News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/09/02

Comprehensive Dental Care In Canada: The Choice Between Denticaid And Denticare. policyschool.ca, Sept 2020: This paper offers federal and provincial policy-makers a deep dive into the current issues surrounding oral health access and affordability in Canada, current policy on oral health and potential options for comprehensive public dental care. Read more

Starting From Scratch: A Microcosting Analysis For Public Dental Care In Canada. policyschool.ca, Sept 2020: ...this paper does provide Canadian policy-makers interested in exploring some sort of public dental care program with a rigorous estimation of the reimbursement of clinical costs for the options of both denticare and denticaid programs. Read more

Update to CDHO [College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario] Guidance on Returning to DH Practice and Use of Isolation Gowns. cdho.org, Sept 1: Read more

Ontario Expanding Seniors Dental Care Program – Province Investing in New, Renovated, and Mobile Dental Clinics. news.ontario.ca, Sept 1: The Ontario government is providing $25 million to expand access to the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program. Read more

Single oral health professions regulator included in proposed regulatory reform announcement by Health Minister. cdsbc.org, Aug 31: ...important message from B.C.’s four dental colleges in response to proposed changes to the regulation of oral health care in B.C. announced by the Minister of Health on August 27, 2020. Read more

3 Ways Technology Can Help Alleviate Anxiety in Dental Patients. oralhealthgroup.com, Aug 31: To avoid negative experiences for patients and ensure quality care, it’s critical for dentists and their teams to practice effective ways to help patients with dental anxiety and help them address and overcome their fears. Read more

Opinion: Here's what it's like to go to a dentist during the pandemic. burnabynow.com, Aug 31: If you're also swaying back and forth between whether it's safe to keep up with routine dentist appointments, hopefully sharing my experiences here can help you make the right decision for you. Read more

COVID-19 loan program expanded for small businesses, but not for rental assistance. thestar.com, Aug 31: With the rent due on Sept. 1, what is a small business hit hard by COVID‑19 to do? It’s a question lingering in the air this week as the federal government’s much-criticized rent subsidy program for small businesses came to an end without a clear commitment that it would be extended into September. Read more

New Canadian app working to 'cut through the information clutter' of COVID-19. ctvnews.ca, Sept 2: …The new app, called COVID AIKnowledgeEnable (COVID KE), uses artificial intelligence to search multiple peer-reviewed medical data sources in combination with collective insights of health-care professionals to deliver the most relevant findings and advice to users. Read more

High vaccine use urged by Tam, Njoo to beat COVID-19, restore pre-pandemic life. ctvnews.ca, Sept 1: Canadians will need to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated in large numbers to finally corral COVID-19 before life can return to a semblance of its pre-pandemic state, Canada's top public health officers said Tuesday. Read more

Multiple factors will influence pricing for COVID-19 vaccine in Canada: health economist. folio.ca, Sept 2: Need to supply enough for herd immunity may push down the price per dose, according to U of A expert. Read more

A closer look at the vaccines Canada is betting on to stem the spread of COVID-19. cbc.ca, Sept 2: Ottawa has signed deals for millions of doses from 4 companies, and a 5th is close. Read more

COVID-19 in schools inevitable, reducing class sizes unrealistic, Alberta premier says. cbc.ca, Sept 1: COVID-19 cases disrupted the reopening of two Alberta schools on Tuesday, but Jason Kenney said his government has accepted that such infections are inevitable and don't warrant closing down all classrooms. Read more

Airlines look to introduce COVID-19 testing at airports with hopes of ending strict quarantine measures. natinoalpost.com, Sept 2: Transport Canada is holding early talks with airlines to introduce COVID-19 testing at airports, but the day when such tests could become an alternative to the quarantines decimating travel could still be far off, sources familiar with the discussions said. Read more

Health Canada changes course on COVID-19 testing at home. cbc.ca, Sept 1: Health Canada is willing to consider approving home COVID-19 tests to screen for the virus, a spokesperson for the minister of health told Reuters, in a win for public health experts and doctors who have argued that frequent and inexpensive testing could beat back the pandemic. Read more

PPE, message fatigue among health workers could erode public trust: expert. cbc.ca, Aug 31: Manitoba's top public health official says he's noticing messaging and personal protective equipment fatigue amongst health-care workers at personal care homes experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. If true, this could impact public health for the duration of the pandemic if not corrected, says one expert. Read more

Toronto unveils plan to deal with 2nd wave of COVID-19 that medical officer calls 'inevitable.' cbc.ca, Sept 01: Dr. Eileen de Villa told reporters at a virtual news briefing at city hall that there is "no question" that there will be a resurgence of COVID-19, given the experience of other places, the reopening of schools across the city and the fact that most residents do not have immunity to the virus. Read more

U.S. drug company Novavax signs deal to supply 76 million doses of possible COVID-19 vaccine to Canada. cbc.ca, Aug 31: Canada's federal government has signed an agreement in principle to acquire up to 76 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by an American company. Read more

