News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/09/23

How to Tame Mask Mouth. oda.ca, Sept 21: The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) has some tips to stay fresh under your mask. You guessed it — good dental hygiene and getting regular dental check-ups go a long way in preventing bad fumes. Read more

Don't forget to brush — and all the other tips you need to avoid cavities during COVID‑19. thechronicleherald.ca, Sept 22: Preventing cavities is always important, but in these days of uncertainty and stress snacking, it’s one easy thing we can do to ensure continued good health. Read more

Are you brushing your teeth? Dentists see increase in damaged teeth six months into pandemic. omny.fm, Sept 22: Dentists are reporting a rising number of patients with cracked or damaged teeth over the first six months of the pandemic. Listen 08:10

HPI poll: More than 90% of dentists applied for relief during pandemic. ada.org, Sept 21: More than nine of 10 dentists sought out some sort of financial assistance during the pandemic, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute’s latest data from a poll conducted the week of Sept. 7. Read more and Listen 1:01:39

New York State Dentists Can Administer COVID-19 Tests. mlmic.com, Sept 21: While there was ambiguity before, Executive Order 202.61 lists dentists among the professions that can perform COVID-19 point-of-care (POC) testing. Read more

How COVID-19 Has Changed Dental Staffing Forever and What You Can Do to Stay Ahead. oralhealthgroup.com, Sept 21: COVID-19 has affected many parts of our daily lives, including what it’s like to run or work in a dental practice. Read more

Teledentistry is a win-win for employers and employees. benefitspro.com, Sept 21: One of the key learnings from this pandemic has been recognition of teledentistry as a viable option and the increase in its use. Read more

A New Study Explores COVID-19’s Significant Impact on the Dental Industry. usnews.com, Sept 21: Use of dental services fell by more than 70% during March and April, according to a new study by FAIR Health. Read more

Little evidence taking vitamin D prevents severe COVID-19. folio.ca, Sept 23: Getting too much vitamin D can also cause health problems, says U of A pediatric kidney specialist. Read more

We looked at every confirmed COVID-19 case in Canada. Here's what we found. cbc.ca, Sept 23: CBC News has dug deep into the data collected by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to examine how COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, affects the young, the elderly, men and women in order to better understand what's most likely to land you in hospital — or worse. Read more

Canada 'at a crossroads': COVID-19 will keep spreading if behaviours don't change, Tam says. ctvnews.ca, Sept 22: The latest federal modelling on the COVID-19 pandemic shows that in the short-term, Canada's epidemic is set to keep growing, predicting up to 155,795 total cases and 9,300 deaths by Oct. 2, unless Canadians re-adopt the same degree of health precautions they took in the early months of the pandemic. Read more

COVID-19 saliva tests may soon be used more widely in Laval, health official says. montrealgazette.com, Sept 23: The use of the saliva test has just been extended to assess COVID-19 outbreaks that take place outside of area hospitals. Read more

Canada signs deals for supply of Sanofi vaccine candidate, antiviral drug to treat COVID-19. ctvnews.ca, Sept 22: The federal government has inked a new deal with French multinational pharmaceutical firm Sanofi to obtain 72 million doses of its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Read more

Pediatricians warn of 'devastating collision course' ahead of flu season. ctvnews.ca, Sept 21: In a new petition launched online Saturday, the pediatrics section of the Ontario Medical Association identified three key factors that could produce challenges this fall: unprecedented interest in flu shots, the decreased capacity of physicians to deliver vaccinations, and the “co-circulating” coronavirus. Read more

Medical grade air filters are the next pandemic product flying off the shelves. cbc.ca, Sept 22: A Waterloo-based company says it's sold more than 4,000 HEPA air purifying units to schools across Ontario, and it's struggling to keep up with surging demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Ontario long-term care homes warn they are not equipped to handle second COVID-19 wave. theglobeandmail.com, Sept 21: Ontario’s long-term care sector says it is not equipped to handle a second wave of COVID-19 and that urgent government intervention is required to ensure the safety of residents and staff. Read more

COVID-19 tests coming to Ontario pharmacies this week as daily new cases rise to 425. hamiltonnews.com, Sept 21: Ontario will begin offering COVID-19 tests at dozens of drug stores within days, Premier Doug Ford said, as the province hit another recent high of 425 new cases and a top health official warned more pandemic restrictions are looming. Read more

How decolonizing public health has helped Indigenous communities control COVID-19. globalnews.ca, Sept 21: … The nation had an outbreak over the summer, but thanks to fast action and the use of 19 trailers renovated to host those who needed to isolate, the outbreak was limited to just 31 cases. Read more

Three First Nations in northwestern Ont. report new COVID-19 cases. cbc.ca, Sept 21: As COVID-19 numbers rise throughout southern Ontario, new cases of the virus are starting to pop up in rural First Nations throughout the northwestern region of the province. Read more

Henry Ford study demonstrates UV-C light is effective for killing COVID-19 on N95s. eurekalert.org, Sept 22: … certain N95 respirators tainted with COVID-19 can be effectively and safely decontaminated for reuse using ultraviolet-C light (UV-C), a method commonly utilized for treating rare skin diseases. Read more

Johnson & Johnson begins giant trial testing one-dose COVID shot. bnnbloomberg.ca, Sept 23: Johnson & Johnson has begun dosing up to 60,000 volunteers in a study of its COVID-19 vaccine, marking the first big U.S. trial of an inoculation that may work after just one shot. Read more

The CDC's crumbling reputation. axios.com, Sept 22: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly removed new guidance saying that the coronavirus spreads via aerosols from its website yesterday, drawing a fresh barrage of criticism. Concerns about the CDC's competence and politicization have only grown as the pandemic rages on. Read more

More than 150 nations join WHO-led COVID-19 vaccine initiative, but U.S. and China absent. theglobeandmail.com, Sept 21: Some 156 nations have joined a global scheme for fair distribution of future vaccines against COVID-19, an alliance led by the World Health Organization said on Monday, but superpowers China and the United States did not sign up. Read more

UK leader orders new virus restrictions, could last 6 months. thestar.com, Sept 22: Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britons on Tuesday that they should not expect to return to a normal social or work life for at least six months, as he ordered new restrictions that his government hopes will suppress a dramatic surge in confirmed coronavirus cases. Read more

COVID-19 will soon be joined by seasonal flu. What's a person to do? jsonline.com, Sept 21: As if we didn't have enough troubles with COVID-19 still very active throughout the country, flu season is just a month or two away. Americans have grown complacent about flu; vaccination rates hover below 50%. This year the new coronavirus has complicated the picture. