News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2019/12/04

Message from the Registrar/CEO: Health Minister announces proposed changes to modernize provincial health regulatory framework. cdsbc.org, Nov 27: The recommendations proposed by the Steering Committee are significant, and are intended to increase public safety and public protection, increase public confidence in regulation, and make regulation more efficient. Ministry's press release is here. Read more

B.C. proposes cutting number of health regulatory boards from 20 to five. vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca, Nov 27: A plan to streamline the regulatory colleges overseeing health professionals in British Columbia includes broader public access to disciplinary proceedings involving doctors, dentists and others. Read more

Le ministère de la Santé se penche sur l’accès aux soins dentaires. ici.radio-canada.ca, 27 novembre : À la suite du reportage de l'émission La facture sur les coûts élevés et disparates des traitements offerts par les dentistes, le bureau de la ministre de la Santé, Danielle McCann, confirme que des travaux ont déjà commencé sur le sujet. Lire plus

Reportage de La facture sur les soins buccodentaires - L'Ordre des dentistes informe le public de ses droits et plaide pour une plus grande accessibilité. newswire.ca, Nov 27: L'Ordre des dentistes du Québec a pris connaissance du reportage de l'émission La facture. Il tient à informer les Québécois des obligations qui incombent aux dentistes et à réitérer sa position en faveur d'une meilleure accessibilité aux soins buccodentaires. Lire plus

How vaping can damage teeth. cbc.ca, Dec 3 [The National - Video]: The potential health effects of vaping also include irreversible damage to teeth. Watch 2:27

Are Caledon, Region of Peel medical and dental offices inspected regularly for health violations? Caledonenterprise.com, Dec 2: Peel Public Health released a notice on Nov. 25 encouraging anyone who received care at Alforat Dental Centre to be tested for blood-borne infections, such as hepatitis and HIV. Read more

Study of Ontario's dental complaints highlights importance of communication in addition to clinical care. utoronto.ca, Dec 2: A groundbreaking study of complaints made to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) over an 11-year period is yielding new insights into perceptions surrounding oral health-care professionals and their standard of care. Read more

A belief in mentorship and wellness: Dr. Joanne Thomas. dal.ca, Nov 26: A believer in wellness for all oral health professionals, Dr. Thomas is committed to helping NSDA members – students and practising dentists – through mentorship and support for their physical and mental health. Read more

Saskatoon – Province's dental hygienist shortage exacerbated by extra year of required training. cbc.ca, Dec 2: A chronic shortage of dental hygienists in the province became worse this year after changes were made to the diploma program for students. Read more

University of Alberta dental students donate thousands of pairs of socks. edmonton.ctvnews.ca, Dec 2: Inner city Edmontonians will soon have warmer feet this winter thanks to the University of Alberta Faculty of Dentistry. Students and staff from the school amassed 9,374 pairs of socks destined for the Boyle McCauley Health Centre. Read more

Edmonton toothpaste startup ditches tubes. edmontonjournal.com, Dec 3: Edmonton-based startup Change Toothpaste has raised the money it needs to expand production of its zero-waste toothpaste beyond its first spearmint flavour. Read more

ADA council tasked with fostering prioritization of safety in dentistry. ada.org, Dec 3: House of Delegates passes resolution advocating more attention to protecting dentists, staff, patients. Read more

American Dental Association Files Suit Against Delta Dental. ada.org, Nov 26: The complaint alleges that Delta has engaged in anticompetitive conduct and violated federal antitrust laws by allocating territories of operation and dividing the national market in order to restrict competition and reduce reimbursement rates to dentists. Read more

Fluoride Lawsuit May Have Major Implications For Drinking Water Utilities. wateronline.com, Dec 3: … for nearly as long, coalitions opposed to the practice have fought against it, arguing that water fluoridation is linked to adverse health effects. Now, a recent legal development could have significant impact on one of the nation’s most hotly debated water quality topics. Read more

I'm a dentist and I oppose fluoride in our drinking water | Opinion. floridatoday.com, Dec 2: There continues to be a misunderstanding about fluoride being added to the public drinking water. As a practicing dentist of 41 years and one who has been on both sides of this debate, I feel qualified to share the facts. Read more

I got my teeth straightened through an online service called Candid for under $2,000 — here’s how it works. insider.com, Nov 29: Founded in 2017, Candid is an online company that's offering a convenient, affordable, and effective solution, making teeth-straightening aligners at a fraction of the cost of traditional braces and aligners. Read more

