News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/06/03

A look At Your Next Dental Visit. ottawa.ctvnews.ca, June 3: Dr. David Stevenson from Heritage Dental gives us a tour of his office to preview new measures in place to protect patients and staff. Watch 5:50

Dental Care Slowly Resumes But Not Like Usual. youroralhealth.ca, June 1: …the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) wants you to know what you can expect from your dentist during this ongoing pandemic. Read more

CDHO Ensures Dental Hygienists Keep You Safe During COVID-19. globalnewswire.com, June 2: The College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO) has released its guidelines to help dental hygienists make sure that the place you receive your dental hygiene care is safe in response to COVID-19 when offices open again. Read more

Dental checkups, groceries, funerals pricier because of COVID-19. montrealgazette.com, June 2: At the offices of Dr. Taras Konanec, patients can expect to see an extra charge on their next dental visit, thanks to COVID-19. Read more

Les dentistes demandent à Québec de payer les « frais COVID ». ici.radio-canada.ca, 2 juin : Des dentistes demandent au gouvernement du Québec d’assumer les coûts supplémentaires de 15 à 30 $ qu’ils devront facturer aux clients en raison de l’équipement de protection nécessaire à leur pratique à l'ère de la COVID-19. Lire plus

Dentists can re-open but some are nervous about safety. cbc.ca, June 1: The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario has given the go-ahead to book routine appointments. But a physician and a dental hygienist tell Rita Celli they're not convinced the guidelines will keep patients and employees safe. Listen 23:59

Some businesses absorbing cost of PPE, not applying COVID-19 surcharge. windsorstar.com, June 1: ...besides restaurants and salons, one surprisingly place you may notice a COVID-19 surcharge may be when you go to the dentist. Read more

Dental services expanding. globalnews.ca, June 1: Manitoba Dental Association president Dr. Marc Mollot explains what a trip to the dentist could look like with services expanding under phase two of Manitoba’s reopening strategy. Watch 2:33

Interview with Dr. Paul Hurley. CKGA VOCM 650 (Gander, NL), June 01: Dr. Hurley speaks about the June 8 start-up date for regular dentistry. Listen 5:24

North – In-territory travel restrictions lifted, Nunavut public servants return to work June 8. cbc.ca, June 1: And on June 15 pools, gyms, dental offices to open. Read more

Quebec dental clinics split on readiness to resume operations in June: report. thesafetymag.com, June 1: Dental health professionals in Quebec are divided when asked if they are ready to reopen their clinics today. Read more

Un extra COVID-19, c’est grave, Docteur? lapresse.ca, 2 juin : Depuis le 1er juin, les dentistes et autres professionnels de la santé reprennent le collier, après une fermeture de presque trois mois qui a miné leurs finances. Plusieurs imposent maintenant des frais aux patients pour couvrir les mesures de protection qu’ils doivent mettre en place. Lire plus

How will health practitioners reopening affect benefits plans? benefitscanada.com, June 1: The big question for plan sponsors is how long insurers will keep their extended health and dental premium reductions in place as health-care providers across the country begin to reopen. Read more

Latest HPI webinar looks at data from reopened states. ada.org, June 2: The ADA Health Policy Institute held a webinar May 28 to examine what the third week of reopening of dentistry looks like. The full webinar (55:53) is available on the ADA YouTube channel. Read more

Open (Your Wallet) Wide: Dentists Charge Extra For Infection Control. khn.org, June 3: ...they need the extra money to cover the cost of masks, face shields, gowns and air purifiers to help keep their offices free of the coronavirus. Read more

Reopening of dental surgeries in England only will result in 'toothache tourism', practitioners say. telegraph.co.uk, June 2: Dentists have warned of "cross-border dental tourism" because of the "chaotic" decision to reopen surgeries in England but not Scotland and Wales. Read more

Coronavirus: Phased return of dental care due to begin on Monday. bbc.com, June 2: It will be a three-stage process to help address the growing number of people with pressing oral health needs. Read more

Good oral health may prevent severe COVID-19 progression. dental-tribune.com, June 2: Recent studies have indicated that maintaining good oral health may prevent a severe course of the disease. Read more

Dentists extract new fee from patients to keep up with rising COVID-19 costs. nbcnews.com, June 2: A growing number of dental offices across the country are charging patients an "infection control fee." Read more

Coronavirus: Tooth decay fears over dentist wait until 2021. bbc.com, June 2: Concerns have been raised that routine dentistry such as fillings will not be available to patients until next year. Senior dentists across Wales want plans for allowing practices to offer more than just urgent care to be sped up. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening around the world Wednesday. cbc.ca, June 3: Pandemic pushes Australia's economy into 1st recession in years. Trudeau positions Canada as champion of co-ordinated global recovery plan. Black and Asian people in England more likely to die from COVID-19, public health report says. 'Serious' questions raised about hydroxychloroquine study, medical journal says. China delayed releasing coronavirus info, frustrating WHO, documents and recordings reveal. How soon should you be tested after exposure for COVID-19? Your questions answered. Read more

