News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/05/27

Lindsay dentist drills down into why many offices are closed for COVID-19. mykawartha.com, May 27: Reopening of economy means non-urgent services can resume but governing body has strict guidelines in place. Read more

More dental services could resume in Nova Scotia next week. cbc.ca, May 27: Dalhousie dentistry dean expects it will still be several weeks before elective care can return. Read more

Les dentistes prêts à rouvrir, mais inquiets pour l’avenir. journalmetro.com, 26 mai : Si les dentistes se disent parfaitement aptes à gérer les risques de contamination, ils déplorent un manque de soutien de la part de Québec et s’inquiètent d’une possible pénurie de matériel. Read more

Difficulties of dentistry amid COVID-19 include drop in revenue, increased costs. citynews1130.com, May 26: From increased costs to just getting protective equipment, it’s an incredibly difficult time for dentists. Read more

Slow return for Canada's dental offices as pandemic restrictions ease. cbc.ca, May 26: Dentists worry about having sufficient gear, proper safety measures and enough patients. Read more

COVID-19 safety measures could lead to higher dental fees. montrealgazette.com, May 26: ... The most recent guide to reopening clinics created by a Quebec government working group is 59 pages long and was only distributed last Friday, giving dentists just over a week to comply. It is also in French only, adding to the frustrations of those who work in the English milieu, and has been criticized for being vague and difficult to follow. Read more

Montreal dental clinics say they need help, not ready to reopen. globalnews.ca, May 25: ... The clinic estimates it will cost them around $50,000 in order for them be able to safely re-open next week. But they’ll only re-open partially since they won’t have all the measures implemented by then. Read more

COVID-19 : L'Alberta sur la bonne voie vers la phase 2 du déconfinement. ici.radio-canada.ca, 25 mai : ... Changement à l'approvisionnement de l'équipement de protection. … La province pourra toutefois fournir des masques N95 aux dentistes, moyennant des frais, pour les procédures d'urgence. Lire plus

Local dentists adapt to COVID-19 challenges as services return. fortmcmurraytoday.com, May 25: At first glance, dental offices in Fort McMurray might seem entirely different from how they were before COVID-19. Read more

Dentistry tops list of most dangerous jobs during pandemic. edmonton.ctvnews.ca, May 22: Dentistry tops the list, with dental hygienists, therapists and assistants, dentists and denturists coming in as the top four jobs with the highest potential to be exposed to infectious diseases. Read more

COVID-19: Managing infection risks during in-person dental care. rcdso.org, May 22: The RCDSO’s new guidance, COVID-19: Managing infection risks during in-person dental care, is now available on the College’s website. Read more

COVID-19 Update: New Directive from CMOH. rcdso.org, May 26: The Chief Medical Officer of Health has advised the College that Directive #2 has been amended. All Health Care Providers will be permitted to gradually restart deferred and non-essential and elective services, subject to the requirements of the Directive. We will be adjusting our Guidance on Managing Infection Risks During In-Person Care, released May 22nd, to ensure it is consistent with the Directive. Read more

Why some Toronto businesses are betting improved ventilation will cut the risk of COVID-19. cbc.ca, May 25: The research suggesting air conditioning and poor ventilation can help spread the novel coronavirus isn't exactly what you'd call conclusive yet, but business owners like Geordan Thomas aren't waiting to find out. Read more

Un travail plus manuel pour les hygiénistes dentaires en temps de pandémie. ici.radio-canada.ca, 24 mai : Les nouvelles mesures pour éviter la propagation du coronavirus demanderont plus de travail manuel aux hygiénistes dentaires. Lire plus

Les visites chez le dentiste pourraient être plus chères. ici.radio-canada.ca, 24 mai : Les dentistes et chirurgiens dentistes pourraient décider d’augmenter les frais de leurs services lors de la reprise des activités le 1er juin. Lire plus

Dental care for Nunavummiut still on hold. nunatsiaq.com, May 25: ... “We’re pretty limited in what we can provide” Read more

ADA issues more detailed guidance as dental practices resume operations. ada.org, May 26: Recommendations include changes before, during, after appointments. Read more

Covid-19 Pandemic: What Changes for Dentists and Oral Medicine Experts? A Narrative Review and Novel Approaches to Infection Containment. mdpi.com, May 27: The authors performed a narrative review on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- CoronaVirus-2 ( SARS-CoV-2) and all infectious agents with the primary endpoints to illustrate the most accepted models of safety protocols in dentistry and oral medicine, and to propose an easy view of the problem and a comparison (pre- vs post-COVID19) for the most common dental procedures. Read more

Dentists Are Reopening More Rapidly Than Expected, Evercore Says. bnnbloomberg.ca, May 27: The latest findings from the American Dental Association show a clear rebound in the number of reopened dental offices. Read more

Dental practices consider using UV light tech to safely reopen. cnbc.com, May 26: Disinfecting with UV light products is widely used in hospitals and larger medical facilities, but now small practices are looking into adopting the technology as well. Read more

A PPE fee at the dentist? New requirements could raise prices for patients. inquirer.com, May 26: ...To cover the cost long-term, the American Dental Association has proposed creating a new insurance billing code or adjusting existing billing codes. Whether insurance companies will agree to cover new fees remains unclear. Read more

Vidéo. Un sac de protection pour limiter les risques de contamination des dentistes. francetvinfo.fr, 25 mai : SOS (Safe Oral Safety) est un dispositif imaginé par une dentiste Bretonne pour protéger les dentistes des projections. Lire plus et voir la vidéo 1:11

Dentists turn away patients amid protective equipment shortages. kpvi.com, May 25: The Illinois Department of Public Health had issued new guidance allowing dentists to reopen during the COVID-19 outbreak, but with restrictions including requirements for PPE. Read more

U of A spinoff company developing simple blood test to predict severity of COVID-19 in patients. folio.ca, May 27: Nanostics using diagnostic technology to help health professionals intervene more quickly and efficiently with patients who are likely to need hospital care. Read more

40 flights carrying personal protective equipment have arrived in Canada, Trudeau says. cbc.ca, May 26: More than 40 flights carrying personal protective equipment have arrived in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, as countries around the world engage in a mad scramble to procure the critical items. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening: Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada on Wednesday. cbc.ca, May 27: Staffing, protective equipment still a challenge in Quebec long-term care homes, military report says. Military alleges horrific conditions, abuse in pandemic-hit Ontario nursing homes. Royal Bank and BMO profit cut in half as banks set aside 6 times more money for bad loans. R, a key metric to watch as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Read more

UBC Researchers Develop Portable Ultrasound Scanner Network For COVID-19. apsc.ubc.ca, May 26: The scanners pair a commercial ultrasound device with a secure online library of lung ultrasound images and a specially developed artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, allowing health care practitioners to diagnose COVID-19 at the point of care — almost instantly. Read more

COVID-19’s impact on mental health and returning to the workplace. conferenceboard.ca, May 26: ... Preliminary evidence suggests that psychological distress will be an outcome of the pandemic, with 16–28 per cent of persons experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Read more

COVID-19 in Ontario is now primarily a Toronto-area problem, figures show. cbc.ca, May 27: More than 76% of province's new infections are in the GTA. Read more

Firefighter masks repurposed to boost ventilator capacity. news.westernu.ca, May 25: If it proves to be effective, the hope is to make the design open-source so any hospital around the globe with access to a 3D printer and firefighter masks could create them. Read more

If asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 not done carefully, more issues could arise, experts say. theglobeandmail.com, May 25: As Ontario embarks on an ambitious plan to start widespread testing of asymptomatic individuals for COVID-19, medical experts warn that unless it’s done carefully and methodically, such a strategy could create more problems than it solves. Read more

Ottawa lacks financial capacity to withstand another economic lockdown, must look to rein in spending. nationalpost.com, May 26: The new C.D. Howe Institute report warns the Liberals against 'turning one-off deficits into structural deficits' as Canada comes out of the first COVID-19 wave. Read more

