News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/02/05

Coronavirus: The latest information. cmajnews.com, Feb 4: UPDATE: Rising tensions over travel, trials of potential treatments, and evacuations of Canadians. Read more

Fifth suspected coronavirus case in Canada is B.C. woman who had 'close contact' with Wuhan visitors. nationalpost.com, Feb 5: The woman became ill after hosting visitors from Wuhan and was treated and tested in hospital and then released. Read more

Coronavirus: 251 Canadians among thousands quarantined on Japanese cruise ship. globalnews.ca, Feb 5: Ten people have tested positive for the virus, but none are Canadian, said a statement from Princess Cruises on Wednesday. Read more

Coronavirus : 251 Canadiens confinés pour 14 jours sur un bateau de croisière au Japon. ici.radio-canada.ca, 5 février : Parmi eux se trouvent 251 Canadiens, a confirmé le croisiériste Princess Cruises à CBC, mais aucun n’a été contaminé jusqu’ici. Lire plus

FDA Takes Significant Step in Coronavirus Response Efforts, Issues Emergency Use Authorization for the First 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diagnostic. fda.gov. Feb 4: FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to enable broader emergency use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel. Read more

Coronavirus fears: Should we take a deep breath? theconversatsion.com, Feb 4: With a new infectious disease outbreak on our doorstep, we might ask ourselves: are we reacting to the coronavirus in a way that is proportional to the threat? Read more

Canadians in China advised to prepare for evacuation this week as coronavirus spreads. globalnews.ca, Feb 4: Global News has confirmed with several individuals on the ground in China that a notice was issued to Canadians who have asked to be part of the evacuation, advising them to prepare for departure from the city of Wuhan on Thursday, Feb. 6. Read more

By the numbers: Coronavirus outbreak charted. cbc.ca, Feb 4: Breaking down cases, severity, symptoms and comparisons to other infections. Read more

Could the new coronavirus go from epidemic to pandemic? Here’s what that means. globalnews.ca, Feb 3: Dozens of new cases of the novel coronavirus are being identified almost daily. While it’s been called an “outbreak,” an “epidemic” and a “crisis,” the illness that’s sickened more than 17,000 people is not a pandemic — at least not yet. Read more

The global economic threat of the coronavirus. axios.com, Feb 3: The coronavirus has the potential to be as damaging to the global economy as the U.S.-China trade war, and if not contained could wreak havoc on businesses across the globe, with great uncertainty over how bad things could get. Read more

At least a year before coronavirus vaccine is developed: Canada’s public health chief. globalnews.ca, Jan 29: Canada’s chief public health officer says it will likely take at least a year before a vaccine is developed to protect people against the new coronavirus that is spreading around the globe. Read more

Wuhan coronavirus looks increasingly like a pandemic, experts say. thestar.com, Feb 2: The Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe, according to many of the world’s leading infectious disease experts. The prospect is daunting. Read more

WHO working with Google to combat virus misinformation. thestar.com, Feb 3: The World Health Organization is working with Google to ensure that people get facts from WHO first when they search for information about the new virus that recently emerged in China. Read more

Thailand sees apparent success treating coronavirus with drug cocktail. ctvnews.ca, Feb 2: A Chinese woman infected with the new coronavirus showed a dramatic improvement after she was treated with a cocktail of antivirals used to treat flu and HIV. Read more

Canadians evacuated from China due to coronavirus to be quarantined at Canadian Forces Base. theglobeandmail.com, Feb 2: Canadians evacuated from China near the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak will be quarantined for 14 days at a Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont. Read more

Les Canadiens de retour de Wuhan seront soumis à « une période d’observation ». ledevoir.com, 03 février : Les Canadiens qui reviendront de Chine à bord de l’appareil nolisé par le gouvernement fédéral seront notamment soumis à des tests de dépistage « rigoureux » ainsi qu’à « une période d’observation » sur une base militaire. Lire plus

Hospital for coronavirus patients opens in China. cbc.ca, Feb 3: China sent medical workers and equipment to a newly built hospital, infused cash into financial markets and further restricted people's movement in sweeping new steps Monday to contain a rapidly spreading virus and its escalating impact. Read more

Overcoming the Unknown: 5 Tips to Combat Coronavirus. oralhealthgroup.com, Jan 31: Presently, practices might consider a more detailed screening. Ontario’s Ministry of Health, for one, has requested primary care providers, including dentists, to screen for patients presenting with fever, new onset of a cough or difficulty breathing, and any of the following. Read more

Race is on as coalition sets tight timeline for coronavirus vaccine. theglobeandmail.com, Jan 29: When Chinese scientists released the genome of a mysterious new coronavirus earlier this month, Canadian microbiologist Gary Kobinger and his team got to work developing a vaccine to fight it. Read more

