News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2017/09/27
Top News
New data shows federal tax proposals to have harmful effects on vast majority of small businesses
Oversupply of dentists sparks fierce competition in big Canadian cities
CDC launches campaign to help states fight prescription opioid epidemic
Chinese robot dentist is first to fit implants in patient’s mouth without any human involvement
Canadian dentistry news
Growing coalition confirms tax proposals will affect middle-class business owners – Leading tax practitioners say that business owners with income as low as $50K will be affected. newswire.ca, Sept 26: The Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness, a unified voice of more than 70 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of business owners across the country, has written a new letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau with professional analysis confirming that Ottawa’s tax proposals will affect middle-class business owners, resulting in higher tax rates than other Canadians with similar income levels. Read more
Canadian chamber not backing down on fight against tax changes, CEO says. cbc.ca: Finance Minister Bill Morneau failed to reassure members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce that his tax reforms won’t hurt their businesses, says Perrin Beatty, the group’s CEO and president. Beatty said Morneau’s speech to the business group at its annual meeting in Fredericton over the weekend had “just the opposite effect” and the chamber is not backing down from its fight against the reforms. Read more
Tax changes to make system fair not stifle business growth: Trudeau. ctvnews.ca: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government has no intention of stifling growth for small businesses and start-ups with its upcoming changes to the tax code. Trudeau said Monday he has listened to the feedback and agrees with some of it, and that the government is now looking at balancing the need to make the tax code more fair without hurting investment. Read more
Bill Morneau’s tax reforms challenged by pizza-nomics. cbc.ca: Critics are right tax changes would hit small businesses’ investment income — but it’s complicated. In the kerfuffle surrounding the Liberal government’s deeply contested proposals to reform the tax system, possibly no number has loomed larger than 73 per cent. Read more
Canadian Chamber of Commerce critical of proposed tax reforms by Ottawa. ctvnews.ca. Members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce say proposed tax changes for businesses by the federal government are casting business people in a negative light, and the finance minister should apologize. Read more
New data shows federal tax proposals to have harmful effects on vast majority of small businesses. cfib.fcei.ca: An overwhelming majority (95 per cent) of tax professionals — and small business owners themselves — say the proposed federal tax changes will hurt middle-class business owners and their families, according to a survey released today by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Read more (and view survey results)
Tax reforms for private corporations need to be phased in, not slapped down. cbc.ca: The government argues the existing arrangement gives an “unfair tax advantage” to professionals whose income permits them to use small corporations. But that unfair advantage already has been imputed into the many contractual decisions that these professionals have made since the current tax structure was put in place in 1972. Read more
What you need to know about the proposed small business tax changes. ctvnews.ca: The federal government has been defending its proposed small business tax changes despite opposition from many of those who will be affected. Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Prime Minster Justin Trudeau have stood firm on the controversial plan, saying the tax changes are about making the system fair, rather than generating revenue for the government. Read more
Moves business owners can make now ahead of the proposed tax changes. novuscorp.ca: Small-business owners are scrambling to figure out what actions to take right now, if any, in light of Ottawa’s controversial tax changes and proposals. The Globe spoke with tax planning experts about some strategies businesses may want to consider in the weeks ahead. Read more
Tax reform: It might not be much, but business owners and doctors can get federal mat leave benefits. globalnews.ca: Can self-employed Canadian access “special” Employment Insurance benefits like maternity and parental leave? Yes, they can, despite what opponents of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposed tax changes suggest – though they may not receive much. Read more
Oversupply of dentists sparks fierce competition in big Canadian cities. beta.theglobeandmail.com: For those who want to practice dentistry in a city, ‘it’s an uphill battle,’ says Ben Greff, who ultimately bought a practice in Calgary. Read more
Worried parents, dentists pushing for fluoride in Calgary water. ctvnews.ca: A group of Calgarians supported by dentists are asking their city councillors to once again add fluoride to the public water supply in order to prevent tooth decay. The group, calling itself Calgarians for Kids’ Health, includes parents like Carmen Davison, who told reporters at a news conference Monday that she blames lack of fluoride for cavities so severe that her daughter required surgery. Read more
Dentists see decay in kids’ oral health program – Association president says she sees regular evidence program is ineffective and inefficient. cbc.ca: Nova Scotia’s dentists say that — like a bad tooth — it’s time for the children’s oral health program to be pulled and replaced. […] Dr. Erin Hennessy, president of the dental association and a dentist in Wolfville, said the concern is that the limited funds available for the program — about $7 million — aren’t being used as effectively and efficiently as possible. Read more
Indigenous oral health inequity: An Indigenous provider perspective. journal.cpha.ca [Editorial]: For over a decade, I provided dental services in Indigenous communities. I initially came in hoping that I would eliminate or at least reduce the dental disease burden. I am sure we were each at one time optimistic about changing the world in a good way. About halfway into my dental career, I came to the realization that I was literally so busy dealing with the current dental disease, I had no opportunity to make that difference I wanted to make in future dental experience in my communities. Dental disease turned out to be more complicated than I anticipated it to be. Or was it? Read more
Oral Cancer – Documentary – A documentary by the Faculty of dentistry, Université de Montréal. youtube.com: The Oral Cancer Film Project – “The story of a survivor, from early detection to treatment and remission”. Watch video 10 :16.
