News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2019/10/09
Top News
Heartburn drug Zantac recalled as a ‘precaution’
It’s not just opioids: What doctors want you to know about benzos
Rise of medical AI poses new legal risks for doctors
Federal Elections
Federal parties remain silent as drug shortages grow. More than 129 new shortages since election called. pharmacists.ca: The Canadian Pharmacists Association is calling on all federal parties to commit to working with us on a comprehensive action plan to address drug shortages that includes research into the causes and solutions of drug supply issues, leadership on the international stage to enact tangible solutions and supports for frontline health care providers who are struggling to manage supply disruptions. Read more
Low-income Canadians struggling to pay for medications plead for pharmacare. election.ctvnews.ca: Three of the major federal parties have promised they’ll introduce universal pharmacare if elected. Read more
Federal leaders debate 2019: Full transcript. macleans.ca: Everything you missed from the 2019 English federal leaders debate. Find the full transcript here. Read more
Trudeau targeted in English leaders’ debate. winnipegfreepress.com: Regardless of the question, he [Jagmeet Singh] took every opportunity to hammer his favourite theme: that Liberals and Conservatives alike pander to wealthy corporations whereas the NDP will fight for ordinary Canadians with investments in child care, pharmacare and dental care. Read more
What Canadians learned from the one (and only) English-language debate. theglobeandmail.com: What did voters learn from the one (and, sadly, only) official English-language debate? That on a stage crowded with six leaders, five moderators, five topics and a choreography that got ever tighter as two hours raced through the hourglass, it wasn’t easy for any leader to make a mark. Read more
Liberals aren’t setting aside enough cash yet for pharmacare, says advisory panel chair. cbc.ca: Eric Hoskins says pharmacare won’t work unless the provinces ‘genuinely believe’ Ottawa is on board. Read more
NDP government would ‘immediately’ institute taxpayer-funded dental for 4 million Canadians. ipolitics.ca: The latest promise from the party speeds up the clock on an earlier pledge from Singh. Read more
Canada election: What federal leaders have pledged on immigration. globalnews.ca: Federal parties vying for victory on Oct. 21 are making a range of promises on immigration. Read more
The Latest: Four federal party leaders square off in French-language debate. timescolonist.com: … The whole exchange precedes talk about health care spending, where Singh defends his party’s plans to create a national dental care program despite charges from Blanchet that it would infringe on provincial jurisdiction. Read more
Here are some of the big campaign promises from the major parties so far. cbc.ca: Tax cuts, climate plans, housing, health care, breaks for homeowners. Here’s how the parties are chasing votes. Read more
Explainer: Where the major federal parties stand on health care. globalnews.ca: Though health care is delivered by the provinces and territories, Canada’s federal government has a crucial role in terms of funding levels, setting health care priorities, and making sure that access and availability is equal across the country. Read more
‘Their silence speaks volumes’: Indigenous issues largely absent from federal parties’ election campaigns. thestar.com: When NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh promised clean water on First Nations reserves and the Greens’ Elizabeth May pledged that a Green government would start dismantling the Indian Act, both on Saturday, it was the first time Indigenous issues got much attention on the federal campaign trail. Read more
“We need a continuous care model”: CMA and partners call on federal parties to support primary care. cma.ca: At the halfway point of the federal election campaign, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Nurses Association and the College of Family Physicians of Canada joined forces to call on federal political parties to establish a targeted $1.2 billion Primary Health Care Transition Fund (PHCTF). Read more
Canadian Dentistry News
Region receives funds from province for senior dental care. oshawaexpress.ca: The Durham Region health department is set to get $1.6 million from the provincial government as part of the new senior dental care plan. Read more
Amendments to the Denturists Act in Nova Scotia. capebretonpost.com: Changes to the Denturists Act will allow denturists to place removable dentures over implants while working as part of an implant team. Read more
