For Dr. Cheryl Cable, it has always been about making a difference.
Dr. Cheryl Cable is the 2025 recipient of the Alberta Dental Association’s Advocacy Leadership Award, which recognizes members who go above and beyond to advocate for improvements to oral health policies, evidence, and structures that affect patients and the profession in Alberta.
Full Article
“How did I get into dentistry? Because I wanted to help people,” says Dr. Cable. “I wanted to make a difference. It was a solid occupation [and] it was something that was, frankly, fun.”
Over the course of her career, Dr. Cheryl Cable has been a driving force in Alberta’s efforts to integrate prevention and education into oral health practice, particularly in the early detection and prevention of head and neck cancers.
“As dentistry evolves, so do our responsibilities,” she says. “We started asking: all these patients we’re treating with head and neck cancer—how do we prevent it?”
That question led Dr. Cable and her colleagues to work more closely with peers and industry partners to create new education opportunities for dental professionals. Their goal: to help every dental provider understand their role in screening for head and neck cancer and educating patients about prevention.
“We actually have the ability to screen patients for head and neck cancer,” she explains. “We can educate them so that they can make the decision that’s right for them in prevention.”
“I can’t do what I do by myself,” she says. “I work with general dentists all over the province who are amazing and fantastic.”
For Dr. Cable, this collaborative spirit is at the heart of everything she does. As the provincial lead for Oral and Maxillofacial Care and Research with Covenant Health, she works alongside a broad, multidisciplinary team that includes general dentists, plastic and oral surgeons, speech-language pathologists, and trauma specialists.
“I can’t do what I do by myself,” she says. “I work with general dentists all over the province who are amazing and fantastic. I’ve had the incredible privilege to be part of patients’ journeys all the way from when everything was good to when care becomes palliative. It’s humbling.”
Dr. Cable credits Alberta’s dental community—and particularly general dentists—for their shared dedication to patient care.
“Sometimes it’s hard when you have enthusiasm about something that others don’t,” she reflects. “But that’s where our association comes in.”
“I know I was put forward [for this award] by a group of general dentists, which is really exceptional,” she says. “They’re the ones who are boots on the ground, rubber on the road, taking care of patients every day. It’s nice not to be put on a pedestal. I feel like I’m part of this team and this family.”
That sense of unity, she says, is what makes Alberta’s dental community so strong. “Sometimes it’s hard when you have enthusiasm about something that others don’t,” she reflects. “But that’s where our association comes in. It gives us this network of individuals who support each other. I’ve never had more people reach out to talk about their patients and how they found or prevented head and neck cancer. It’s inspiring.”
Looking back on her career, Dr. Cable sees this award not as a personal accolade, but as a shared achievement.
“I’m incredibly honoured,” she says. “I think I represent a whole group of us. I’m an amalgamation of all of us at different stages. It’s about us as a team.”
Article by Amir Grozdanic
Looking for a dentist like Dr. Cable?
Find a dentist like Dr. Cable at www.albertadentalassociation.ca/find-a-dentist