JCDA - Journal of the Canadian Dental Association

JCDA, the scientific publication of the Canadian Dental Association

The Journal of the Canadian Dental Association (JCDA) is the flagship scholarly publication of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). It is dedicated to disseminating peer-reviewed scientific research that supports evidence-based dental practice, as well as addressing issues relevant to the profession. Its format is exclusively digital and open access, and it publishes original articles in English.

An editorial history dating back to the 19th century

The origins of JCDA date back to the late 19th century. In 1868, Dr. George W. Beers, the first dean of the McGill Dental School, founded the Canada Journal of Dental Sciences, Canada's first dental journal, which he edited as founding editor between 1868 and 1879. The publication ceased in 1888 and merged with the Dominion Dental Journal, published between 1889 and 1934 and the main voice of Canadian dentists. In 1935, JCDA was born from the merger of the Dominion Dental Journal and La Revue Dentaire Canadienne. In 2014, the CDA discontinued the print edition and moved to an entirely digital format, also launching the magazine CDA Essentials / L'essentiel de l'ADC for association news. Since 2016, JCDA has focused exclusively on publishing original research, comprehensive literature reviews, and proceedings of scientific meetings.

Content and thematic areas

The journal publishes original research, literature reviews, and proceedings of academic meetings. Among the topics it covers are public health, education, access to care, pharmacology, endodontics, pain management, evidence-based dentistry, oral pathology, the dental profession, and organizations. Articles are organized into sections such as Applied Research, Literature Review, and Professional Issues.

The site's catalog includes, among others, works such as an analysis of antibiotic prescribing in Canadian dentistry and its alignment with guidelines for responsible use; a study on diversity in dentistry through medical pathways programs; a qualitative study on dental students' readiness to address the social determinants of health; the validation of an oropharyngeal cancer risk prediction model using Canadian population data; and an environmental scan on medical-dental integration in community health centres in British Columbia. It also includes findings from an interdisciplinary workshop on integrated oral health care for older adults, held on April 24, 2026, at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry.

Indexing and reach

JCDA is indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Published articles are included in MEDLINE, searchable via PubMed, and in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). The journal is also listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) with an impact factor reported by Clarivate.

Target audience

The publication is aimed at dentists, specialists, researchers, health care professionals, policymakers, and members of the public interested in authoritative, evidence-based oral health information.

Editorial team

The Scientific Editor of JCDA is Dr. Astha Shah, a dentist and specialist in dental public health, with expertise in epidemiology, health program planning, public health policy, and research. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health (ABDPH), and she also serves as a health policy advisor for the CDA. The editorial team is completed by Sean McNamara as Managing Editor, Michelle Bergeron as Publications Specialist, JP Nuyens as Front-end Developer, and Carlos Castro as Graphic Designer.

The publishing association

The Canadian Dental Association, founded in 1902, is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization with no regulatory role, whose corporate members are the provincial and territorial dental associations of Canada. It represents more than 21,000 practising dentists across the country. In addition to JCDA, it publishes the print magazine CDA Essentials, the association's official publication dedicated to keeping dentists informed about news, current issues, and clinically relevant information.