President (Chair of the Conference Committee)
Dr. Anil Menon, BDS, MBA, MSc., FRSPH, FRCD(C)
Dr. Anil Menon is a Division Head of Dental Public Health and an Assistant Professor at the Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba. He is actively involved in teaching and researching Dental Public Health at the University. Dr. Menon earned his MSc in Dental Public Health from the University of Toronto in 2018 and also holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from the United States. He has gained valuable experience in his field, having worked for two years with the Children’s Oral Health Project in Nunavut as a Program Evaluation Specialist and Acting Dental Manager. He later served as the Regional Dental Manager at a First Nations Reserve in Moose Factory, Ontario. Dr. Menon also managed the Oral Health Division at Hastings Prince Edward County Public Health Unit in Ontario before taking up his current position. His research focus is on seniors, including those living in personal care homes, as well as other vulnerable populations such as Indigenous children.
Past-President
Dr. Amrinderbir Singh, BDS, MPH
Dr. Amrinderbir Singh is an Assistant Professor, Dental Public Health and Director of Inclusive Community Outreach at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry. He joined USask after working for four years in Northern Saskatchewan in different capacities as Director of Primary Health Care with Saskatchewan Health Authority and Regional Inter-sectoral Coordinator with Northern Human Services Partnership. Dr. Singh completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Dental Sciences and Research in India and practiced as a dentist before completing his Master of Public Health from USask in 2015. With extensive experience working with Northern Saskatchewan communities, Dr. Singh’s role at USask is to explore opportunities for innovation to extend service and care to priority populations outside of cities. This includes overseeing the six outreach clinics that the College of Dentistry is currently operating across Northern Saskatchewan, as well as establishing relationships and working with different communities and contributors to continue to expand this network of dental clinics that provide care to priority populations across the province. Dr. Singh has spent his career developing and executing a comprehensive, integrated and community based holistic health model. His research interests include Canadian Indigenous oral health, access to oral healthcare services in Canada, spirituality and health, oral health and nutrition, patient and family-centered care, and holistic approaches to oral health.
Director & Secretary
Ms. Denise Kokaram, MA, RDH
Denise Kokaram is a University of Alberta dental hygiene graduate who passionately advocates for oral health both in clinical practice and public health. A lifelong learner, she also holds a Master of Arts in Leadership with a health specialization from Royal Roads University. Her focus has been on population health, particularly oral health access and equity, with a keen interest in systems innovation and health policy. Denise is the Chief Operating Officer of Nation’s Dental, an innovative approach to delivering affordable, and accessible comprehensive oral healthcare for priority populations utilizing a social entrepreneurial model. She pioneered The Alex Dental Health Bus program and served as the Oral Health Manager for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. Serving in a variety of leadership roles on numerous boards and committees focused on health, oral health, regulation, and advocacy, has been both humbling and enriching. These experiences have provided a wealth of knowledge that supports her current mission. Recently, her work with Calgarians for Kids’ Health, a grassroots endeavor by a group of concerned citizens, culminated in successful advocacy for the return of community water fluoridation to Calgary’s drinking water. Denise loves spending time with her family, fur baby Zorro, and friends. She is an avid adventure traveler who enjoys exploring the world, experiencing other cultures, and communing with nature.
Director
Dr. Abiola Adeniyi, BChD, MA, PhD
Dr. Abiola Adeniyi received her undergraduate dental education in Nigeria. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Dentistry, with a focus on integrated care and interprofessional collaborative care strategies for oral health. She is a researcher, educator, and dental public health professional who specializes in maternal and child oral health, integrated oral health, and interprofessional oral health collaboration. She is a member of several national and international collaborative networks in maternal and child oral health, COVID-19 in dental practice, oral health access, and policy research. She was the first Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Maternal and Child Health at UBC Vancouver’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a tenure track Assistant Professor in Global health and human services at the Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a current member of the Canadian Association for Dental Public Health’s Board of Directors and served on the Policy Advisory Committee.
Director (Chair of the Policy & Advocacy Committee)
Abdulrahman Ghoneim, BDS, RDH, MSc, PhD, FRCD (C)
Dr. Abdulrahman Ghoneim is an internationally trained dentist, registered dental hygienist, and dental public health specialist. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University. He holds a PhD in Dental Public Health from the University of Toronto and has over seven years of research and educational experience. His research areas include access to care, health economics, and professional issues in dentistry and dental hygiene. His master’s research examined the impact of non-clinical factors, specifically competition between dental clinics, on the clinical decision-making of dentists in Ontario. His doctoral research focused on estimating the cost-effectiveness of providing dental services to individuals who experience financial barriers to care. Dr. Ghoneim is committed to translating his research into evidence that highlights the economic benefits of reducing oral health inequalities in Canada.
Director
Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta B.Sc., D.D.S
Dr. Sanjukta “Sanj” Mohanta is a general dentist practicing in Toronto. She graduated from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry in 1999 and received their Alumni of Influence award. She started the New Dentist Study Club and hosts their podcast. Sanj is a writer, speaker, mentor, advocate and volunteer. She received the Ontario Dental Association’s (ODA) Merit Award and Service Award. Sanj provides dental care to remote Indigenous communities with the ODA’s Remote Areas Program and provides free dental care in the Caribbean with Great Shape! 1000 Smiles. She volunteers at Filling the Gap Dental Outreach in Toronto providing free dental care to people in need. Sanj worked in public health dentistry for 17 years and is excited to start her own dental practice, Watermelon Dental, which will open Summer 2026 in Bolton, Ontario.
Director
Ashley White, SDT, RRDH, BSc
Ashley’s professional journey in dentistry spans nearly 30 years, beginning with her work as a dental assistant. Her sustained dedication to public health dentistry has guided her pursuit of advanced education and a broad range of professional experiences. After completing both dental therapy and dental hygiene programs, Ashley earned a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and completed the Global Health Diplomacy Program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science in Oral Health Promotion.
Her career reflects wide-ranging experience across public and private sectors and multiple levels of government. Ashley has contributed to oral health initiatives in Switzerland, Costa Rica, Africa, the Canadian Arctic, and Saskatchewan.
Ashley is presently employed with Indigenous Services Canada, within the Government of Canada, as the National Oral Health Promotion Officer for Community Oral Health Services. She also maintains a casual role as a Senior Dental Health Educator with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Ashley is serving her third term on the CAPHD Board of Directors and volunteers her time providing care at the Ottawa Mission Dental Clinic.
Director
Cyerra Powder
Cyerra Powder (she/her) is a Swampy Cree/Dene First Nation woman from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, located on Treaty 5 Territory, also home to the heart of the third largest delta in the world.
Growing up incredibly isolated with limited services in her community in northern Saskatchewan, she understood at an early age the importance of primary oral health care providers such as dental therapists who expanded access to essential dental care. During the mid-90s, as a child in elementary school, Cyerra was enrolled in the Children’s Dental Plan, a school-based program introduced by the government to bridge gaps in oral health care services amongst children. The Children’s Dental Plan served as a base for lifelong success in oral health fundamentals. Upon graduating from the National School of Dental Therapy
in 2010, she resided in Lloydminster, located on the Saskatchewan/Alberta border, for over a decade with her husband and two children; it was evident that jurisdictional issues exist and must be addressed.
In light of reconciliation, it has become prevalent that recognizing dental therapists to their full scope capabilities will further assist with the current healthcare crisis and deplete the status quo. As the first Indigenous President of the Canadian Dental Therapists Association, she has become dedicated to rewriting the narrative and ensuring dental therapists are viewed as a solution to the oral health disparities that currently exist across all jurisdictions in Canada.
Director (Chair of the Communications & Membership Committee)
Dr. Ellen Ward, BDS, MSc
Dr. Ellen Ward is a UK-registered general dental practitioner currently completing the Canadian NDEB Equivalency Process. She graduated from the University of Sheffield (BDS, 2008), completed the MJDF (RCS England, 2011), and earned an MSc in Dental Implantology from The University of Manchester (2018).
Dr. Ward has over 15 years experience spanning general practice, oral surgery, clinical education, public health, and medico-legal work across the UK, Canada, and Singapore. She previously served as a Specialty Dentist in Oral Surgery and Clinical Teaching Fellow at Manchester Dental Hospital & the University of Manchester, and has worked in high-acuity full-arch implant practice, developing sedation protocols and supporting clinical training and governance.
Her public health and equity focus includes work with NHS Test and Trace/Public Health England, as well as extensive global outreach, providing care in underserved communities across South and South East Asia, refugee camps in Greece, and volunteering with the homeless in London (U.K.).
Dr. Ward contributes to CAPHD as Chair of the Communications and Membership Committee and as a member of the Conference Committee. Her interests include improving access to oral healthcare, strengthening prevention-focused practice, and advancing equitable, patient-centred care for underserved communities.
Director
Dr. Juliana Faquim
Dr. Faquim is an Assistant Professor at the College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan. She previously served as a Visiting Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University (2023–2024). Originally from Brazil, she holds a DDS degree (1999), a Master in Dentistry (2003) and a PhD in Public Health (2016) from the University of São Paulo.
With more than 20 years of experience in teaching, research, and community engagement, her research in Dental Public Health focuses on advancing health equity by investigating access to oral health care and experiences among minority populations, considering social determinants, quality of life, and the translation of findings into practice and policy. Her research program is guided by questions about how social determinants affect oral health and access to care, how people experience oral health and its impact on their quality of life, and how oral health research can be translated to help people make informed decisions and guide health policy.
Dr. Faquim has also developed community outreach projects focused on vulnerable populations, reflecting her commitment to social inclusion and health equity. She is passionate about advancing public oral health in Canada and internationally, bringing a unique perspective that combines academic expertise, clinical practice, and public health leadership.