Local dentist warns against DIY orthodontics kits. fox17online.com, Dec 2: We see the ads pop up all over social media for DIY orthodontics kits that promise to straighten your teeth and give you the perfect smile all while doing it from home. While this sounds simple, it could potentially put you in the position to lose teeth or make an existing problem you aren’t aware of worse. Read more

Why scrapping NHS dental costs won’t make much difference to the UK’s oral health crisis. theconversation.com, Nov 29: The Labour Party announced as part of their general election manifesto that it will introduce free dental check ups in a bid to encourage people to seek dental care and reduce pressures placed on GPs and A&E departments. Read more

Opinion: Equitable pharmacare deal requires Trudeau to strike deal with wary premiers. thestar.com, Dec 3: At stake is the boldest health care idea since medicare was instituted in 1968 — a plan to provide all Canadians with cheap, publicly funded prescription drug coverage. Read more

What the premiers think about a national pharmacare plan. ctvnews.ca, Dec 2: It's a pledge that the NDP and Greens also campaigned on and are likely to help pass should the Liberals want to act swiftly, though if the latest declaration from Canada's premiers is any indication, implementing a nation-wide plan could be met with challenges. Read more

Les provinces ne veulent pas d'une assurance médicaments fédérale. ledevoir.com, 2 décembre : Il s’agit peut-être d’une promesse électorale phare de Justin Trudeau que ses rivaux Jagmeet Singh et Elizabeth May entendent l’obliger à respecter, mais la création d’un programme d’assurance médicament pancanadien ne suscite pas l’enthousiasme des premiers ministres provinciaux. Lire plus

National pharmacare—the time is now. macleans.ca, Nov 27 [OPINION]: Jane Philpott and Danyaal Raza: Medicare effectively ends as soon as a patient receives a prescription. Read more

Low-income Canadians struggling to pay for medications plead for pharmacare. dailystockdish.com, Nov 27: Vulnerable Canadians, including contract workers and people without private health insurance, are struggling to pay for meds for common conditions like diabetes, asthma, cholesterol and high blood pressure. Around 20 per cent of Canadians have inadequate drug coverage or no coverage at all, and must pay out of pocket. Read more

Ford rallying premiers to call for large increase in federal health transfers. cbc.ca, Nov 30: Ontario Premier Doug Ford's top priority at Monday's meeting of provincial and territorial leaders is to push the federal government to boost its annual health care transfers to the provinces — and there are signs the Liberals are open to discussing it. Read more

Ontario focused on rare disease drugs ahead of national drug plan talks. theglobeandmail.com, Dec 2: Ontario will push for the federal government to tackle the high cost of treatments for rare diseases as negotiations over a new national prescription drug program are set to kick off. Read more

Canadian families will pay nearly $500 more in 2020 for food, report says. cbc.ca, Dec 4: The average Canadian family will pay up to an extra $487 for food next year, according to an annual report that highlights climate change as a big culprit for rising prices, especially in the produce department. Read more

Plus cher pour votre épicerie. tvanouvelles.ca, 4 décembre : Les familles canadiennes pourraient subir une des plus importantes hausses du coût des aliments des 10 dernières années, qui va amputer le budget d’une famille moyenne de près de 500 $ de plus en 2020. Lire plus

Former federal minister Jane Philpott takes on role with Indigenous group. ctvnews.ca, Nov 26: A former high-profile Liberal cabinet minister says the experience she gained overseeing the country's health system and Indigenous services has given her crucial background as she takes on a new role with a prominent Indigenous organization. Read more

UN Indigenous rights bill approved unanimously in B.C. cbc.ca, Nov 26: B.C. has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to formally implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Read more

Launch of doctor app a wake-up call for Saskatchewan's health system, says expert. cbc.ca, Dec 4: Patients are demanding direct links to doctors — and can get it for a fee. Read more

Doctors worried about Alberta government’s proposed cuts, changes to compensation. globalnews.ca, Dec 3: The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) says proposed cuts by the provincial government are “troubling,” would impact primary care physicians and could be “devastating to rural family practice.” Read more

How vaping is undermining Canada's battle against cigarettes. cbc.ca, Dec 4: Despite world-class measures to make tobacco unappealing, federal efforts falling short on vaping and nicotine. Read more

