News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2019/12/18

New federal health priorities include fighting youth vaping, exploring national dental care. ipolitics.ca, Dec 13: The new federal health minister will be in charge of addressing the trend of vaping among young people and studying if Canada could implement a national dental care program on top of the other measures the Liberals promised in the election that they would implement to better the public’s well-being. Read more

Singh looks for details on dental care. msn.com, Dec 10: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh looked for details during question period on the Liberals’ throne speech pledge of a dental care plan, and whether the government will actually go ahead with it. Listen 1:04

RCDSO Registrar announces plans to retire. rcdso.org, Dec 13: The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario learned today that our Registrar of two decades, Irwin Fefergrad, plans to retire within the next six months. Read more

Concerns raised about 4.4 per increase Alberta dental fee guide, patients encouraged to shop around for services. globalnews.ca, Dec 13: Albertans are being told to prepare to pay more for a dentist appointment next year. As Carolyn Kury de Castillo reports, concerns are being raised about a dental fee guide increase. Read and Watch 1:44

Insurers say jump in dental fees out of touch. edmontonjournal.com, Dec 12: The largest payer of dental services in Alberta says a 4.4 per cent increase in fee guide rates for dental services is out of touch and encourages Albertans to save money with out-of-province treatment. Read more

Yukon scales back in-school dental program. cbc.ca, Dec 12: 'The Yukon Children's Dental Program has been struggling for a number of years'. A national shortage of dental therapists means some Yukon students won't get dental care at school anymore. Read more

Shortage of dentists in northeastern NB continues to worsen. iheartradio.ca, Dec 11: The number of dentists practicing in the Chaleur and Acadian Peninsula regions has fallen by approximately half over the last five to ten years. Read more

Third dental operatory may be coming to Community Health Centres of Northumberland. globalnews.ca, Dec 17: The provincial government has approved $244,000 to build a third dental operatory at the Community Health Centres of Northumberland, the executive director of the health centre said Tuesday. It’s part of the provincial government’s Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP), which is meant to provide free dental care for low-income seniors across the province. Read more

Accès aux soins dentaires, les discriminations persistent. pressegauche.org, 11 décembre : À l’occasion du 10 décembre, Journée mondiale des droits de la personne, la Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA) souligne que, malgré des avancées positives, du chemin reste à faire pour un assurer aux personnes vivant avec le VIH un accès aux soins dentaires exempt de discriminations. C’est ce que démontrent les résultats d’une nouvelle enquête réalisée au courant de l’année 2019. Lire plus

Fluoridation - Approved By Six Out Of Seven On Council. mjindependent.com, Dec 12 [Saskatchewan]: It was a debate based upon science steeped in the need to find the funds on how to pay for it but in the end Council decided to spend $1.2 million to upgrade its fluoridation system at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant. Read more

LifeLabs pays ransom after cyberattack exposes information of 15 million customers in B.C. and Ontario. cbc.ca, Dec 17: The Canadian laboratory testing company LifeLabs says it made a payment to criminals to retrieve the sensitive information of millions of customers after a cyberattack on its computer systems. Read more

ADA announces interim policy on vaping. ada.org, Dec 17: Association calls for total ban on vaping products not FDA-approved. Dentists “must be prudent” in protecting patients from harmful products. Read more

Dental Board Allows Hygienists Less Supervision. northsidesun.com, Dec 13 [OPINION]: The Mississippi Board of Dental Examiners voted to change a regulation lowering the standard of care to Mississippi’s dental patients by: 1) Allowing dental hygienists to practice up to 10 days a year without direct supervision from a dentist; 2) Allowing dental patients to go up to seven months without actually being seen personally by a dentist for examination; 3) Allowing a dentist with two hygienists to go on a two-week vacation, keeping the clinic open with only dental hygienists seeing patients. Read more

International College of Dentists celebrates 100 years. ada.org, Dec 12: Dental organization has more than 12,000 fellows in 122 countries after founding in 1920. Read more

Medicare would cover dental, vision — if Senate OKs House bill. cnbc.com, Dec 12: Medicare beneficiaries would see expanded benefits, including dental and vision coverage, if the Senate passes a bill that cleared the House on Thursday. Read more

Dentists come together in east Florida to defend community water fluoridation. ada.org, Dec 12: Melbourne City Council votes 4-3 to continue practice that has been in place since 1966. Read more

Council to explore possibility of fluoridation of water to improve dental health of children. yorkshirepost.co.uk, Dec 12: A town council in England to explore possibility of fluoridation of water to improve dental health of children. Read more

Data-driven dentistry brings standardisation to oral care. nst.com.my, Dec 16: Though still in the development stage, Q & M group chief executive officer Dr Ng Chin Siau says the AI machines will be ready next year. Working with Malaysia’s International Medical University, he explains how the AI technology is going to fill in the gap in patient care. Read more

Candid Is Using AI To Give You Straighter Teeth, Faster And Cheaper Than Any Dentist. forbes.com, Dec 15: This time, they're using AI to speed up your treatment by as much as 30%.  ... Unlike other e‑commerce driven aligner companies like SmileDirect, Candid has the distinction of using treatment plans developed solely by orthodontists. Read more

How Bite Is Revolutionizing Toothpaste And The Oral Care Industry. forbes.com, Dec 11: Her company is a on a mission to become the world’s most sustainable oral care company by completely revolutionizing the industry. Read more

Simple test could prevent fluoride-related disease. news.northwestern.edu, Dec 13: Method uses synthetic biology to detect dangerous levels of fluoride in drinking water. Read more

Detecting Mouth and Throat Cancer Earlier and Easier With Novel Saliva Test. scitechdaily.com, Dec 12: A novel non-invasive technique may detect human papilloma virus-16, the strain associated with oropharyngeal cancer, in saliva samples, reports The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Read more

Association between severe unaddressed dental needs and developmental health at school entry in Canada: a cross-sectional study. bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com, Dec 07: … there is a lack of evidence of whether unaddressed dental needs (UDNs) are associated with children’s developmental health, a concept reflecting holistic child development - encompassing physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Read more

New study seeks to improve the way dentists measure children’s pain during appointments. washington.edu, Dec 16: ... since childhood fears of the dentist last into adulthood and can lead to health problems, why isn’t more being done to understand young people’s experience of dental pain? Read more

Newly identified oral stem cell key to wound healing. nih.gov, Dec 10: Researchers found a unique population of stem cells in the roof of the mouth that quickly respond to stress from chewing and injury. Read more

Ancient “Chewing Gum” Yields Insights into People and Bacteria of the Past. healthsciences.ku.dk, Dec 17:  Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old “chewing gum”. Read more

The ultimate non-stick coating. brighterworld.mcmaster.ca, Dec 13: A team of researchers at McMaster University has developed a self-cleaning surface that can repel all forms of bacteria, preventing the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other dangerous bacteria in settings ranging from hospitals to kitchens. Read more

Vaping increases the risk of lung disease by a third: U.S. study. reuters.com, Dec 16: Using e-cigarettes significantly increases the risk of developing chronic lung conditions such as asthma or emphysema, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Read more

Knee-jerk vaping bans will fail public health, experts argue. cph.osu.edu, Dec 12: Evidence supports e‑cigarettes as a harm-reduction tool. Read more

The nurse’s role in the oral assessment and care of children in hospital. nursingtime.net, Dec 16: Too many children develop oral health and dental problems and nurses have an important role in promoting oral health in children in hospital. Read more

Careful, Canada: What Ireland has learned about two-tier health care. cbc.ca, Dec 14 [OPINION]: While Canada seems on cusp of embracing two-tier health care, Ireland is struggling to limit it. Be careful what you wish for, Canada. Read more

Health Canada says it hasn't tested health effects of cannabis vaping but will release new products anyway. cbc.ca, Dec 14 [Second Opinion]: The federal government will allow the sale of cannabis vaping products starting next week despite not having tested the health effects of inhaling substances emitted from such devices. Read more

RELX Introduces World's First Locked Vaping Device to Cut Minors from Vaping. newswire.ca, Dec 16: The new device comes complete with a child lock function to prevent minors from vaping and a tracking system for adult users to monitor their usage patterns. Read more

Former FDA chief: "Juul should be pulled off the market entirely." axios.com, Dec 11: Though a nationwide flavor ban has been in the works, Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the root of the problem isn't the flavors, but the convenience of cheap nicotine cartridges. Read more

E-Cigarette Regulations Survive Industry’s Legal Challenge. bnnbloomberg.ca, Dec 10: A federal appeals court in Washington on Tuesday upheld regulations by the Food and Drug Administration, stating that “e-cigarettes are indisputably highly addictive and pose health risks, especially to youth, that are not well understood.” Read more

Statement from the Minister of Health on the Introduction of New Cannabis Products Into the Legal and Regulated Market. canada.ca, Dec 17: Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, issued the following statement on new cannabis products entering the legal and regulated market. Read more

