COVID-19: Is it safe for the elderly to go to the dentist? cbc.ca, July 6: Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch answers viewer questions about the COVID-19 pandemic, including whether it’s safe for the elderly to go to the dentist. Watch 1:00
Unfair. standard-freeholder.com, July 7 [LETTER]: Our dentists here in Cornwall seem to have the upper hand in charging their patients for their personal protective equipment (PPE). Read more
Taking care of your oral health: your dentist is ready to see you. cda-adc.ca, July 7: ...Guidelines and protocols vary from province to province due to different circumstances across Canada. CDA recommends that people contact their dental office for more details on what to expect at an upcoming dental visit; available care options; and what to do before coming in for an appointment, or visit the websites of provincial dental associations. Read more
Health Canada warns of counterfeit N95 respirators. ctvnews.ca, July 6: Health Canada has issued a product safety warning after identifying counterfeit respirators, which it says may not provide the proper protection. The safety notice said that Shanghai Lansheng Light Industrial Products was found to be selling counterfeit N95 respirators using another company’s name -- Shanghai Dasheng Health Products Manufacture Co. Ltd. Read more
Plan sponsors worried about drug, dental plan sustainability: Sanofi survey. benefitscanada.ca, July 6: Most (79 per cent) plan sponsors said they have at least one major concern about their health benefits plan, with this increasing to 89 per cent for employers with 500 or more workers, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Read more
Some college students back in class Monday to complete studies interrupted by pandemic. cbc.ca, July 5: ...The University of Toronto confirmed its first returning students taking part in the pilot will be a group from the Faculty of Dentistry, scheduled to start sometime in July. Read more
UTOGETHER2020: Faculty of Dentistry Updates. dentistry.utoronto.ca, June 26: ...our specialty clinics will be re-opening to elective patient care by the graduate specialty residents during the week of July 6th. ... the University is still considering our proposal for an August 4th return for our current DDS-3 (incoming DDS-4) students into the clinics, as well as our incoming DDS-3 students into the simulation lab (Lab 4) to complete the in-person training sessions lost from their time in DDS-2 and IDAPP. Read more
Service businesses in Halifax are increasing prices to offset high cleaning costs. globalnews.ca, July 4: ...Purchasing PPE, making adjustments to office spaces, setting up Plexiglas barriers and additional staffing have been expensive for dentists upon reopening, says Dr. Chad Avery, president of the N.S. Dental Association. … Avery says that he expects COVID-19 surcharges, or increased fees, to be implemented for as long as strict operating regulations are in place. Read more
Dentists face backlog due to pandemic closure. cheknews.ca, July 3: Dentists are dealing with patient backlogs after most offices were closed for two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinics reopened in mid-May, during phase two of B.C.’s restart plan. Weeks later, dentists are still working to clear up the backlog left behind. Read more
New Research Examines Infection Control and Other Pandemic-Induced Changes In Dentistry. prnewswire.com, July 8 [Press Release]: In the interest of public health, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) is promoting a new research article entitled "COVID-19's Impact on Dentistry: Infection Control and Implications for Future Dental Practices." Read more
Research Finds Link Between Oral Health, Severity of COVID-19. elitecme.com, July 8: British researchers have found a link between poor oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 disease. Read more
Dental Practices Face ‘Major Uncertainty’. thelundreport.org, July 6: …Nationwide, patient spending on dental care is projected to be between 31 and 38% lower this year compared to pre-COVID-19 estimates, and zero to 20% lower in 2021, according to data published by the American Dental Association in June. Those projections are significantly rosier than the association’s April forecast, which predicted 66% declines this year and 32% next year. Read more
Canadians' COVID-19 fears are rising again — and the U.S. might be to blame. cbc.ca, July 8 [Analysis]: Cases are down but COVID-19 concerns are rising in Canada as the outbreak runs uncontrolled in the U.S. Read more
When a COVID-19 vaccine is ready, some Canadians likely won't want to get it. ctvnews.ca, July 7: The vast majority of Canadians say they expect they'll choose to get a COVID-19 vaccine when and if one is available, but some others say they likely will not, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Read more
Health experts press Ottawa for a more ‘balanced approach’ to tackling COVID-19 pandemic. theglobeandmail.com, July 7: Some of Canada’s top public-health experts say the country’s focus on wiping out the coronavirus is posing “significant risks to overall population health,” as other priorities take a backseat to the pandemic. Read more
Essential workers during COVID-19 susceptible to 'moral injury' and PTSD, hospital says. cbc.ca, July 7: ...The centre [Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] at the Royal Ottawa Hospital has teamed up with the Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health to develop a guide for facilities including hospitals and peer-support organizations in an effort to reduce the impact on those susceptible to so-called moral injury, a type of PTSD. Read more
