News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2017/11/01
Top News
Tax change backlash gets changes made, but more are needed: CFIB
UMass Amherst Researchers Find Triclosan and Other Chemicals Accumulate in Toothbrushes
Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk of ADHD
Canadian dentistry news
Fluoridation should be city council’s top priority. Calgary Herald. Calgary dentists and orthodontists are distressed by the significant changes they are seeing. Dental cavities did not occur as often or grow with such speed when the water was fluoridated. Now things are much worse. Read more
Canada’s aging population is going to put a strain on government coffers. macleans.ca [Opinion]: As a result of dramatic demographic change, and the resulting higher spending and slower revenue growth, governments in Canada face stark choices. Read more
A decade later, Jason Jones still smiling thanks to generosity of Star readers. www.thestar.com: His teeth rotted down to the bone, Jason Jones turned his life around when he got free dental work from a Markham dentist after his story appeared in the Star in 2007 as part of a series that examined issues of poverty and possible reforms. Yet a decade later, the fight for dental care for low-income adults rages on. Read more
Health care hot air. torontosun.com [Opinion]: Indigenous persons (as well as refugees and other low-income groups) may suffer a loss of access to dental care, if Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s now-amended small-business tax reforms still adversely affect the income of dentists. Over the years, many dentists have provided care to these groups at a considerable financial cost to themselves. […] It seems logical that if these dentists lose out financially from Morneau’s small-business tax increases, many may opt out of providing this discounted care. Read more
Tax change backlash gets changes made, but more are needed: CFIB. business.financialpost.com: Back in January, if someone had asked me what the dominant political headline would be for much of 2017, I don’t think I would have responded with “A series of complicated tax changes affecting Canada’s small businesses.” […] My 400 staff at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business lived and breathed the file for months. More than 75 major business associations came together and formed one of the biggest coalitions of businesses the country has seen. […] What were the results? Read more
Ottawa basically admits it made its small-business tax problem worse. Financial Post [Opinion]: The government offers precisely the favours that caused its problem in the first place. My favourite graphic in this year’s fall fiscal update is Chart 3.5, which shows the combined federal-provincial-territorial tax rates on personal and corporate income in Canada from 2000 to 2017. Read more
Boys need HPV vaccines. thebarrieexaminer: Vaccines preventing genital cancer are commonplace in grade schools. In Simcoe County, however, a cohort of high-school boys have been overlooked. Read more
Access to dental care lacking for seniors in Durham. oshawaexpress.ca, Nov. 1: A Whitby woman is seeking answers to why she must drive 45 minutes into Northumberland County to receive subsidized dental care, a question that fits into a larger discussion surrounding the seemingly forgotten status of the mouth in Ontario’s public health care system. Read more
Oral health needs to be a priority. oshawaexpress.ca [Editorial]: When it comes to oral heath in Ontario, the numbers are troubling, especially when the potential consequences are taken into consideration. Read more
Health unit advocates expanding publicly funded dental care. haliburtonecho.ca: The Ontario Oral Health Alliance asked the province to expand publicly funded dental care to include adults and seniors on low incomes. Read more
Town of Erin calling for increased inspections of dental practices. guelphtoday.com: The Town of Erin wants the province and the local public health unit to start inspecting dental practices on a regular basis the same way it inspects restaurants. Read more
Student union reviews health and dental plan as student use increases. thegauntlet.ca: The Students’ Union is reviewing the health and dental plan after two consecutive years of cost overruns. Read more
Canadian military hospital in Iraq as long as needed – U.S. will stay until confident ISIL defeated. ottawacitizen.com: “As part of Canada’s ongoing commitment to aid in the fight against Daesh, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is extending its military contribution and leadership of the Canadian-led Role 2 medical facility located in Erbil, Iraq until April 30, 2018 or until no longer required,” the military noted in a statement. The Coalition Role 2 […] provides medical and surgical care to coalition forces and provides both emergency and non-emergency care treating over 1,220 dental and medical patients to date. Read more