Feds continue to bolster PPE supply as COVID-19 pandemic continues. globalnews.ca, June 2: Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday that supply chains for essential equipment have stabilized but Canada continues to press to ensure reliable international sources of goods, while increasing domestic production efforts at the same time. Read more

Ottawa orders 37 million syringes for vaccinations. The Toronto Star, June 2: Canada is gearing up for an eventual COVID-19 vaccine, having inked a contract to buy 37 million syringes — roughly enough to deliver shots to the country’s entire population. Read more

Canadian company developing palm-sized test to detect COVID-19 in 20 minutes. ctvnews.ca, June 2: An Ontario company says it is developing a new saliva-based test for COVID-19 that will fit in the palm of the hand and be able to detect if someone is infected with the virus in a matter of 20 minutes. Read more

Coronavirus in Canada: These charts show how our fight to 'flatten the curve' is going. macleans.ca, June 2: As the Greater Toronto Area continues to experience a high number of COVID-19 cases, and previously unreported numbers come to light, Ontario considers taking a regional approach to expanded reopening. Read more

Military must test more soldiers deployed to long-term care homes, health expert warns. cbc.ca, June 3: Canadian Forces' testing has focused on those with symptoms, overlooking the risk of asymptomatic transmission. Read more

Le Canada aura besoin de plus d’équipement de protection individuel. lapresse.ca, 2 juin : Le Canada cherche à s’approvisionner surtout en blouses d’hôpital, en gants de protection et en respirateurs, alors que le pays anticipe une hausse de cas de COVID-19 dans les prochains mois. Lire plus

Ontario extends state of emergency until June 30 after it reports 446 new COVID-19 cases. cbc.ca, June 2: The Ontario legislature voted on Tuesday to extend the state of emergency until June 30. The vote came after the Ontario health ministry reported 446 additional cases of COVID-19, a number that represents a 1.6 per cent increase in total cases. Read more

Critical Ontario COVID-19 update on emergency leave, temporary layoffs and constructive dismissals. millerthomson.com, June 2: …the Ontario government has extended the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave to apply to non-unionized employees “whose hours of work are temporarily reduced or eliminated by the employer for reasons related to COVID-19”. Read more

Montreal suburb of Cote St-Luc becomes first municipality in Canada to make masks mandatory. montreal.ctvnews.ca, June 2: A municipality on the island of Montreal is boasting that it has become the first jurisdiction in Canada to make wearing a mask mandatory for anyone entering a business or a city-owned building. Read more

Plans for single COVID-19 contact tracing app facing resistance: health minister. ctvnews.ca, June 2: The federal government’s plans to “strongly” recommend Canadians download a to-be-determined COVID-19 contact tracing app may not happen as initially billed. Read more

At least 164 migrant workers at one Ontario farm have tested positive for COVID-19. ctvnews.ca, June 1: …some of the fields in Norfolk County, Ontario, are all but empty following an outbreak of COVID-19 that has spread to 164 migrant workers from Mexico, temporarily halting production. Read more

Doug Ford to extend Ontario’s state of emergency until June 30. thestar.com, June 1: Premier Doug Ford is pushing to extend Ontario’s COVID-19 state of emergency until June 30. As the current emergency declaration, which has been in effect since March 17, expires Tuesday, Ford’s majority Progressive Conservatives want another 28-day extension. Read more

Hospitals failed to flag 700 positive COVID-19 tests to Ontario's public health units. cbc.ca, June 1: Hundreds of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Toronto area were not flagged to public health officials because of a mix-up between two hospitals. Read more

Canada Revenue Agency opens up snitch line to information about federal COVID-19 aid program fraud. nationalpost.com, June 1: The agency says it’s looking for information regarding people who are receiving either CERB or CESB who are ineligible, or businesses or charities that are 'misusing' the wage subsidy program. Read more

UHN rolls out N95 Reprocessing Program. uhn.ca, June 01: At UHN, that has led to development of an unprecedented process to ensure a healthy stockpile of a key piece of personal protective equipment – N95 respirators, which are being reprocessed and stored for possible use if a second wave of the coronavirus leads to supply shortages. Read more

10,000 Canadians to be tested for COVID-19 antibodies in hopes of understanding immunity. ctvnews.ca, June 1: By testing the blood of more than 10,000 Canadians for antibodies…the Action to Beat Coronavirus study is hoping to not only find out whether immunity fades with time. Read more

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). who.int, June 2: Situation report - 134. Read more

Live updates: Trump says Republicans will pull convention from Charlotte; U.S. coronavirus cases pass 1.8 million. washingtonpost.com, June 3: More countries in Europe are now welcoming tourists, including Italy and Portugal, with both Germany and the Netherlands also lifting warnings against travel to most European countries. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday that he was “cautiously optimistic” about Moderna’s potential vaccine, which is entering its second round of clinical trials. A new survey shows 70 percent of Americans would get immunized. Iran, which was one of the first countries besides China to be hit hard by the coronavirus, appears to be facing a second wave of infections. Read more

Wuhan tests 10 million people, finds few infections. ctvnews.ca, June 3: The Chinese city of Wuhan…has tested nearly 10 million people in an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check an entire city. It identified just 300 positive cases, all of whom had no symptoms. Read more

Dr. Anthony Fauci says there's a chance coronavirus vaccine may not provide immunity for very long. cnbc.com, June 3: …Dr. Anthony Fauci said he worries about the “durability” of a potential coronavirus vaccine, saying there’s a chance it may not provide long-term immunity. Read more

Concerns growing about two studies on drugs for coronavirus. ctvnews.ca, June 2: The New England Journal of Medicine issued an “ expression of concern ” Tuesday on a study it published May 1 that suggested widely used blood pressure medicines were not raising the risk of death for people with COVID-19. Read more

Hydroxychloroquine: l’étude de The Lancet, la pointe de l’iceberg? lapresse.ca, 2 juin : Les tirs groupés de milliers d’internautes n’ont mis que quelques jours à mettre du plomb dans l’aile d’une étude qui prétendait que l’hydroxychloroquine et la chloroquine étaient non seulement inutiles, mais même potentiellement dangereuses dans le traitement du coronavirus. Lire plus

Proteins in COVID-19 patients' blood could predict severity of illness, study finds. theguardian.pe.ca, June 2: Scientists have found 27 key proteins in the blood of people infected with COVID-19 which they say could act as predictive biomarkers for how ill a patient could become with the disease. Read more

Avifavir, first COVID-19 drug from Russia: What you need to know. gulfnews.com, June 2: Fast-track approval of flu drug comes amidst claims of shorter recovery time for patients. Read more

Pandemic antibiotics surge will cause more deaths: WHO. ctvnews.ca, June 1: Increased antibiotics use in combating the COVID-19 pandemic will strengthen bacterial resistance and ultimately lead to more deaths during the crisis and beyond. Read more

Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. thelancet.com, June 1: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis support physical distancing of 1 m or more and provide quantitative estimates for models and contact tracing to inform policy. Read more

Eli Lilly starts human study of potential COVID-19 antibody treatment. ca.reuters.com, June 1: Eli Lilly and Co said on Monday it had started an early-stage trial to test its potential treatment for COVID-19, in the world’s first study of an antibody treatment against the disease. Read more

Alberta introduces vaping legislation to ban minors from buying e-cigarettes, flavours still allowed. globalnews.ca, June 2: Alberta has introduced new legislation on vaping that would include a ban on anyone under 18 from using e-cigarettes. Read more

Hospitals 'overwhelmed' by cyberattacks fuelled by booming black market. cbc.ca, June 2: Some experts call for national standards, federal money in battle against health-care data security breaches. Read more

Overdoses spike in April with Toronto’s medical officer of health recommending federal intervention. thestar.com, June 1: Toronto paramedics responded to more suspected opioid overdoses deaths in April — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — than any month since September 2017. Read more

‘Patients have been abandoned’: Critics say opioid-prescription guidelines punish those in pain. tvo.org, June 1: Regulations and professional expectations have made doctors less willing to prescribe opioids, experts say — leaving chronic-pain patients without a vital treatment. Read more

EU eyes overhaul of pharma rules to tackle vaccine, antibiotic shortages. The European Commission started a process that could lead to reforms of drug manufacturing to limit shortages of vaccines and antibiotics and make medicines more easily available. Read more

Big pharma attacks efforts to guard against coronavirus price gouging. theintercept.com, June 2: After US House Democrats announced a plan to ensure that drugs and vaccines for Covid-19 are affordable and accessible to all, a coalition of conservative groups began quietly working to undermine that effort. Read more

Judge Codifies Key Rulings Ahead of Landmark TSCA Trial on Fluoride. Risk Policy Report, June 02: The federal judge overseeing the first-time trial next month on whether EPA must regulate water fluoridation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has codified his earlier verbal rulings barring the agency from presenting evidence on the practice's benefits while leaving the door open for EPA to argue that it could defer any regulation. See attached

Pod-based e-cigarettes efficiently addictive. news.harvard.edu, June 1: JUUL and similar pod-based e-cigarettes’ efficient delivery of nicotine may foster greater dependence than other types of e-cigarettes, according to a new study. 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