Terms of Use

These Terms of Use apply to your use of oao.on.ca and its members area (the “site”), operated by the Ontario Association of Orthodontists (“OAO”, “we”, “us”). By using the site you agree to these terms, including the acceptable use rules below. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

Effective date: October 30, 2026

About OAO

OAO is a not-for-profit professional association of orthodontic specialists, with its head office in Toronto, Ontario. Membership in OAO is governed by the OAO By-laws; nothing in these terms changes the By-laws or a member’s rights and obligations under them. Members are also bound by the Code of Ethics adopted by OAO (currently the Canadian Dental Association Code of Ethics), and are expected to use the site in a way that is consistent with their professional obligations to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO).

Health information is not medical advice

The information on this site about orthodontics, treatment options, costs and insurance is general information for education only. It is not medical or dental advice and is not a substitute for an examination and advice from a qualified orthodontist or dentist who knows your situation. Using this site, or contacting OAO, does not create a dentist–patient relationship. Never ignore professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here. If you have a dental emergency, contact your dental provider or, if urgent, go to the nearest emergency department.

Some patient information on the site is adapted from material contributed by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and the American Society of Orthodontists (ASO), with thanks.

Find an OAO Orthodontist directory

The directory lists OAO members who have chosen to be listed, using information they supply. OAO does not recommend, endorse or guarantee any particular orthodontist, and does not guarantee that directory information is complete or current. Choosing a provider is your decision. You can confirm that a dentist is registered as an orthodontic specialist with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.

Members are responsible for keeping their directory information accurate. A listing must describe a real practice location where the member provides orthodontic care.

Member accounts

Parts of the site are available only to OAO members. If you have an account you are responsible for keeping your sign-in details confidential and for activity under your account, and you must tell us promptly if you believe it has been used without permission. Accounts are personal and may not be shared. Access to the members area ends when your membership ends, and we may suspend access as described under Enforcement.

Acceptable use

You agree to use the site lawfully. You must not use the site to:

  • break any law, or help anyone else do so;
  • post or send content that is false or misleading, defamatory, harassing, threatening, discriminatory, obscene or otherwise offensive;
  • infringe anyone’s copyright, trademark, privacy or other rights;
  • post or send personal health information or other identifiable information about patients;
  • impersonate anyone, or misrepresent your identity, qualifications or affiliation with OAO;
  • copy, scrape, harvest or compile information from the directory or members area, by automated means or otherwise, including to build mailing lists or send unsolicited messages;
  • send spam or other commercial electronic messages to members or the public without the consent required by Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation;
  • try to get unauthorized access to the site, other accounts, or our systems or data, or probe, scan or test their security;
  • upload viruses or other harmful code, or interfere with the site’s operation, for example by overloading it; or
  • use the site for any purpose that could harm OAO’s reputation or its members.

Members-only content

Member documents, newsletters, photos, recordings and other members-only content are confidential to OAO members. Do not share, forward or republish them outside the membership without OAO’s permission. Information about other members that you obtain through the site may be used only for legitimate professional purposes connected with OAO, and not for marketing or solicitation.

Marketplace listings

Members may post listings, such as job opportunities, practices or equipment for sale, that are relevant to the orthodontic community. Listings must be accurate, current and lawful and describe a genuine opportunity; comply with Ontario human rights and employment law, including by not stating discriminatory requirements; be consistent with the RCDSO’s requirements on professional advertising; contain no patient information; and include only contact details you are authorized to share. Listings expire automatically after the period shown when you post them.

Content you submit

If you submit content to the site, such as a marketplace listing, a profile or practice details, or a message, you confirm that it is accurate, that you have the right to submit it and that it complies with these terms. You keep ownership of your content, and you give OAO a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, format and distribute it on the site and in OAO communications for the purpose for which you submitted it. We may review, edit for format, decline or remove any content at our discretion.

Enforcement

If you see content or activity on the site that you believe breaks these terms, please tell us at [email protected] (without including patient health information). If we believe these terms have been breached, OAO may, without notice and at its discretion:

  • remove or edit the content concerned;
  • suspend or end access to the members area or other features;
  • refer the matter to the OAO Board of Directors for consideration under the By-laws, which may include disciplinary action or termination of membership following the procedure set out in the By-laws; and
  • report the matter to the appropriate regulator or law enforcement authority where required or appropriate.

Intellectual property

Unless otherwise noted, the content of this site, including text, graphics, logos, photographs and documents, is owned by or licensed to OAO and protected by copyright and trademark law. You may view and print pages for your personal, non-commercial use, and members may use members-area materials for their own professional purposes. You may not otherwise copy, republish, distribute or modify site content, or use the OAO name or logo, without our written permission.

Payments and refunds

Membership dues and event and course registrations are paid through our third-party payment providers, at the fees shown when you pay.

Membership dues

Membership dues are non-refundable. The OAO may approve a refund in exceptional circumstances, on a case-by-case basis. To ask for one, contact us at [email protected].

Events and courses

To cancel a registration, email [email protected]. The notice period is counted from the day we receive your email to the event’s start date.

  • 14 or more days’ notice: full refund, minus an administrative fee of $15 to $50, as shown at registration, to cover payment processing.
  • 7 to 13 days’ notice: full refund minus an administrative free of $50.
  • Less than 7 days’ notice: no refund, because venue and catering numbers are confirmed by then.

OAO may change or cancel an event. If we cancel an event, we will refund in full the registration fees you paid to OAO for it.

Accessibility

OAO is committed to providing information and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities, consistent with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). We aim for this site to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA. Some content, such as older PDF documents in the members area or material provided by third parties, may not yet fully meet these guidelines; we are working to improve it.

On request, we will provide OAO information in an accessible format or with communication supports, in a timely way and at no extra cost. If you need an accommodation to take part in an OAO event or course, please let us know when you register or as early as possible; we welcome support persons and service animals. We welcome feedback about the accessibility of our site, events and services, and will respond in a format that works for you.

Links to other websites

The site may link to websites run by others, including sponsors, regulators, payment providers and members’ practices. We provide these links for convenience only. OAO does not control and is not responsible for their content, products, services or privacy practices, and a link is not an endorsement. Sponsor recognition on the site does not mean OAO endorses a sponsor’s products or services.

Availability and changes

We work to keep the site available and accurate, but we do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, error-free or free of harmful components, or that its content is complete or current. We may change, suspend or discontinue any part of the site at any time.

Disclaimer and limitation of liability

The site and its content are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. To the fullest extent permitted by law, OAO and its directors, officers, members, volunteers, staff and agents are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or other loss or damage arising from your use of, or inability to use, the site or its content, or from any reliance on it, including information in the directory.

Indemnity

You agree to indemnify OAO and its directors, officers, volunteers and staff against any claims, losses and costs (including reasonable legal fees) arising from content you submit or your breach of these terms.

Privacy and cookies

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information and send electronic messages, and our Cookie Policy explains how the site uses cookies.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada that apply there. You agree that the courts of Ontario sitting in Toronto have jurisdiction over any dispute about the site or these terms.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time by posting a new version on this page. Your continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Contact us

Ontario Association of Orthodontists
1370 Don Mills Rd., Suite 201, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3N7
[email protected] | 416 490 8414 | Toll-free 1 888 788 4898