How social media is changing research and reactions to coronavirus outbreak. theconversation.com, Jan 30: The world is not the same as it was in 2002 when SARS emerged. Social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, have allowed the rapid exchange of information — and sometimes misinformation. Read more

Evidence-Based Guidelines and Regulations? oralhealthgroup.com, Feb 4 (by Peter Nkansah): A repeated discussion that I have with colleagues is that dentistry, as a profession, is over-regulated. […] The practice of dentistry keeps changing, so it makes sense that some of the rules of practice are updated periodically. Read more

Overcoming the Unknown: 5 Tips to Combat Coronavirus. oralhealthgroup.com, Jan 31: Presently, practices might consider a more detailed screening. Ontario’s Ministry of Health, for one, has requested primary care providers, including dentists, to screen for patients presenting with fever, new onset of a cough or difficulty breathing, and any of the following. Read more

Popular infant teething gels removed from Canadian pharmacies without notice. cbc.ca, Jan 29: Some health professionals concerned that stronger, adult versions are still being used for teething babies. Read more

City of Kingston seeks public input on fluoridating water supply. kingstonist.com, Feb 3: As part of its 2019-2022 strategic priorities, Kingston City Council is exploring the feasibility of adding fluoride to the municipal water supply, and looking for public input. Read more

'Like a nightmare': Hundreds gather to remember Toronto dentist, daughter killed in Iran plane disaster. Cbc.ca, Feb 2: Friends, family and even strangers attended memorial for Parisa Eghbalian and nine-year-old Reera Esmaeilion. Read more

Santé des enfants: des pédiatres réclament des politiques sur l'alimentation. lapresse.ca, 30 janvier : Une alimentation riche en sodium et en sucres libres condamne les enfants canadiens à des maladies chroniques à l’âge adulte, mais il est encore temps d’adopter des initiatives de santé publique pour renverser cette tendance, préviennent deux documents publiés jeudi par la Société canadienne de pédiatrie. Lire plus

Study finds most nursing home aides report missing or rushing essential care tasks. folio.ca, Jan 29: Researchers suggest link between staff working conditions and quality of care for residents in Western Canadian nursing homes. … Mouth care was missed by 14 per cent of aides and rushed by 39 per cent. Read more

Do You Know a Dental Hygiene Superhero? files.cdha.ca, Feb 1: Join forces with the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) to help us recognize, for the third year in a row, dental hygiene health care superheroes in communities across Canada. Read more

Visual art project conveys emotional stories of head and neck cancer survivors. folio.ca, Jan 31: A collaborative project at the University of Alberta—the first of its kind in Canada—aims to convey through visual art the emotional turmoil survivors of head and neck cancer endure. Read more

Winning DDS research poster examines gender‑based income disparity. dal.ca, Jan 30: The win means that Paige will take her research to the CDA conference in Winnipeg in April, where she will compete against dentistry students from across Canada. Paige’s topic, “Exploring income disparity between genders amongst Nova Scotia dentists”, focuses on the average daily billing gap between male and female dentists. The results, she says, surprised her “a lot”. Read more

Remembering Dr. Sedlezky. mcgill.ca: Close friend and colleague Dr. Herb Borsuk took the time to remember Dr. Sedlezky, and his lasting impact in the Faculty of Dentistry. Read more

National Children’s Dental Health Month highlights optimally fluoridated water. ada.org, Jan 29: This year the February observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month honors the 75th anniversary of community water fluoridation with its theme, “Fluoride in water prevents cavities! Get it from the tap!” Read more

Addressing caries through the lens of social justice, health equity, human rights. ada.org, Jan 29: Social justice. Health equity. Human rights. Those themes aren’t often included in typical conversations at the dental office. But Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez hopes for a change and a new way of thinking. He hopes that when dental providers think about children’s caries, they think about those three themes. Read more

ADA urges subcommittee to support Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act. ada.org, Jan 29: The American Dental Association is asking Congress to pass the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act — legislation that would require all private group and individual health plans to cover medically necessary services that repair or restore congenital anomalies. Read more

ADA Health Policy Institute Finds Uptick in Dental Spending. newswise.com, Feb 4: The report found some signs of recovery in U.S. dental spending, which reached a historic high in 2018 of $136 billion, or 3.7 percent of total health spending in the U.S.. Read more

MyView: It's time to acknowledge safety in dentistry. ada.org, Jan 30: The dental profession has been diligent in its embrace of evidence-based dentistry and its benefits for patients and in creating a more efficient and equitable care system. We trail our medical colleagues in building a solid evidence foundation for all we do, but we are headed in the right direction. Read more