MPs debate as Liberals, with NDP support, aim to suspend Parliament until Sept. 21. theglobeandmail.com, May 26: Members of Parliament will debate for a second day on Tuesday a Liberal plan to extend the current suspension of the House of Commons for another four months. Read more

'A key milestone': COVID-19 vaccine 'highly effective' in ferrets, says VIDO-Intervac. thestarphoenix.com, May 25: After becoming the first Canadian lab to develop an animal model for COVID-19 vaccine testing, VIDO-InterVac’s vaccine has proven “highly effective in ferrets,”. Read more

Here's what needs to happen before we can all get vaccinated for COVID-19. cbc.ca, May 25: Potential vaccine must pass animal tests, 3 levels of clinical trials. Read more

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). who.int, May 27: Situation report – 127. Read more

France, Italy, Belgium act to stop use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 over safety fears. cbc.ca, May 27: WHO recently said it was putting a temporary pause on drug in multinational trial. Read more

Fears of coronavirus second wave prompt flu push at U.S. pharmacies, drugmakers. ca.reuters.com, May 26: U.S. pharmacy chains are preparing a big push for flu vaccinations when the season kicks off in October, hoping to curb tens of thousands of serious cases that could coincide with a second wave of coronavirus infections. Read more

With big talk and hurled insults, the gloves come off in the race for the coronavirus vaccine. cnn.com, May 27: Ethicists and physicians are concerned that, amid a desire to put an end to the Covid-19 pandemic, developers of drugs and vaccines have become overly enthusiastic about the chances their products will work. Read more

World Health Organization temporarily halts hydroxychloroquine trials. cbc.ca, May 25: WHO cites concerns about serious side-effects when the drug is used to treat COVID-19. Read more

U.S. company trials coronavirus vaccine candidate in Australia. cbc.ca, May 26: A U.S. biotechnology company began injecting a coronavirus vaccine candidate into people in Australia on Tuesday with hopes of releasing a proven vaccine this year. Read more

US drugmaker advances virus vaccine, treatment candidates. detroitnews.com, May 26: Merck & Co. moved to bolster the global fight against the coronavirus, unveiling development plans for a pill to the treat the infection and two vaccines to prevent it. Read more

'Convincing' evidence suggests cloth masks may help reduce COVID-19 transmission. ctvnews.ca, May 26: Face masks made with multiple layers of cloth may help prevent further transmission of COVID-19, according to an international team of researchers. Read more

Military report reveals what sector has long known: Ontario's nursing homes are in trouble. cbc.ca, May 27: System has been 'ignored' and 'neglected' for decades, says province's minister for long-term care. Read more

Ford vows accountability after military report reveals 'horrific' long-term care conditions. cbc.ca, May 26: Those are just some of the disturbing details in a Canadian Armed Forces report made public Tuesday. Read more

Liberals shut down debate over plan to extend suspension of Parliament. theglobeandmail.com, May 26: The Liberal government’s plan to extend the suspension of regular parliamentary sittings until September because of COVID-19 went ahead Tuesday with the support of the NDP. Read more

ShareSmart Set to Revolutionize Canadian Virtual Healthcare Through a Secure and Convenient Canadian Platform. digitaljournal.com, May 26: Think Tank Innovations, a Canadian communication company today announced an early access offering to their secure video communication platform, which expands upon its mature, health professional collaboration platform, ShareSmart. ShareSmart, is designed to support the delivery of a Pan-Canadian virtual health strategy to facilitate telemedicine, teledentistry and other telehealth services. Read more

SmileDirectClub's stock jumps after joining Empire BlueCross BlueShield networks. marketwatch.com, May 27: Shares of SmileDirectClub shot up in premarket trading Wednesday, after the direct-to-consumer teeth straightening product company said it has joined Empire BlueCross BlueShield's new teledentistry orthodontia coverage program. Read more

WHO launches reports on novel tobacco products to help bridge gap between science and policy. euro.who.int, May 25: WHO is publishing 3 reports to inform countries on the current state of scientific knowledge, and regulatory and policy options available on novel tobacco products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs). 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

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