News release: Dental Hygienists Call For Exemption On Treatment Of Spouses. oralhealthgroup.com: In response to recent media coverage of an Ontario registered dental hygienist who lost his appeal to the Ontario Divisional Court to have his 5-year licence revocation for treating his wife overturned, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association(CDHA) is strongly urging the government of Ontario to grant the same exemption for spousal treatment to dental hygienists as they have for dentists. Read more
Get mouthy aimed at adolescent oral health. tbnewswatch.com: The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is taking the importance of oral health on the road. To be more specific, they’re setting up shop at local high schools, educating teens about the dangers common activities, like smoking, consuming energy drinks and tongue piercings can have on their teeth and mouths. Read more
Alumni dentist, dental hygienist honoured for extraordinary service. news.umanitoba.ca: Dr. Ken Stones, a 1969 dentistry alumnus who lives in White Rock, B.C., received the Alumni of Distinction Award from the U of M Dental Alumni Association (UMDAA). The award recognizes Stones’ decades of volunteer work as an organizer and provider of oral care for people in need. Read more
Anaida Deti provides affordable dental care to kids. toronto.com: Anaida Deti and her husband came to Canada from Albania more than a decade and a half ago “with just a couple of hundred dollars in our pocket,” she said. Now, as the CEO of a North York dental clinic called DentalX, her clinic gives many times that amount in free services annually. She founded Mission KIND (Kids in Need of Dental Care) which provides dental work to patients age 16 and younger whose families “have financial difficulties.” Read more
Mr. Lyle Best Named Honorary Fellow of the International College of Dentistry. cdspi.com: As a business leader, community builder and philanthropist, Mr. Best demonstrates an unwavering commitment to Canadian dentistry. Read more
International College of Dentists — Photos from Convocation 2019. icd-canada.org: Inducted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, September 14, 2019. Read more and see also photos from Convocation 2019
Unauthorized “Yunnan Baiyao Toothpaste” is being recalled by LinkGlobal Food Inc. because it contains a prescription drug and may pose serious health risks. healthycanadians.gc.ca: Health Canada is advising Canadians that LinkGlobal Food Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is recalling unauthorized “Yunnan Baiyao Toothpaste” because it is labelled to contain a prescription drug (tranexamic acid) and may pose serious health risks. Read more
Canada’s Top Medical Doctoral University 2020: McGill. macleans.ca: The school’s dedication to research and new initiatives helps its influence stretch far beyond its home campus. Read more
International Dentistry News
GSDM becomes first U.S. dental school to acquire, implement robotic-assisted surgery. bu.edu: The Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) has become the first U.S. dental school to acquire, install, and use two surgical robotic devices for dental implant surgeries. These devices will provide an opportunity for the School’s predoctoral students and postdoctoral residents to learn how state-of-the-art robotic technology, with its accuracy and precision during dental surgery, can augment and enhance clinical practice and patient care. Read more
Change is coming: Four reasons the licensure climate has changed. asdablog.com: ASDA’s white paper, “Use of Human Subjects in Clinical Licensure Examinations,” highlights the validity, reliability and ethical concerns of the clinical licensure exam…The American Dental Association (ADA) is developing a new licensure exam. Modeled on Canada’s licensure OSCE, the ADA’s DLOSCE is a virtual station-based critical thinking and diagnostic skills exam. Read more
New issues, including opioids, take toll on oral health, assistant surgeon general tells UTHSC students. dailymemphian.com: In a world of rising opioid addiction, vaping and oral cancers, 2019 is the year of oral health, says Rear Admiral Timothy Ricks, both the chief dental officer of the U.S. Public Health Service and the nation’s assistant surgeon general. Read more
It’s not just opioids: What doctors want you to know about benzos. cnn.com: … there’s another prescription drug concern that experts say has grown in the shadow of the opioid epidemic: the rise in use of benzodiazepines. Read more
FDA data dump reveals dental and breast implant problems among most hidden. kvue.com: Dental implants had the most hidden complaints. There were 61,652 complaints we knew about and 2.1 million hidden reports. The KVUE Defenders are getting a first look at millions of problems with medical devices that remained secret for decades. Read more and watch 3:04
IDA Budget Reaction: ‘Serious Concerns’ Over Plan To Introduce Free Dental Care For Under-6s. dentistry.ie: “Dentists have serious concerns about the viability of the proposed changes as regards provision of dental care for children. Moving from a risk-based, targeted public dental service model to a system where children are seen if they attend in private dental practices is very problematic.” The Association believes the approach being advocated in the new National Oral Health Policy is misguided and will not realise better oral health outcomes for children. Read more
CDA Cares San Bernardino provides nearly $1.5 million in care. cda.org: Thousands of patients and volunteers flocked to the National Orange Show Events Center during the two-day event to receive and provide dental care at no cost. Dentists and dental professionals performed 10,412 procedures, including fillings, extractions and cleanings, providing $1.46 million in care to 1,626 people. Read more
Scandal as patients left waiting over two years for life-changing oral surgery. bda.org: BDA Scotland has said government must take responsibility and tackle waiting times of over 2 years for oral surgery. Freedom of Information requests undertaken by the Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed waits of over 120 weeks (2.3 years) for inpatient oral and maxillofacial treatment, covering diseases affecting the mouth, jaw, face and neck – with one patient in the NHS Grampian area having waited 243 weeks (4.6 years) for an outpatient procedure. The Scottish Government operates a 12-week target for surgery. Read more
Government’s oral health policy fundamentally flawed, says dental body. irishtimes.com: RCSI faculty says system unprepared for plans to introduce free dental care for under-6s. The Government’s new oral health policy is “fundamentally flawed” and cannot work in the absence of changes to the way dentists are trained, the State’s main postgraduate dental training body has warned. Read more
ICE put a 17-year-old asylum seeker in an adult jail. His lawyers blame a ‘junk-science’ dental exam. washingtonpost.com: The mistake was made, Jose Antonio Hernandez Vasquez’s lawyers argue, due to the federal government’s reliance on a controversial dental exam to determine the age of migrants — a practice they say can have legal and psychological consequences for youth who are seeking protection. The practice of “forensic odontology,” as it’s formally known, has resulted in an increasing number of minors erroneously being kept in adult facilities. Read more
Grants to improve oral health care access in the Carolinas spread smiles. northcarolinahealthnews.org: The Duke Endowment and Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundations of NC and SC plan to sink $35 million into oral health care programs to open more doors for those who struggle to see a dentist or hygienist. As North Carolina struggles to meet the oral health care needs of many of its residents, especially in rural areas, three philanthropic organizations have come together with a promise of millions of dollars over the next five years to help expand access. Read more
Clinical & Scientific News
Tooth loss associated with higher risk of heart disease. sciencedaily.com: Adults who have lost teeth due to nontraumatic reasons may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to a presentation at the American College of Cardiology Middle East Conference 2019. Read more
The Case for Science. tvo.org: Philosopher and writer Lee McIntyre joins Steve Paikin for a discussion about his new book: “The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience,” on the topic of separating facts from alternative facts. McIntyre is a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University. Read more
Poor Dental Health Linked to Colorectal Polyps. gastroendonews.com: The benefits of good oral hygiene don’t stop with a sparkling smile and healthy gums. Frequent dental visits, presumably a marker of good periodontal health, appear to be linked to a lower risk for adenomas and sessile serrated polyps (ssPs), researchers have found. Recent clinical studies have associated novel features of microbial dysbiosis with colorectal cancer, including a history of periodontitis and the presence of invasive biofilms and oral bacteria in CRC tissues. Read more
Special sensory cells in gums protect against periodontitis. sciencedaily.com: Newly discovered chemical-sensing cells in the gums protect the mouth by standing guard against infections that damage soft tissue and destroy the bone that supports the teeth. With the help of bitter taste receptors that also detect byproducts from harmful bacteria, these special gum cells trigger the immune system to control the amount and type of bacteria in the mouth and could one day lead to personalized dental treatments against gum disease. Read more
Researchers highlight serious side effects of unneeded dental antibiotics. cidrap.umn.edu: New research presented yesterday at IDWeek 2019 indicates that nearly 4% of the patients given antibiotics unnecessarily before dental procedures experience serious adverse events, including allergic reactions and emergency room visits. Read more
Short Courses of Abx Can Cause Big Problems for Dental Patients. medpagetoday.com: Unnecessary antibiotics linked with cases of C. diff, anaphylaxis. Read more
Saliva enhances infection of gingival fibroblasts by herpes simplex virus 1. journals.plos.org: Read more
Researchers unlock potential to use CRISPR to alter the microbiome. mediarelations.uwo.ca: Published in Nature Communications, this study opens up the possibility of using CRISPR to alter the makeup of the human microbiome in a way that could be personalized and specific from person to person. It also presents a potential alternative to traditional antibiotics to kill bacteria like Staphyloccous aureus (Staph A) or Escherichia coli (E. coli). Read more
Your Health & Medical News
Study eyes air pollution, noise links to epilepsy. news.uwestern.ca: Building on existing research, Western researchers are exploring these factors and what it might mean to physicians treating the disease. Read more
Aging in the 21st Century: the Triumph and the Challenge. schulich.uwo.ca: A conversation with Dr. Samir Sinha on rethinking senior care in Canada. Alumnus Dr. Samir Sinha, MD’02, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network, is transforming how Canada responds to its aging population. He serves as the expert lead for Ontario’s Seniors Strategy and was named one of Canada’s most influential people by Maclean’s magazine in 2014. He continues to be a passionate and respected advocate for older adults. Read more
10 health stories that mattered this week. cmajnews.com: Health News Recap – Female surgeons paid less, a review of tobacco and vaping laws, shortage of flu vaccine nasal spray, in this week’s top health news. Read more
Rise of medical AI poses new legal risks for doctors. cmajnews.com: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is expanding beyond regulatory and legal checks, and doctors may find themselves on the hook when things go wrong, warned experts at the Canadian Medical Protective Association’s (CMPA) annual meeting. Read more
Here’s what we know about the ransomware that hit 3 Ontario hospitals. cbc.ca: Hackers have crippled the computer systems of three Ontario hospitals in recent weeks, prompting concern about the type of malicious software used and whether more facilities may be at risk. Read more
Giving blood pressure and other essential medicines free improves health, trial shows. cbc.ca: When people who couldn’t afford essential medications to lower blood pressure or control diabetes received the treatments free, their health improved, according to a randomized trial that could inform Canada’s pharmacare discussion. Read more
Shaver: Trudeau’s ‘massive blind spot’ applies to health care, too. lfpress.com: For years, the PM and his entourage have gallivanted around the world on private jets largely at taxpayers’ expense. Yet many residents of Papineau could now be reluctant to travel even to Ottawa or Toronto due to lack of proper health coverage for unexpected illnesses. Read more
To fix health care, start by making us less sick. cbc.ca: Let’s change a food system that drives Canadians to doctors and hospitals. … The food we eat is feeding our health-care system because far too often it is high in saturated fat, salt and/or sugar, as well as a host of additives and emulsifiers. All ingredients that are common in ultra-processed foods. Read more
La malbouffe cible les enfants, selon un rapport. tvanouvelles.ca: Plus de 90 % des produits arborant des personnages et images ciblant des enfants à l’épicerie sont de la malbouffe, selon un rapport qui demande une loi pour encadrer ces pratiques. Lire plus
Medavie Blue Cross Launches Connected Care Digital Health Platform To Help People Access Resources To Manage Their Health When And Where They Need It. cbj.ca: Medavie Blue Cross today announced the launch of Connected Care, a new digital health platform that gives plan members greater flexibility and access to innovative offerings, new virtual health care services and additional self-service options to help them get more from their benefit plan. Read more
Female surgeons in Ontario earn 24% less per hour than male peers, study finds. cbc.ca: It found that overall, women make 24 per cent less per hour while operating, a gap linked to the types of surgeries they typically perform. Read more
Nova Scotia considering regulations that would ban flavoured vaping products. ctvnews.ca: Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil says his government is looking at regulations that could ban flavoured vaping products in the province. Read more
Toronto exploring mandatory licence for retailers selling vaping, e-cigarette products. cbc.ca: City officials are now one step closer toward licensing retailers who sell vaping and e-cigarette products, amid growing concern about the devices’ popularity and health risks. Read more
Government of Yukon tables Bill to address vaping in Yukon. yukon.ca: Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost tabled Bill No. 3, the Tobacco and Vaping Products Control and Regulation Act, in the Legislative Assembly. Read more
Vaping-linked lung injuries similar to toxic chemical exposures: study. ctvnews.ca: Lung biopsies from 17 people affected by a U.S. outbreak of severe pulmonary disease linked to vaping have revealed the injuries are consistent with exposure to noxious chemical fumes. Read more
Vaping-linked lung injury kills 18, sickens 1,080 in US outbreak. digitaljournal.com: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 18 deaths in 15 states had now been positively linked to vaping, along with 1,080 cases of injury — a jump of 275 since last week. Read more
Attorney general tackles youth vaping, warns retailers. arkansasonline.com: Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge launched an offensive against youth vaping on Monday — the same day researchers in New York published the first study linking e-cigarette vapor to cancer in mice. Read more
Kroger, Walgreens join other major retailers in dropping sales of e-cigarettes. wdrb.com: The retailers join Walmart and CVS in dropping e-cigarette sales. The move comes as the CDC links lung illnesses and deaths to vaping. Read more
So You Want to Quit Vaping? No One Actually Knows How. wired.com: E-cigarettes can be more addictive and even harder to quit than regular cigarettes, so kicking the habit may take even more vigilance. Read more
Consumer watchdog agency probes Juul and 5 more vaping firms. stalberttoday.ca: Federal consumer watchdogs have ordered Juul and five other vaping companies to hand over information about how they market e-cigarettes, the government’s latest move targeting the industry. Read more
New York court blocks state ban on flavored e-cigarettes. leaderpost.com: The ban, which was due to start on Friday, will remain on ice until at least Oct. 18 when the Supreme Court in Albany is scheduled to hear the case brought by industry trade group Vapor Technology Association arguing for a preliminary injunction on the ban. Read more
Massachusetts set to defend vaping ban, toughest in nation, in court. nationalpost.com: U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston has set a quick schedule to consider whether to block Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s administration from enforcing a four-month ban on the sale of vaping products. Read more
US senators ask federal government to address youth vaping. washingtontimes.com: U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he’s leading a group of a dozen senators in urging the federal government to do more to prevent young people from vaping. The Connecticut Democrat says the senators asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Friday to “take long overdue steps” to advance policies to prevent more adolescents from becoming addicted to electronic cigarettes and help youth quit vaping. Read more
Heartburn drug Zantac recalled as a ‘precaution’. cbc.ca: GlaxoSmithKline on Tuesday said it is recalling the popular heartburn medicine Zantac in all markets as a “precaution,” days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found “unacceptable” levels of probable cancer-causing impurity in the drug. Read more
Mind Your Business
Year Two—A Time of Decision for Many Young Dentists. cdspi.com: Two years ago we interviewed recent graduate, Dr. Khash Gharavi, who was working at three practices and pondering what the future might hold for him. Like many young dentists, he was keeping himself open to many opportunities. He’s still open to options, but he’s starting to narrow his focus. Read more
Top Things to Get Done Before the End of the Year. cdspi.com: To be fully prepared for a great year ahead, it’s important to first close this one on strong footing—and part of that is getting your financial life organized before the end of December. Here are seven actions for you and your practice. Read more