California Takes Another Shot at Separating Telehealth and Dentistry. mhealthintelligence.com, Jan 31: A new bill before the state's Legislature would require dentists to conduct an in-person visit with patients before using telehealth. It's aimed at curbing companies that offer aligners and other services online. Read more

Pilot project integrates oral health with other health care services. keyc.com, Feb 4: They believe having oral care access at the same place as other health services is crucial because preventing a disease takes fewer interventions and doesn't cost as much as treating a chronic disease. Read more

Dental benefits helping to woo new hires. chamberbusinessnews.com, Feb 4: Two out of three employees report that dental insurance is very or extremely important in deciding whether to accept or turn down a job. Read more

Improving oral health: preventative care messages in community pharmacy. pharmaceutical-journal.com, Feb 5: Community pharmacies are encouraged to adopt Public Health England’s ‘Delivering better oral health’ toolkit to support patients with their oral health. Read more

What’s the price of a perfect smile? US teeth-straightening start-up SmileDirectClub aims to shake up Hong Kong’s dental industry with its online solution. scmp.com, Feb 2: The company claims its 3D-printed plastic aligners will sort out your wonky teeth for a minimum of HK$14,500 (US$1,870) – and you don’t have to visit a dentist. Read more

Alpharetta dentist holds world record for toothpaste collection. ajc.com, Jan 30: Did you know Crayola makes toothpaste? Dr. Val Kolpakov does. He has the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of toothpaste tubes. Read more

More than half of dental prescriptions for opioids exceed pain-management guidelines, study finds. today.oregonstate.edu, Feb 4: A new study suggests that roughly half of the opioid prescriptions written by dentists in the United States exceed the three-day supply recommended by federal dental pain-management guidelines. Read more

Bacteria behind tooth decay make antibiotics that take out their competitors. cen.acs.org, Jan 30: Got cavities? Blame Streptococcus mutans, a bacterium found in the mouth that produces acids strong enough to dissolve tooth enamel, allowing the microbe to bore into teeth and cause decay. Now, researchers report that some particularly pathogenic strains of S. mutans have extra arsenal at their disposal: a suite of antibacterial compounds that inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria that help protect against dental caries. Read more

Improving understanding of student stress. educationnewscanada.com, Feb 4: A Queen's post-doctoral fellow is developing a method to better evaluate the sources of stress among post-secondary students. Read more

Your gums reveal your diet. medicalxpress.com, Jan 30: Sweet soft drinks and lots of sugar increase the risk of both dental cavities and inflammation of the gums—known as periodontal diseases—and if this is the case, then healthy eating habits should be prioritised even more. This is the conclusion of a research result from Aarhus University. Read more

Improving oral health: preventative care messages in community pharmacy. pharmaceutical-journal.com, Feb 5: Community pharmacies are encouraged to adopt Public Health England’s ‘Delivering better oral health’ toolkit to support patients with their oral health. Read more

Braces in action. twitter.com, Feb 01: Watch 0:55

Experts Say It's Best To Leave Your Child's Loose Tooth Alone & Here's Why. moms.com, Feb 3: Whatever your reasoning for wondering if it's okay to pull your child's loose tooth? The recommendation of dental professionals is that you should wait until the tooth is ready to fall out on its own and just let nature take its course and here's why. Read more

This new sugar substitute is made from food waste. Old apples and pears create a calorie-free sweetener without some of the environmental issues of our current sugar substitutes. Dutch company Fooditive is turning leftovers from apples and pears, along with the pieces of fruit that are unfit for supermarkets, into a chemical-free sweetener. (Fast Company, Feb 5)

Discovery Reveals Antibiotic-Resistant Strep Throat May be Too Close for Comfort. asm.org, Jan 29: Infectious disease scientists identified strains of group A streptococcus that are less susceptible to commonly used antibiotics, a sign that the germ causing strep throat and flesh-eating disease may be moving closer to resistance to penicillin and other related antibiotics known as beta-lactams. Read more

Research shows significant regional differences in access to arthritis medications across Canada. conferenceboard.ca, Feb 5: For patients living with arthritis, medications not only extend life, they improve it. The Conference Board of Canada released a report today, titled Accessing Arthritis Medications—A Pan-Canadian Analysis. The analyses presented in this report show that patients’ access to and the cost of arthritis medications differ by jurisdiction and type of drug plan. Read more

54% of Canadian employers planning to invest in digital health: survey. benefitscanada.com, Feb 5: The survey, which polled 100 employers and 1,000 employees in Canada, also found 42 per cent of employees said they’d be interested in an app that helps them find a doctor or medical care when and where they need it, while 36 per cent said they’d be interested in telemedicine for simple issues such as a cold or rash. Read more