Ottawa adds $36-million in funding for cannabis-education campaigns. beta.theglobeandmail.com: The federal government will be spending an additional $36.4-million over five years to educate Canadians on the dangers of using cannabis at a young age and impaired driving, hoping to address growing concerns over the drug’s legalization. Read more
6 things you need to know about opioids. cbc.ca: Use of fentanyl, an opioid 1st developed as an anesthetic in 1960s, is of growing concern. Read more
Southern Alberta couple whose daughter nearly died from infection gets 1 year. nationalpost.com: A southern Alberta couple whose nine-year old daughter nearly died in 2013 due to a massive infection from cavities in her mouth has been sentenced to one year in jail. Read more
Drugmaker Teva ponders branding of controversial pill; Health Canada concerned about illicit use of prescription opioids with old TEC marking. thestar.com: A prescription narcotic popular among street drug users in Canada may soon get a brand makeover. Health Canada has asked drugmaker Teva if it’s considering changing the controversial branding on its oxycodone medication, following a Star investigation into the “TEC” marking engraved on each pill. Read more
Sugar labelling a bunch of sweet nothings. thechronicleherald.ca [Editorial]: The role of sugar in North America’s ongoing obesity crisis has been well documented. And since obesity leads to a whole host of health problems, from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, many people have been conscientiously attempting to consume less sugar. Read more
A health scare led former dentist Tom Dale to find his passion for art and photography. therecord.com: Enjoying his second chance. It’s not a typical way to find one’s calling, but a health emergency put Tom Dale on the path to be an artist. Dale was known as Dr. Dale back in 2001 when he had to quit dentistry after suffering from mercury poisoning. Read more
Alumni Q & A: Tom Stevenson. ualberta.ca: Passion for educating the next generation of dentists and dental hygienists the driving force behind $1 million gift to the School of Dentistry. Read more
PLP Committee openings. rcdso.org: There are upcoming vacancies for dentist members of the College’s Professional Liability Program Committee (PLP) for a three-year term, starting January 2018. Read more
CDAA Weekly E-Newsbrief November 1, 2017. cdaa.ca: Read more
International dentistry news
ADA commends White House for declaring public health emergency on opioids. ada.org: The statement noted that the Association has “long recognized” the severity of opioid misuse and abuse, and has made “great strides in educating dentists” about how they can help mitigate the crisis. Read more
Rotten state of children’s teeth in England exposed in hospital data. theguardian.com: Twice as many children under the age of 10 receive hospital treatment for tooth decay as those treated for broken arms. Read more
An $11 million grant gives kids something to smile about. ocregister.com: To ensure [the] county’s trick-or-treaters don’t fall prey to sugar’s painful tricks, the California Department of Health Care Services recently awarded the Children and Families Commission of Orange County an $11 million grant to specifically improve access to dental care for people 20 and younger who are on Medi-Cal. Read more
How ‘subsidised dentistry and free glasses’ benefits is to return this week. independent.ie: Around 2.5 million people who are covered by PRSI will be entitled to a number of subsidised dental treatments and optical benefits – including a free pair of glasses – from this week. The scale and polish dental treatment, which was abolished in 2009, has been reintroduced, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty announced. Read more
Bedside dental treatments to reach more in aged care. agedcareguide.com.au: The dental health and wellbeing of older Australians is set to benefit when a service that brings dentistry not only to the door but the bedside, expands to be nation-wide in the New Year. Read more
Leading FDI together. fdiworlddental.org: Letter from the President — Monthly update. Read more
Dentists can help provide oral healthcare for displaced persons from their own communities. fdiworlddental.org: More people than ever are affected by forced displacement as a result of persecution, armed conflict, widespread violence, and human rights violations. Across the world, delivering effective healthcare to displaced populations has proved challenging due to limitations in health systems. Read more
In First for State, Dental Hospital to Treat Cancer. mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com: The Government Dental College and Hospital, located at CST, is all set to start a dedicated oral cancer department, in which doctors will not only diagnose the disease, but will also conduct surgery and provide chemotherapy as well. Read more
Covering Our Mouths: Massachusetts Can’t Ignore The Dental Crisis. wbur.org: Massachusetts Senate Democrats rolled out an ambitious 100-page bill to reform health care in the state. The bill includes provisions to control pharmaceutical costs, create a MassHealth “buy-in” program, and expand coverage for telemedicine. However, it misses an opportunity to address dental insurance coverage. Read more