Hooked - How Juul took over the vaping world. cbc.ca, Dec 3: The craze took off largely because of one company, Juul, which reimagined the cigarette and cornered the vaping industry. In the process, it put a new generation at risk of nicotine addiction. This is a look at how we got here. Read more

Vape Fail | The hope of vaping as a safer alternative to smoking is fading. We explore why. cbc.ca, Dec 2: New CBC News series examines the policy and industry failures that accompanied the introduction of vaping. Read more

Vape Fail | 'Are they safe to inhale?': Vaping liquids in Canada contain potentially harmful chemicals, tests show. cbc.ca, Dec 3: E-cigarette liquids currently on the Canadian market contain potentially harmful chemicals, including a suspected carcinogen banned in food in the U.S. Read more

Canadian pot producers going full bore on vaping despite health risks, competition. bloomberg.ca, Nov 28: Hundreds of new vaping devices are set to hit the Canadian market as early as next month, a sign that emerging health concerns, taxes, and even a provincial ban isn't enough to deter what some Canadian cannabis producers are hoping will be a big money maker. Read more

Opinion: As the U.S. experience shows, pot edibles need tougher, clearer rules around labelling. thestar.com, Dec 4: Packaging in Canada must be plain and child resistant and bear a standardized cannabis symbol — the tricolour stop-sign-shaped symbol features a cannabis leaf in the top two-thirds of the octagon, with the letters THC printed below. Read more

Toronto Public Health calling on Ottawa to introduce stricter vaping rules. cbc.ca, Dec 2: Toronto Public Health says the federal government must do more to prevent young people from vaping. Read more

Sudbury: NDP health critic introduces new bill to ban advertising of vaping products to youth. cbc.ca, Nov 29: Vaping is not for Kids would ban the advertising of vaping products, regulate flavours, and restrict sales to specialty shops. Read more

Youth vaping got out of hand after federal government released regulations says Canadian Vaping Association CEO. radionl.com, Nov 27: The Executive Director of the Canadian Vaping Association says the issue of youth vaping got out of hand in Canada after the Federal Government released its regulations last year. Read more

Youth vaping on the rise: London’s medical officer of health. globalnews.ca, Dec 4: … Mackie told the committee that youth vaping has risen by about 75 per cent in the last year, and the city is now seeing an increase in cigarette use by young people for the first time since the 1980s. Read more

Nicotine sickness: the latest vaping scare. theguardian.com, Nov 30: The rampant use of e-cigarettes in the US is raising concerns about nicotine poisoning and mental health issues among young vapers. Read more

More clues point to chemical compound in U.S. vaping illnesses. ctvnews.ca, Nov 26: The newer cartridges contained the compound vitamin E acetate, but none of the older samples did. Read more

Festive hot drinks revealed to contain up to 23 teaspoons of sugar. edition.cnn.com, Dec 3: … That's the fairly unsurprising finding of a British survey that warns of the high sugar content of festive hot drinks offered by chains. Read more

5 things you should ask before getting in a dentist chair. bramptonguardian.com, Nov 28: While there are some activities that take place behind the scenes, there are some things people can look out for when they visit the dentist, said Kevin Marsh, director of communications for the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. Read more

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

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. Read more

March 19–20: Academy of Osseointegration 2020 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA. Read more

March 18-21: IADR/AADR/CADR General Session – Washington, D.C. Read more

March 19–21: The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more

April 2–4: The 2020 Manitoba Dental Association & Canadian Dental Association Convention –Seeing Dentistry Clearly, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Read more

May 7–9: Ontario Dental Association ASM20 Annual Spring Meeting, in Toronto, Ontario. Read more

May 14–16: California Dental Association (CDA) – Presents the Art & Science of Dentistry, Anaheim, California. Read more

May 21–23: Alberta Dental Association & College, Alberta Wellness Summit, in Edmonton, Alberta. Read more

May 29–June 2: Journées dentaires internationales du Québec, in Montreal, Quebec. Read more

September 1–4: FDI World Dental Congress in Shanghai, China. Read more

September 10–12: California Dental Association (CDA) – Presents the Art & Science of Dentistry, in San Francisco, CA. Save the date

October 1–3: Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics 28th Annual Scientific Meeting in Toronto, Ontario. Read more

October 15–18: American Dental Association ADA FDC 2020 in Orlando, Florida. Read more

October 4: North West Dental Exposition in Edmonton, Alberta. Read more