Cannabis a substitute for opioids? UBC research at odds with McMaster University. vancouversun.com, Dec 15: Future B.C. research will delve into whether cannabis can help people with opioid addiction stay on treatment. People with chronic pain who use cannabis daily are far less likely to use illicit opioids, including fentanyl, a University of B.C. study shows. Read more

Joint Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses on New Data Related to the Opioid Crisis. canada.ca, Dec 11: Today [December 11] the co-chairs of the federal, provincial, and territorial Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses […] issued the following statement on the release of new data on opioid-related harms in Canada. Read more

Thousands will lose coverage with change to Alberta drug program. edmonton.ctvnews.ca, Dec 11: The UCP government is changing the rules for the Seniors Drug Benefit Program, removing coverage for 46,000 Albertans. Read more

Ontario passes bill to join B.C.-led class action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. globalnews.ca, Dec 12: Ontario is joining five other provinces in a class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers in a bid to recoup costs the government alleges can be directly attributed to the overdose crisis. Read more

Pager systems used in healthcare could be exposing patient data across Canada. ctvnews.ca, Dec 13 (Health | Investigative): Paging systems used across B.C. could be exposing sensitive health data of patients, and the privacy researcher who first discovered the data breach believes it’s likely happening across the country. Read more

CUSMA agreement on IP protection puts Canadian innovation at risk. ipolitics.ca, Dec 11: Canada’s major pharma lobby is objecting to the removal of a requirement in the new North American trade deal that would have extended the data protection period for biological drugs in Canada from eight years to 10. Read more

Ontario’s mental-health crisis, Part 1: Why it’s so hard to access care. tvo.org, Dec 10: ANALYSIS: TVO.org examines the issues facing our mental-health system. This is the first instalment in a three-part series examining the state of mental-health care in Ontario. Read more

Ontario’s mental-health crisis, Part 2: The good, the bad, and the ugly of OHIP-covered care. tvo.org, Dec 12: ANALYSIS: The province will cover the cost of your appointment with a psychiatrist. But what happens when you have to wait a year or travel for hours to see one? Read more

Ontario’s mental-health crisis, Part 3: Solving the problem will mean more beds — and more political will. tvo.org, Dec 12: ANALYSIS: Providing proper support for Ontarians who need in-patient care will mean creating housing and home-care options. Is this government willing to act? Read more

Soins en santé mentale et services sociaux: huit ordres professionnels inquiets. lapresse.ca, 11 décembre : Huit ordres professionnels, dont l’Ordre des psychologues du Québec et l’Ordre des travailleurs sociaux du Québec, s’inquiètent de l’état du réseau de la santé, particulièrement des problèmes d’accessibilité aux soins en santé mentale et aux services sociaux, et pressent le gouvernement d’agir. Lire plus

Double burden of obesity, undernourishment stalks world. ctvnews.ca, Dec 16: Low- and middle-income countries risk seeing their development progress slashed by the double-edged sword of obesity and undernutrition, both caused by a lack of access to affordable healthy food, a report in The Lancet warned. Read more

Food labels with caloric costs in exercise could lead to healthier choices. reuters.com, Dec 12: Consumers might make healthier choices if food labels showed how many minutes of walking or running was needed to burn off calories, instead of just a calorie number, a new study suggests. 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 27–29: OSAP Dental Infection Boot Camp, in Chirago, IL. Read more

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

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

Medicom Wins Top Product Awards in 3 Infection Control Categories. canadianlifesciences.com, Dec 12: AMD Medicom Inc. … is pleased to announce that the company was recognized with Top Product Awards in 3 separate dental infection control segments by Dental Advisor. Read more

Interview: “This software will be revolutionary”. dental-tribune.com, Dec 13: At the recent 2019 Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM), Dental Tribune International spoke with Edward Im, sales manager at DIGIRAY, about the company’s products and services and how it is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its software. Read more

Canadian duo invent a toothpaste tablet to eliminate plastic tubes. newatlas.com, Dec 16: In order to combat the hundreds of millions of empty toothpaste tubes that are destined for landfill across the world each year, Canadian entrepreneurs Mike Medicoff and Damien Vince have created a toothpaste that comes in the form of a tablet. Read more

Teledentistry Pioneer Smile Direct Club Brings Smiles to Germany. globenewswire.com, Dec 17: SmileDirectClub today announced plans to increase its international expansion by introducing its clear aligner therapy to Germany in early 2020. Read more