The UK government is seeking views on plans to enforce controls on mercury in the UK. Chemical Watch: The government says it is interested in hearing from industries that use mercury or deal with its waste, as well as those involved in dentistry. In particular, it would like feedback on whether the proposed approach is appropriate and proportionate. The consultation closes on 21 November. Read more
Tobacco firms using ‘clever tactics’ to target poorest smokers, study finds. theguardian.com: Cheaper brands, price-marking and smaller pack sizes are thwarting attempts to reduce UK smoking rates, researchers say. […] Overall smoking rates are declining, but the most recent figures show 23% of those in manual occupations smoke, compared with 12% in professional or clerical roles. Read more
Clinical & scientific news
UMass Amherst Researchers Find Triclosan and Other Chemicals Accumulate in Toothbrushes. umass.edu: A team of environmental chemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst […] reports in the current issue of Environmental Science & Technology that triclosan, an antibacterial agent in some over-the-counter toothpastes, accumulates in toothbrush bristles and is easily released in the mouth if the user switches toothpaste types. Read more
Researchers explore how chewing affects teeth on the nanoscale. phys.org: A team of researchers has taken an even closer look at teeth and documented the effects of chewing on the nano-sized structures that make up tooth enamel. Insights from their research have broad implications. Read more
NYU College of Dentistry Awarded $3.6 Million by NIH for Cavity Prevention Research in Rural New Hampshire – Study to Compare Cavity Prevention Techniques in School-based Dental Programs. nyu.edu: NYU Dentistry’s Richard Niederman, DMD, and Ryan Richard Ruff, MPH, PhD, will lead the study comparing the effectiveness of two cavity-prevention techniques — a “simple” treatment of topical silver and fluoride, and a “complex” treatment of traditional sealants and fluoride. Read more
November Journal of The California Dental Association Showcases Dental Student Research. www.cda.org: Articles highlight low-risk mandibular symphysis grafts, the effectiveness of the Vietnam Tooth Project’s oral health intervention program and the impact of asthmatic therapy on oral health in Special Olympics athletes. Read more
Best Practices for Stopping the Spread of Infections in Dental Settings. dentistrytoday.com: Read more
6 scary consequences of not following good infection control practices. dentalproductreport.com: How you can avoid these all-too-common pitfalls of infection control. Read more
Patient information
If Your Dentist Prescribes Antibiotics, Ask These Questions First. rd.com: You should never take antibiotics if they’re not necessary—even if your dentist prescribes them. Read more
Your health & medical news
Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk of ADHD. pediatrics.aappublications.org: Short-term maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy was negatively associated with ADHD in offspring. Long-term maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy was substantially associated with ADHD even after adjusting for indications of use, familial risk of ADHD, and other potential confounders. Read more
Continuing education matters
Dalhousie University – Current course offerings
McGill University – Winter 2017 continuing education – upcoming courses
Université Laval – Formation continue
University of Manitoba – Continuing professional development
Université de Montréal – Formation dentaire continue
University of Alberta – Program and courses
University of British Columbia – Calendar of courses
University of Saskatchewan – Continuing professional dental education
University of Toronto – Continuing dental education
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry University – Continuing professional development
November 10-12 – Carestream Dental’s 2017 Global Oral Health Summit, in Orlando, FL. Read more
November 24-29 – Greater New York Dental Meeting 2017, in New York, NY. Read more
March 21-24, 2018 – 47th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association of Dental Research, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Save the date
April 18-21, 2018 – American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Read more
June 20-23, 2018 – Annual Meeting of the American Dental Society of Europe, in Biarritz, France. Read more
August 22-25, 2018 – CDA Convention, hosted by the Dental Association of PEI. Save the date
August 31-September 2, 2018. 24th International Association for Disability and Oral Health Congress, in Dubai, UAE. Read more
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
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Such an interesting take from this, especially about Fluoridation should be city council’s top priority.