News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2014/07/15
News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2014/07/15
Dear colleagues, Here is a sampling of news items that came across our desks at CDA in the past week. We invite you to send us leads to news stories worth sharing that have come across your desk in the past week and we look forward to hearing from you (jokeefe@cda-adc.ca or 1-800-267-6354 ext. 2297). Best wishes, John
Canadian dentistry news
Ontario Dental Association (ODA) announces that spousal treatment is now permitted in Ontario. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) regulation permitting dentists in Ontario to treat their spouses was approved by Ontario’s Cabinet on July 10, 2014; the regulation comes into effect immediately. Read the article…
Government of Canada announces funding for the Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples (or Pathways) signature initiative. The overall goal of Pathways is to promote health equity among First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in four key areas: suicide prevention, obesity and diabetes, tuberculosis, and oral health. Learn more…
Between 30 and 40 per cent of opioid prescriptions in Ontario are written following dental surgery. Although dentists have a duty to manage their patients’ pain, it’s imperative that they do so in a way that minimizes reliance, guards against the theft and loss, and provides proper guidance. Read the editorial…
More low-income kids now qualify for the Healthy Smiles Ontario program dental coverage. The maximum annual household income to qualify for the program’s coverage has been updated from $20,000 to up to over $24,000, depending on how many kids there are in the household, in order to accommodate families with more children. Learn more…
International dentistry news
New Zealand cities with fluoridated water see half the tooth decay among kids. A study shows that children in Christchurch, the only New Zealand city where fluoride is not added to the water supply, have up to 95% more tooth decay than those where fluoridation is the norm. Read the article…
Pakistan’s first cohort of dental hygienists awarded degrees from The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in Karachi. Read the article…
British Medical Association (BMA) backs plans to ban anyone born after the millennium from smoking cigarettes. Members of the BMA have pledged their support to a public health doctor who proposed the idea. It would mean that children born on or after the year 2000 would never be legally able to buy cigarettes in England and Wales. Read the article…
A 12-year-old French boy was reportedly so determined not to go to the dentist that he faked his own kidnapping, leading to a one-month investigation by cops. The boy was found by police hiding in the Alpine village St. Gervais and allegedly claimed that he had just escaped an abduction attempt from nearby town Bagnols, all to avoid going to the dentist. Read the article…
Mind your business
Seven steps to improve leadership in the dental practice. Although most dentists acknowledge their role as dental practice leaders, many are uncertain about exactly what they should do to provide leadership for their team. Learn more…
Why team meetings are an important part of running a dental practice. Read the editorial…
NO. 1 DENTIST: ten legal tips for dental practices. Read the article…
Continuing education matters
Save the date – the 2014 Saskatchewan Oral Health Professions Annual Conference will take place September 11-13. Learn more…
The College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC) recently launched their interactive online continuing education course, “Dental Recordkeeping”. The course can be completed anywhere and at any pace, and is eligible for 3 hours of CE in the practice management category for CDSBC registrants. Learn more and register…
The Continuing Education Department at the University of Toronto is hosting Dr. Daniele Cardaropoli to present two days of continuing education on September 15th & 16th, 2014. The lectures and hands-on courses will focus on important periodontal treatments, including recessions, ridge preservation and immediate implant placement. Learn more and register…
Please let us know about upcoming continuing education meetings that could be of interest to Canadian dentists by emailing us at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca
Clinical & scientific news
Dental pulp stem cells could promote the survival and regeneration of retinal cells after injury and save someone’s vision, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK. Learn more…
Israeli scientists have developed a vibrating gum shield to be worn at night that acts faster than conventional braces. The device, developed by Jerusalem-based Aerodentis, uses a vibrating silicone balloon that rests against the teeth and gently moves them to line up with the gum shield. Learn more…
A new study has suggested that oral bacteria can worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colitis. Learn more…
Peri-implantitis is an emerging little-known inflammatory disease marked by bacterial infection and the gradual loss of the jaw bone supporting the implant. Studies have suggested that one third of patients will be infected. “We’re sitting on a time bomb,” says Dr Stephen Jacobs, a past-president of the Association of Dental Implantology. “We are going to be seeing more and more cases.” Learn more…
Research published in Letters in Applied Microbiology journal has found that strong black coffee has the ability to break down bacterial biofilms such as dental plaque. Learn more…
Your health & medical news
Old vials that appear to contain smallpox were discovered in an unused federal lab in Bethesda, MD and have been turned over to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for containment and testing. The vials were labeled “variola” and appear to date from the 1950s. Smallpox was declared eradicated by the WHO in 1979 and there are only two designated repositories for the virus in the world: one at the CDC in Atlanta and one in Novosibirsk, Russia. Lab workers will destroy the samples after testing. Learn more…
Following a series of potentially serious accidents, US health officials announced Friday that they had temporarily closed the flu and anthrax labs at the CDC in Atlanta and halted shipments of all infectious agents from the agency’s highest-security labs. Recent incidents include the one mentioned above, an incident in which employees may have been exposed to anthrax and a bird flu contamination scare. Learn more…
Mississippi child born with HIV believed to be cured after aggressive early treatment has tested positive for the virus. The child, who had not been on antiretroviral therapy for 27 months, was believed to be the first person to have the virus completely eliminated through drugs, and scientists had hoped to be able to replicate her regimen to treat the estimated 260,000 babies born with the virus around the world each year. Learn more…
For the first time, the WHO is strongly recommending that men who have sex with other men consider antiretroviral medications to help prevent HIV infection. The approach, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, calls for the noninfected to take a preventive pill every day. Read the article…
Scotland police and the BDA have urged clubbers to avoid taking pills after it was revealed that tablets containing benzocaine, a powerful dental anaesthetic, are being sold as ecstasy. When used in large quantities, the anaesthetic can cause seizures, breathing difficulties and even death. Learn more…
Parents who choose not to immunize their children are ethically negligent. A study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that 1 in 10 parents in the US now forgo or delay vaccinations for their kids. Read the editorial…
Dental industry news
Under Armour launches flavoured mouth guards. The mouth guards have flavour beads built into the plastic, rather than coated on top, for a long-lasting taste that comes in five different colours and flavours. Learn more…
New sugar-free chocolate-flavored soft chew helps maintain healthy teeth by supporting normal acid-base levels while coating the teeth with a mineral source. BasicBites were developed by Researchers at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine and Ortek Therapeutics and are designed to mimic saliva’s benefits. Learn more…
Entrepreneur creates Starinse, a non-fluoride mouth rinse that has been designated by Health Canada as effective in fighting cavities. CEO Joon Kim doesn’t tell people not to use fluoride, but wants people to have choices — ones that work. It is currently available in seven natural food stores around Mississauga, Milton, Toronto and Oakville and on the Starinse website; it retails for $9.99. Learn more…
If you wish to send us leads to news stories worth sharing that have come across your desk recently, please contact us by email at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca or by toll-free phone at 1-855-716-2747.