News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2017/12/06
Top News
Overall health includes oral health: Should dental be part of universal healthcare
Oral microbiota indicates link between periodontal disease, esophageal cancer
FDA, CMS announce approval of diagnostic test to sequence cancer DNA
3M files patent infringement lawsuit to protect dental restorative technology
Canadian dentistry news
Making teaching meaningful: Dr. Jack Gerrow. dal.ca: Dr. Jack Gerrow takes a break from assembling IKEA cabinets at home in Ottawa to talk about winning the 2018 Gies Award for Outstanding Innovation by a dental educator in support of dental education, and the career that led to this honour. Read more
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named two new Independent senators to sit in the upper chamber. cbc.ca, Dec 4: Dr. Mary McCallum, who is of Cree descent and a survivor of the Indian residential school system, is believed to be the first female Indigenous dentist accredited in Canada. Read more
Small-business advocates lament ‘appalling’ lack of detail ahead of Jan. 1 tax changes: theglobeandmail.com: The federal government will impose new restrictions on how small-business owners can divide income among family members as of Jan. 1, even though the promised details of the changes still haven’t been released. Read more
I hate to say it – but we told you so. lfpress.com: On Oct. 16, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the federal government’s response to more than 21,000 submissions it received during a short consultation period for its proposed changes to the tax treatment of small business. Read more
Overall health includes oral health: Should dental be part of universal healthcare. cbc.ca: An estimated 20-30 percent of Canadians have great difficulty getting access to dental care. About 6 million have avoided their dentist in the last year because of the cost. Dr. Larry Levin, President of the Canadian Dental Association weighs in on the topic. Read more or listen
University of Alberta’s $248-million dentistry and pharmacy renovation project faces early delays. edmontonjournal.com: The majority of first-year funding for the University of Alberta’s $249-million dentistry and pharmacy building renovation project is being pushed over into the next financial year, but the move shouldn’t affect plans for its 2022 grand opening, a university spokesman said. Read more
Winnipeg businessman plans to open private MRI clinic on urban reserve. cbc.ca: Internet pharmacist Daren Jorgenson, Long Plain First Nation team up to open for-profit medical clinic. Jorgenson plans to offer a wide range of services, including elective MRI scans, dental care and blood and urine tests. He hopes to partner with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba Health. Read more
Milton dentist pioneering sensory-based care for patients with special needs. insidehalton.com: A local dentist is leading the charge when it comes to revolutionizing the way that patients with special needs are cared for. Dr. Alison Sigal of Milton and her father, also a dentist, recently opened the doors to Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry. Read more
South Surrey dentist restores smile of vulnerable clients. cloverdalereporter.com: Promoted as a dignified way to improve self-esteem and health, South Surrey dentist [team] worked together to perform minor to surgical work – free of charge – to residents without, or with very limited access to dental coverage. Read more
1 in 5 Canadians infected with HIV doesn’t know it. cbc.ca: One in five Canadians infected with HIV doesn’t know it, so federal scientists are looking for ways to make testing more accessible. Read more
CDAA Weekly E-Newsbrief December 6, 2017. cdaa.ca: Read more
International dentistry news
Statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on FDA ushering in new era of 3D printing of medical products; provides guidance to manufacturers of medical devices. fda.gov: The agency is the first in the world to provide a comprehensive technical framework to advise manufacturers creating medical products on 3D printers. Read more
Dr. Gerhard Seeberger named president of Academy of Dentistry International. ada.org: Dr. Gerhard K. Seeberger, a native of Germany now living in Italy and actively involved with the Associazione Italiana Odontoiatri, was installed as president of the Academy of Dentistry International in November during the Greater New York Dental Meeting. Read more
Dentists stand up for fluoridation as voters across the U.S. take up the issue. ada.org: Dentists around the country are working overtime correcting myths about fluoridation among municipal leaders and voters. Summaries of U.S. communities where the issue was undertaken this fall. Read more
ADA continues to advocate for tax reform. ada.org: As the conference committee reconciles the House and Senate tax reform proposals, the ADA continues to advocate for key tax issues impacting dentists and their patients. Read more