Edmonton hospital under ‘full facility outbreak’ due to rise in COVID-19 cases. theglobeandmail.com, July 8: An outbreak at the Misericordia Community Hospital was first declared by Alberta’s chief medical health officer two weeks ago, and restrictions were tightened as case numbers increased. Alberta Health Services says that 20 patients and 15 staff have tested positive. Three patients have died from the infection. Read more
Economic impact of COVID-19 among visible minority groups. 150.statcan.gc.ca, July 6: The economic lockdown triggered by COVID-19 has led so far to disproportionate employment losses among lower-paid workers and young workers. Its impact on visible minorities is currently less known. Read more
Ontario wants to extend some emergency measures over the next year. toronto.ctvnews.ca, July 7: The proposed law would allow the government to extend or amend some emergency orders a month at a time, with the law expiring a year after it’s passed. Read more
COVID-19 measures contributed to spike in OD deaths among B.C. Indigenous people, health authority says. bc.ctvnews.ca, July 6: The First Nations Health Authority says 89 members of its community fatally overdosed from illicit drugs across British Columbia between January and May, an increase of 93 per cent compared with the same period last year. Read more
Plasma project could use blood of COVID-19 survivors to help save the newly infected. theglobeandmail.com, July 6: If a second wave of COVID-19 slams into Canada in the fall, doctors are planning to have freezers full of convalescent plasma ready to deploy as part of an effort to determine, once and for all, whether the straw-coloured liquid in the blood of survivors can help save the newly infected. Read more
1st glimpse of Canada's true COVID-19 infection rate expected mid-July from immunity testing. cbc.ca, July 5: Results elsewhere suggest infection rate higher than number of confirmed cases. Read more
As U.S. buys up remdesivir, ‘vaccine nationalism’ threatens access to COVID-19 treatments. theconversation.com, July 5: Are we really all in this together? ‘Vaccine nationalism’ must be addressed to ensure equitable distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. Read more
Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. who.int, July 7: Situation report - 169. Read more
Coronavirus: What's happening around the world. cbc.ca, July 8: U.S. nears milestone of three million known COVID-19 infections. Brazilian president says he is confident he will swiftly recover from COVID-19. Spain's Catalonia region makes masks mandatory everywhere. Protests in Serbian capital as country reintroduces lockdown over spike in cases. Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases now above a half million. Read more
Why the WHO won't say the coronavirus is airborne and driving the pandemic. cbc.ca, July 8 [Analysis]: Lack of 'definitive' evidence on the threat of the coronavirus through the air divides experts. Read more
U.S. sees new shortage of PPE as cases, hospitalizations climb. globalnews.ca, July 8: The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs. Read more
Healthcare Workers Fear A Return To PPE Shortages As Coronavirus Caseloads Climb. forbes.com, July 7: The dramatic summer spike in coronavirus cases…has healthcare professionals fearing a return to the early days of the pandemic when availability of personal protective equipment, or PPE, lagged need and some desperate professionals resorted to wearing garbage bags. Read more
Hundreds of health groups petition against Trump. politico.com, July 7: The leaders of public health authorities and activist groups come together to defend the CDC and demand an end to political interference. Read more
EPA approves 1st disinfectant sprays that kill COVID-19 on surfaces. abcnews.go.com, July 7: …The agency said that Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist were effective, based on laboratory testing, in preventing the spread of the virus on surfaces. Read more
Vaccinations Have Sharply Declined Nationwide during the COVID-19 Pandemic. scientificamerican.com, July 8: Rates of childhood immunization have fallen across the U.S., raising the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Read more
10% of Dental Clinics May Either Close or Refocus on Domestic Patients. imtj.com, July 7: Ian Youngman interviews Dental Departures founder Paul McTaggart on his dental travel agency plans, the regionalism of dental tourism, and how this global market attracting international patients will change in the next year. Read more
China's Sinovac starts late stage trials for its COVID-19 vaccine. business.financialpost.com, July 6: China’s Sinovac Biotech is starting Phase III trials of its potential coronavirus vaccine in Brazil, it said on Monday, becoming one of three companies to move into the late stages in the race to develop an inoculation against the disease. Read more
Fauci Says He Assumes Any Vaccine Will Offer ‘Finite’ Protection. bnnbloomberg.ca, July 6: Any vaccine developed to ward off the novel coronavirus would likely be limited in how long it would shield against infection, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Monday. Read more