Le Cancer de la Bouche – Documentaire (UdeM). youtube.com: L’histoire d’un survivant, de la détection précoce jusqu’au traitement et la rémission. Visioner la vidéo 10:16.
Alumnus makes donation to mark 40 years of dental practice. schulich.uwo.ca: Alumnus Dr. John Pate, DDS’76, recently donated a gift of $40,000 to Schulich Dentistry. Dr. Pate and his team have been celebrating 40 years of dental practice in Guelph with a 40 Acts of Kindness initiative this year, and the donation to the School was the culmination of this community engagement. Read more
International dentistry news
CDC launches campaign to help states fight prescription opioid epidemic. cdc.gov: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is launching Rx Awareness, a powerful communication campaign featuring real-life accounts of people recovering from opioid use disorder and people who have lost loved ones to prescription opioid overdose. Read more
FDA conducts major global operation to protect consumers from potentially dangerous prescription drugs sold online. fda.gov: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, recently took action against more than 500 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved versions of prescription medicines, including opioids, antibiotics and injectable epinephrine products to American consumers. Read more
Two major NIH grants to further research into childhood caries. dent.umich.edu: Two grants totaling $18.3 million from the National Institutes of Health will allow a University of Michigan School of Dentistry professor to expand research into predicting caries risk in young children and assessing the efficacy of a new treatment. Read more
Invaluable’ symposium gives dentists a look at their role in cancer prevention. ada.org: To help other dental professionals understand how they fit in with oncologists, head and neck surgeons and other health professionals when it comes to helping patients with oropharyngeal cancer, experts from the ADA, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Chicago Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will speak at a symposium preceding ADA 2017 – America’s Dental Meeting. Read more
Developing Dental Hand Skills. gadental.org: How common hobbies and household tasks can help students develop skills needed for dentistry. Read more
Obesity prevention doesn’t have to be expensive. contemporarypediatrics.modernmedicine.com: Harvard public health researcher Steven Gortmaker presented findings on the cost-effectiveness of numerous childhood obesity reduction strategies, including an excise on sugary beverages. Read more
45% of U.S. Parents Report Missing Work Due to Children’s Oral Health Issues. prnewswire.com: When it comes to their kids, working parents take time off for all kinds of reasons, some planned and some not. Delta Dental has honed in on one particular reason – missed work due to their kid’s oral health issues. Read more
‘Sometimes it is half the mouth being taken out’ – Darlington consultant says children as young as 4 having rotten teeth removed. thenorthernecho.co.uk: UK hospital consultant says children as young as 4 having rotten teeth removed. Dr. John Furness said weekly ‘extraction’ clinics were taking place where youngsters were having “half their mouth taken out”. He said councils are refusing to pay for a proven public health measure – adding fluoride to water – because of the cost involved. Read more
The HPV Vaccine Gains Ground Among U.S. Teenagers. nytimes.com: More than half of all American teenagers are getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus, and the rate is rising over time, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more
An ethical dilemma for doctors: When is it OK to prescribe opioids? statnews.com: America’s opioid crisis is getting worse. The role of prescription opioids has both the medical establishment and the government justifiably worried. Read more
Chinese robot dentist is first to fit implants in patient’s mouth without any human involvement. scmp.com. Although there were human medical staff present during the operation, they did not play an active role while it was being carried out. […] The technology was designed to overcome mainland China’s shortage of qualified dentists and frequent surgical errors. Read more
NYU dental research on cavity prevention, children’s quality of life receives $13.3M. ada.org: A research team will conduct a five-year study comparing the effectiveness of two school-based, caries-prevention techniques — a “simple” treatment of topical silver and fluoride and a “complex” treatment of traditional sealants and fluoride. Read more
Clinical & scientific news
ADA develops guideline for evaluating potentially malignant disorders in the oral cavity. ada.org: All adult dental patients should receive an intraoral and extraoral conventional visual and tactile examination when visiting their dentists, according to ADA-developed recommendations published in the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association. Read more