America’s Opioid Crisis: A Nation Hooked. forbes.com: America’s opioid crisis is so bad that it has contributed to the U.S. life expectancy dropping, and it is significantly changing the public face of addiction. Opioids are killing white Americans at double to triple the rates of their black and Hispanic peers, and the problem transcends socioeconomic class and income levels. The middle-aged are the hardest hit by overdose death rates, affecting those 45 to 64 more than other age groups. Read more
Half of American adults are health-care illiterate. nydailynews.com: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that about half of the adults in the U.S. have inadequate skills when it comes to understanding their health care options and now, a new report details how greater knowledge can lead to healthier lives. Read more
Improving oral cancer diagnosis on many fronts. penncurrent.upen.edu: A Penn Dental expert is increasing oral cancer awareness by helping to improve ADA recommendations, editing scholarly journals, and partnering with Penn Nursing. Read more
British Asian population facing ‘incredibly high’ mouth cancer risk, doctor warns. dentalhealth.org: Dr Chet Trivedy […] believes common cultural habits in many British-Asian communities, such as tobacco and betel (areca) nut chewing, is placing thousands at severe risk of developing mouth cancer. Read more
Teens Vaping E-Cigarettes Up To 7 Times More Likely To Smoke Later, But Not Vice Versa. forbes.com: Teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes later on—but the opposite wasn’t true, found a new long-term study that surveyed high school students over three years. That is, teens who smoked tobacco cigarettes were not more likely to later use e-cigarettes. Read more
BDA insists on coherent strategy for amalgam phase down. bda.org: The gradual reduction in the use of dental amalgam must be supported by investment in strategies to prevent tooth decay, particularly in England and Northern Ireland, where no national oral health improvement schemes for children currently exist. Read more
Mobile clinic reduces hassle of dental visits. straitstimes.com, Nov. 28: As more medical ailments surface in old age, dental care often gets pushed down the list of priorities. Many elderly people do not have good oral hygiene habits to begin with. Read more
Clinical and scientific news
Head and Face Pain Cause More Suffering. aaosh.org: Sensory neurons that serve the head and face are wired directly into one of the brain’s principal emotional signaling hubs, research finds. This accounts for why people consistently rate pain of the head, face, eyeballs, ears, and teeth as more disruptive, and more emotionally draining, than pain elsewhere in the body. Read more
Poor oral health linked to precancerous stomach lesions. healio.com: Individuals with higher numbers of oral pathogens associated with periodontal disease may be at risk for precancerous gastric lesions, according to new research published in the Journal of Periodontology. Read more
New Dental Material Resists Plaque and Kills Microbes, Penn Dental Team Finds. news.upenn.edu: Biofilms composed of Streptococcus mutans–a common cause of tooth decay–were much easier to remove when grown on a newly developed dental material (right image), which has an antimicrobial agent within it compared to a control material. Read more
Oral microbiota indicates link between periodontal disease, esophageal cancer. sciencedaily.com: Findings of a new study published in the Cancer Research journal have revealed that gum disease bacteria are linked to increased risk for esophageal cancer. Read more
Men twice as likely to develop oral cancer. medicalxpress.com: The latest data shows around 5,300 men are diagnosed with oral cancer every year in the UK compared to around 2,500 women. Read more
How effective are painkillers in reducing the discomfort caused by orthodontic treatment? cochraneohg.wordress.com: A systematic review to find out whether painkillers, taken before or after orthodontic treatment, help to relieve pain. If so, which painkillers work best? Read more
Jawbone loss predates rheumatoid arthritis. medicalxpress.com: Jawbone loss caused by periodontitis predates the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. This according to research from Umeå University in Sweden presented in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. Read more
Blood Lead Levels and Dental Caries in U.S. Children Who Do Not Drink Tap Water. ajpmonline.org: In this nationally representative U.S. survey, children and adolescents who did not drink tap water had lower prevalence of elevated blood lead levels and higher prevalence of dental caries than those who drank tap water. Read more
Why a Lot of Important Research Is Not Being Done. nytimes.com: Lawsuits have an intimidating effect on an already difficult enterprise. We have a dispiriting shortage of high-quality health research for many reasons, including the fact that it’s expensive, difficult and time-intensive. But one reason is more insidious: Sometimes groups seek to intimidate and threaten scientists, scaring them off promising work. Read more
Patient information
Are Electric Toothbrushes Really Better? self.com: AAP President Dr. Steven R. Daniel discusses whether manual or electric toothbrushes provide better results for periodontal health. Read more
Your health & medical news
FDA Commissioner Says Agency Wants To Approve Promising Cancer Drugs More Quickly. reuters.com: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is aiming to approve drugs based on very early data if the drug shows a possible benefit in terms of survival, the head of the agency told lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday. […] the agency would approve such drugs quickly and figure out later whether the benefit seen was real or coincidental. Read more
FDA, CMS Announce Approval Of Diagnostic Test To Sequence Cancer DNA. reuters.com: A test from Foundation Medicine Inc that can detect cancer-causing mutations in 324 genes has won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agencies said. Read more
Pass common-sense rules for doctors prescribing opioids. seattletimes.com [Editorial]: Too many people’s journey to opioid addiction began with a prescription they or someone else received legally from a doctor. Though street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl are increasingly fueling today’s opioid epidemic, the crisis emerged from years of doctors overprescribing pills that pharmaceutical companies falsely marketed as less-than-addictive. Read more
10 health stories that mattered this week. cmajnews.com: Read more
NIH Statement on World AIDS Day 2017. nih.gov. After 30 years of marking progress against HIV, we are closer than ever to the beginning of the end of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 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
January 18-19: Hawaii Dental Association Convention, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Read more
January 24-28: Yankee Dental Congress, in Boston, Massachusetts. Read more
January 26-27 – Manitoba Dental Association’s 134th Annual Meeting and Convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Read more
February 22-24: Chicago Dental Society’s 153th Midwinter Meeting – A Dental Triade: Pride • Passion • Professionalism, in Chicago, Illinois. Read more
March 8-20– Pacific Dental Conference, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read more
March 21-24 – 47th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association of Dental Research, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Save the date
April 18-21 – American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Read more
April 26-28 – ASM18 Annual Spring Meeting, in Toronto, Ontario. Read more
May 24-27 – Jasper Dental Congress, in Jasper, Alberta. Read more
May 25-29 – Journées dentaires internationals du Québec, in Montreal, Quebec. Read more
May 31-June 2 – Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association Oral Health Convention, in Gander, NL. Read more
June 20-23 – Annual Meeting of the American Dental Society of Europe, in Biarritz, France. Read more
August 22-25 – CDA Convention, hosted by the Dental Association of PEI. Save the date
August 31-September 2 – 24th International Association for Disability and Oral Health Congress, in Dubai, UAE. Registration now open
September 6-8 – 2017 Saskatchewan Oral Health Conference, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Save the dates
September 27-29: 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics, in Montreal, Quebec. Save the date
October 18-22 – ADA 2018 America’s Dental Meeting, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Save the date
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
Dental industry news
3M Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit to Protect Dental Restorative Technology. businesswire.com: 3M and 3M Innovative Properties Co. filed a patent infringement lawsuit in federal district court in Wilmington, Del., last week against Kerr Corporation. The suit alleges that Kerr Corporation’s SonicFill™ 2 and Harmonize™ dental composite materials infringe 3M’s patent rights directed to nanotechnology used in 3M™ Filtek™ Supreme universal dental restoratives. Read more
DrFirst Unveils Enhanced iPrescribe Mobile App for the Dental Market. dentaltown.com: DrFirst, a market leader in e-prescribing and medication management solutions, has introduced iPrescribe, a mobile medication management app for prescribers that offers comprehensive e-prescribing functionality and ease-of-use. iPrescribe brings together all the tools dentists require to securely write prescriptions for legend and controlled medications, while having access to their patients’ complete medication history. Read more
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