CLHIA calling for pension innovation, access to cheaper drugs in provincial budgets. benefitscanada.com, Feb 4: The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is highlighting new retirement savings options and access to cheaper drugs in its priorities for the Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial budgets. Read more

The Princess Margaret takes on challenge of achieving equity in global cancer care. uhn.ca, Feb 04: A new program aimed at closing the widening disparity in access to treatment and unrelenting growth of cancer throughout the world will be launched this spring at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM). ... Feb. 4 is World Cancer Day, a world-wide initiative to encourage everyone to work for equal access for life-saving cancer treatment and care for all – no matter who they are or where they live. This year’s World Cancer Day theme – “I Am and I Will” – is about everyone’s commitment to act. The goal is to reduce the number of premature deaths from cancer and non-communicable disease by one-third by 2030. Read more

HIV vaccine trial ends in 'deep disappointment.' ctvnews.ca, Feb 3: A clinical trial for an HIV vaccine has been discontinued since the vaccine was not found to prevent infections of human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS. Read more

Editorial: Tackling two-tiered health care in Canada. thechronicleherald.ca, Feb 5: Although politicians in this country love to extol our “universal” health-care system — and Canadians are fond of boasting of its superiority compared to the U.S. system — the truth is there are gaping holes in the so-called safety net of publicly insured medical services coverage in Canada. Read more

Report warns of serious shortage of personal support workers across Ontario. durhamradionews.ca, Jan 31: A report from the Ontario Health Coalition has several recommendations on how the province should deal with a serious personal support worker (PSW) shortage. Read more

Care access up in Canada but electronic medical-record use lags behind. ctvnews.ca, Jan 30: Family doctors in Canada are providing increased access to care compared with most of their counterparts in 10 other countries but still lag behind when it comes to using electronic medical records, findings of a survey show. Read more

Report tells Health Canada to rethink funding in opioids fight. nationalpost.com, Feb 4: How governments fund the country’s fight against the opioid crisis might explain “a lack of progress” on the issue. Read more

Health-Records Company Pushed Opioids to Doctors in Secret Deal with Drugmaker. bloomberg.com, Jan 29: A software company called Practice Fusion, was paid by a major opioid manufacturer to design it in an effort to boost prescriptions for addictive pain pills […]. The software was used by tens of thousands of doctors’ offices. Read more

Ontario to ban flavoured vaping products from being sold in convenience stores. theglobeandmail.com, Feb 3: The Ontario government is moving to ban most flavoured vaping products from convenience stores and gas stations and cap nicotine levels in a bid to prevent young people from using e-cigarettes. Read more

Health Canada rolled out $766,000 emergency ad campaign to combat youth vaping. ipolitics.ca, Feb 3: Health Canada jumpstarted an emergency advertising campaign worth $766,000 during the federal election in reaction to buzz around highly publicized vaping illnesses and a spike in the amount of young people in the country who were vaping. Read more

New Vaping Legislation Taking Effect Over the Weekend. discoverweyburn.com, Feb 3: This means that businesses must cover vapour displays and treat them similar to tobaccos when it comes to display and distribution. Read more

Les réseaux sociaux à l’heure du vapotage. lapresse.ca, 30 janvier : Une étude montre que les « stories » positives sur le vapotage sont 10 000 fois plus nombreuses que les négatives sur Instagram. Pour comprendre ce phénomène, La Presse s’est entretenue avec l’auteure. Lire plus

New federal regulations to restrict vaping ads “not sufficient”: CMA response. cma.ca, Jan 24: In a response to Health Canada [...] the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is calling for stronger measures to prevent the promotion of vaping products to youth. Read more

The health cost of being poor. cbc.ca, Feb 3: Canadians pride themselves on having a health-care system for everyone. But an editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says the system is failing people with low income. Read more

Young people who need mental health services can’t wait. thestar.com, Feb 2 [EDITORIAL]: If ever there was an SOS in print, it came from a Children’s Mental Health Ontario report “Kids Can’t Wait,” a document that shames a province and its government. “An estimated 200,000 kids with serious mental health issues have no contact with mental health services at all,” it said. As many as 28,000 children and youth in Ontario (under age 18) are on waiting lists for mental health treatment, the report said. That’s up 12,000 in just two years. Read more

Dalhousie University – Current course offerings

McGill University – Continuing dental education

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry University – Continuing professional development

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

2020

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

October 15-18: American Dental Association ADA FDC 2020 in Orlando, Florida. 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

Henry Schein to Open Nasdaq in Celebration of 18th Annual Give Kids A Smile® Program. investor.henryschein.com, Feb 4: CEO Stanley M. Bergman to Ring the Nasdaq Opening Bell With ADA President Dr. Chad Gehani. Read more