IADR/AADR publish JDR special issue on orofacial clefting and dental and craniofacial anomalies. iadr.org: A special issue in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) on orofacial clefting and dental and craniofacial anomalies. Read more
The world is running out of antibiotics, WHO report confirms. who.int: A report, Antibacterial agents in clinical development – an analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including tuberculosis, launched today by WHO shows a serious lack of new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Read more
Sports and energy drinks unhealthy for kids and teens, Canadian pediatricians say. cbc.ca: Most children and teens shouldn’t consume sports and energy drinks, and the products should no longer be marketed to them, the Canadian Paediatric Society says. In a new position statement released Tuesday, the society said sports drinks are high in sugar, which contributes to the obesity epidemic as well as dental cavities. Read more
New toothpaste uses latest research to put minerals back into teeth. qmul.ac.uk: Researchers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have launched a new toothpaste which repairs decaying teeth using ‘bioactive’ glass. Read more
Researchers urge caution over study linking fluoride exposure in pregnancy to lower IQs in children. Nationalpost.com: Anti-fluoridation activists are calling it “the biggest moment in the history of this whole debate” and charge that any government that continues to add fluoride to tap water is condoning “one huge, awful human experiment.” It’s exactly the response health policy experts – and some of the authors themselves – feared. Read more
Higher levels of fluoride in urine linked to lower IQ scores in children. ctvnews.ca: For years, many communities have added fluoride to drinking water to help reduce cavities. But a new study that has found a link between fluoride levels in pregnant women and lower intelligence in their children may provide further ammunition for those who are calling that practice into question. Read more
Dental checkups urged for babies — but many dentists are wary. cnn.com: To stave off a lifetime of dental problems and make sure parents learn how to prevent children’s tooth decay, babies should have their first exam when they get their first tooth, or no later than their 1st birthday, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Read more
Middle-aged women prescribed the most opioids, report finds. abcnews.go.com: Middle-aged women are prescribed more opioids than any other group — twice as many as middle-aged men — making them particularly vulnerable to opioid abuse, according to a new report released today. Read more
Whether drug promotion helps or hinders appropriate prescribing by physicians is debated. cmajopen.ca: This study examines the most heavily promoted drugs and the therapeutic value of those drugs to help determine whether doctors should be using promotional material to inform themselves about drugs. Read more
E-cigarettes less harmful than smoking tobacco, health experts say. belfasttelegraph.co.uk: More than 20 organisations from the NHS and Scottish Government to charities and academic institutions have joined forces to “clarify perceptions” surrounding the harms and benefits of vaping. Read more
Patient information
Careful! These 6 Drinks Are Just as Bad as Soda. cheatsheet.com: A study at Tufts University found that sugary drinks kill up to 184,000 people a year. By now, you’re probably used to hearing that soda is bad for you. But the true killer is sugar, which is found (in scary quantities) in many drinks you consume daily. Read more
Top 5 Worst Halloween Candy for Your Teeth, According to Dentists. rd.com: Enjoying Halloween candy is part of the fun of the holiday, along with costumes and pumpkins. But too much candy can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Check out this list to avoid the worst candy offenders and brush and floss as soon as possible to prevent lasting damage. Read more
Teething. mouthhealthy.org: Here’s what to expect and how to keep your baby comfortable. Read more
Mouth breathing: Symptoms, complications, and treatment. medicalnewstoday.com: Occasional mouth breathing due to a temporary illness, such as a cold, is not a cause for concern. Chronic mouth breathing, however, can signal that a person needs additional medical intervention or some re-training on how to breathe more easily through their nose. 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
October 19-23 – ADA 2017 – America’s Dental Meeting, in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more
October 21-22 – ODA New Dentist Symposium, in Toronto, Ontario. Read more
October 26-28 – International Association of Physiologic Aesthetics (IAPA) Conference, in Las Vegas, NV. Read more
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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