Patient Information
Dental Experts Warn Against Using Baking Soda, Salt To Whiten Teeth. boston.cbslocal.com: … if you think you’ve found a whitening solution in the form of table salt (sodium chloride) or baking soda (another type of salt, sodium bicarbonate), think again. Read more
Halloween Candy Survival Guide. mouthhealthy.org: This time of year can be spooky, scary and oh-so-sugary. Find out which treats are worst for your teeth and how to celebrate a cavity-free Halloween. Read more
A Treat for You. mouthhealthy.org: It’s not Halloween without a Jack-o’-Lantern. From sweet to spooky, we’ve got pumpkin themes that are perfect for everyone in your family. Download free pumpkin carving stencils and more. Read more
Continuing Education Matters
Dalhousie University – Current course offerings
McGill University – Continuing dental education
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
2019
November 8: Toronto Academy of Dentistry 82nd Winter Clinic. Save the date
November 29– December 4: Greater NY Dental Meeting, in New York, New York. Read more
2020
January 30–February 1: Yankee Dental Congress – Advancing the Vision 2020, in Boston, Massachusetts. Read more
February 20–22: Chicago Dental Society 155th Midwinter Meeting – Kaleidoscope View 2020, in Chicago, Illinois. Read more
March 5–7: Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver, BC. Mark your calendars
March 19–20: Academy of Osseointegration 2020 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA. Read more
March 19-21: The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Read more
April 2–4: Manitoba Dental Association presents the 2020 MDA/CDA Convention – Seeing Dentistry Clearly, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Save the date
May 29–June 2: Journée dentaires internationales du Québec, in Montréal, Québec. Save the date
September 1–4: FDI World Dental Congress in Shanghai, China. Read more
October 1–3: Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics 28th Annual Scientific Meeting in Toronto, Ontario. Read more
October 4: North West Dental Exposition in Edmonton, Alberta. Read more
Dental Industry News
Brace Yourself, Brackets Are Changing at the Speed of Light. hsdm.harvard.edu: Engineers work intently at their computers while 3D printers hum on the manufacturing floor below producing the world’s first fully-customized, 3D-printed brackets. The startup, LightForce Orthodontics, is the creation of Harvard School of Dental Medicine alumnus Alfred Griffin III, MMSc17. “A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for every patient,” Griffin said. In an era of personalized medicine, he saw the potential for a more effective bracket that could give orthodontists better control over the patient’s outcome by providing a patient-specific prescription. Read more
From Netflix to digital scans, start-ups want to make the dentist suck less. fastcompany.com: … the dentistry startup Tend is opening its first location in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood. With $36 million in funding and executives that hail from SoulCycle, One Medical, and Smile Direct Club, Tend is hoping to reinvent the dentist’s office and convince more people to care about their teeth. Read more
German clear aligner start-up to partner with orthodontists. eu.dental-tribune.com: BERLIN, Germany: Remote aligner therapy is convenient and cost-effective for patients, but is this treatment option as sound as visiting an experienced orthodontist? The German start-up clear aligner manufacturer SunshineSmile has a new name and a new strategy that it hopes will allay patient concerns about remote treatment. Read more
Smile Direct Club issues statement on Organized Dentistry’s Anti-Competitive Legal Actions. lelezard.com: Following media inquiries around recent legal actions filed by industry trade organizations and/or certain of its members, as well as a research report issued by a short seller, the company makes the following statement: “Recently, there have been media statements by dental trade organizations and allegations in a class action lawsuit filed in Nashville federal court that purports to question the safety and legitimacy of SmileDirectClub’s pioneering teledentistry platform. There is no factual basis nor scientific or medical justification in these allegations to substantiate the false claims made about our model and the state-licensed doctors in our affiliated network. Backed by evidence, SmileDirectClub denies the allegations made in the class action lawsuit and by these dental trade organizations and their members, and we will vigorously defend our business model against any entity working to limit consumer choice. …” Read more
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