dental clinics. Twelve years later, in 1923, the ODA successfully lobbied the provincial government to appoint a provincial Director of Dental Services to oversee the oral health of people in the province.

• Through its activities to improve the oral health of Ontarians, the ODA laid the foundation for the dental public health programs Ontarians enjoy today.
  

1926
The Association starts its own publication, The Booster, “to encourage a disposition for investigation.” In time this publication would become Ontario Dentist, a journal now entering its 78th year of continuous publication.


1960s-1970s
ODA members improved oral health by fighting for the fluoridation of water and against the illegal provision of dentures to the public by untrained mechanics.


Today
The loyalty and hard work of more than 6,500 member dentists continues to provide the Ontario Dental Association with the strength and leadership to act as the voice of Ontario dentists in the advancement of oral health care for the people of Ontario.

Endnotes
1. Shosenberg, Dr. James W.: Thoughts from The Founding Father; An interview with Dr. Barnabus Day. Ontario Dentist January/February 1992, 14.
2 Kenyon, Ron: The Ontario Dental Association; the First One Hundred years, 10.

For more information, see Shosenberg, James W. - The Rise of the Ontario Dental Association; 125 Years of Organized Dentistry. Toronto, Ontario Dental Association, 1992.


Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
The Ontario Dental Association is the voluntary professional organization that represents the dentists of Ontario, supports its members, and is dedicated to the provision of exemplary oral health care and promotes the attainment of optimal health for the people of Ontario.

Vision Statement
Core Purpose
To represent dentistry and support members in the provision of comprehensive, quality oral health care.

Core Values
1. Honesty and Integrity
2. Excellence
3. Accountability
4. Social Responsibility

Core Goals
1. To promote optimal oral health
2. To create an environment for the delivery of quality, accessible oral health care
3. To promote the highest professional standards
4. To be a strong and effective organization
5. To assist members in meeting their professional economic responsibilities


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