Canada sees 498 new coronavirus infections as total case count nears 129K. globalnews.ca, Aug 31: Monday is the first day since Aug. 26 that the number of new infections across the country was below 500. Read more

Mac Lee: Dentistry and the Pandemic. victoriaadvocate, Sept 1: ...Do yourself a favor and call your dentist and keep those teeth clean and healthy and use common sense when you go. Read more

The profession, the pandemic, and a guiding principle. jada.ada.org, Sept 1 [EDITORIAL BY Dr. Chad Gehani]: We are all in this together. This phrase is popular for times of collective challenge and especially for this moment, as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted all that we once knew as “normal” and sent us all into a space of uncertainty. Read more

New Dentist News – COVID-19 pandemic shines light on telehealth services. ada.org, Aug 31: New dentists may play role in expanding teledentistry, expert says. Read more

Landmark Study Pits AI Against Human For Dental Diagnosis. prnewswire.com, Sept 2: Pearl today announced the results of a landmark study comparing the diagnostic performance of three experienced human dentists to the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic system. The study evaluating agreement between human and AI analyses of a set of 8,767 bitewing and periapical radiographs found the AI system to be more consistent and accurate at predicting the presence of tooth decay. Read more

Face shield or face mask to stop the spread of COVID-19? eurekalert.org, Sept 1: Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science Visualization study illustrates why face shields alone don't work. Read more

Pro-fluoridation advocates show up in force to press for continuance of practice in Wisconsin. ada.org, Aug 31: Supporters of fluoridation flooded in from all over the country and even Canada, joining speakers from the ADA and the Wisconsin Dental Association to urge the water utility board to base its decision on science-based evidence that fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay for both children and adults. Read more

COVID-19 antibodies present in patients four months after recovery: study. reuters.com, Sept 1: Antibody levels against the novel coronavirus rose and then held steady for up to four months in more than 90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Iceland, according to a study published on Tuesday. Read more

Chinese bus offers new evidence of airborne coronavirus spread. ctvnews.ca, Sept 1: A person on a poorly ventilated Chinese bus infected nearly two dozen other passengers with coronavirus even though many weren't sitting close by, according to research published on Tuesday that offers fresh evidence the disease can spread in the air. Read more

In WHO global pulse survey, 90% of countries report disruptions to essential health services since COVID-19 pandemic. who.int, Aug 31: The World Health Organization (WHO) today published a first indicative survey on the impact of COVID-19 on health systems based on 105 countries’ reports. Read more

Russia’s virus cases exceed 1 million, globally 4th highest. thestar.com, Sept 1: ...Russia has the fourth largest caseload in the world after the U.S., Brazil and India. Read more

Hong Kong begins mass-testing for virus amid public doubts. ctvnews.ca, Sept 1: Hong Kong tested thousands of people for coronavirus Tuesday at the start of a mass-testing effort that's become another political flash point in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Read more

AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to begin Phase 3 trials in the U.S. ctvnews.ca, Sept 1: British drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday it has started Phase 3 trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, becoming the third company to start late-stage trials of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Read more

Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China. thechronicleherald.ca, Aug 31: High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say. Read more

COVID-19: Should healthcare shift focus from treatment to prevention? elliotlaketoday.com, Aug 31: COVID-19 has placed a spotlight on the inequities of Canada’s current “curative” health-care system and the problems associated with viewing health policy in isolation from social factors. Read more

Nearly a quarter of drugs marketed in Canada reported shortages: study. ctvnews.ca, Sept 1: A new study has found that of the over 9,000 different drugs marketed in Canada between 2017 and 2018, nearly 25 per cent were reported in shortage -- including EpiPens and treatments for Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and depression. Read more

CIHI releases new data on medical devices and annual cardiac care quality indicators. cihi.ca, Aug 27: Media advisory regarding new data on medical devices, payments to doctors and annual cardiac care quality indicators. Read more

'It's going to get worse': Businesses brace for cold weather, closure of patios. ctvnews.ca, Sept 2: ...Depending on how recovery from the pandemic goes, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business fears as many as 218,000 or 19 per cent of small businesses in the country could close. The organization says surveys it conducted have shown only 26 per cent of small businesses are making normal sales and six in 10 are concerned that consumer spending will remain low even after the pandemic is over. Read more

Report finds TV tobacco imagery persists, and says young viewers turn to vaping. usatoday.com, Sept 1: When young viewers see smoking on television, it can increase the likelihood they will try e-cigarettes, according to a first-of-its-kind study, part of a new report on tobacco and smoking imagery on TV. Read more

American Lung Association Announces Comprehensive Plan to End Youth Vaping Epidemic for Students, Parents, Schools. prnewswire.com, Sept 1: Robust plan to address youth vaping includes national awareness campaign with the Ad Council, Vape-Free Schools Initiative, advocacy measures, groundbreaking research. 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

September 10-12: California Dental Association (CDA) Presents virtual convention Read more

October 1-10:

October 15-17: ADA FDC Virtual Connect Conference. Read more

2021

March 13-16: “WE” 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition (Virtual). 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