Regeneron COVID-19 treatment enters final stage trials. ctvnews.ca, July 6: The company is moving to the final Phase 3 stage of a trial to determine if its drug can prevent infection among people recently exposed to the virus -- for example through a person in their household. Read more
More than 200 experts agree: Coronavirus is airborne and can linger indoors. theglobeandmail.com, July 5: The coronavirus is finding new victims worldwide, in bars and restaurants, offices, markets and casinos, giving rise to frightening clusters of infection that increasingly confirm what many scientists have been saying for months: The virus lingers in the air indoors, infecting those nearby. Read more
Loss of smell, taste can linger longer than other COVID-19 symptoms: study. ctvnews.ca, July 5: ...According to the study…more than half of patients who lost one or both senses reported that it had not fully recovered after four weeks, with one in 10 saying that it had not improved at all. Read more
FDA head refuses to defend Trump claim that 99 per cent of COVID-19 cases are 'harmless'. ctvnews.ca, July 5: The commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sunday declined to defend U.S. President Donald Trump's unfounded claim that 99 per cent of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless" and repeatedly refused to say whether Trump's remark is true or false. Read more
WHO halts hydroxychloroquine, HIV drugs in COVID trials after failure to reduce death. montrealgazette.com, July 4: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that it was discontinuing its trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 after they failed to reduce mortality. Read more
FDA commissioner says he can't predict when vaccine will be ready. thehill.com, July 5: Stephen Hahn said Sunday that he would not make a prediction about when a coronavirus vaccine would be available after President Trump claimed that a vaccine or therapeutic would be ready "long before the end of the year." Read more
PBO says it could cost $98-billion to provide basic income for most Canadians for six months. theglobeandmail.com, July 8: The idea of providing a basic income to Canadians has gained steam as millions have watched their jobs or earnings evaporate in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the federal government has planned to spend about $174-billion to provide a financial floor for individuals and businesses. Read more
Morneau expected to reveal federal deficit in excess of $300-billion. theglobeandmail.com, July 7: Finance Minister Bill Morneau will forecast a deficit in excess of $300-billion, sources say, as the government announces for the first time how shutting down large swaths of the economy and spending billions on emergency pandemic programs is affecting Ottawa’s bottom line. Read more
Canadian Forces Health Services Group welcomes new Commander and Surgeon General. canada.ca, July 7: Rear-Admiral Rebecca Patterson assumed command of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Read more
Plan members increasingly open to pharmacogenetics, virtual care. benefitscanada.com, July 8: Virtual-care options are gaining ground, according to the 2020 Sanofi Canada health-care survey. Read more
Substance use cost estimated at $46-billion in Canada, contributed to almost 75,900 deaths in 2017. theglobeandmail.com, July 7: The cost of substance use in Canada reached an estimated $46-billion and contributed to almost 75,900 deaths in 2017, with drinking and smoking principally responsible, according to a new report. Read more
Canadian mental health remains low even as country reopens from coronavirus lockdown. benefitscanada.com, July 6: Even as Canada begins to reopen from coronavirus lockdown, uncertainty remains high and Canadians need employer mental-health supports more than ever. According to Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s latest mental-health index, Canadians’ mental-health score sat at negative 11 in June. Read more
Doctor's Note: How COVID-19 is increasing antibiotic resistance. aljazeera.com, July 7: Why has the WHO said a 'worrying number' of bacterial infections are becoming resistant to medicines? Read more
FDA Authorizes Marketing of IQOS as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product. bnnbloomberg.ca, July 7: Philip Morris International Inc. can market its IQOS products as reducing consumers’ exposure to harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. Read more
FDA Puts Kids, Public Health at Risk by Allowing Philip Morris to Market IQOS Heated Cigarette as Modified Risk Tobacco Product. lung.org, July 7 [Statement of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Truth Initiative.]: … With today’s action, the FDA has created a real danger that kids and adults will falsely believe IQOS has been proven to present a lower health risk and that kids will be exposed to marketing that portrays IQOS, a highly addictive tobacco product, as an appealing, cool alternative to cigarettes, in much the same way as e-cigarettes. Read more
Maine Issues New Guidelines for Licensing Dental Therapists. pewtrusts.org, July 1: The board issued final rules in April to regulate dental therapy, creating specific qualifications for licensure and establishing education requirements so that schools in the state can launch training programs. Read more
FDA adds oropharyngeal cancer prevention as indication for HPV vaccine. ada.org, July 1: ADA policy urges dentists to support use of vaccine. 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
We invite you to send us leads to news stories worth sharing oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca.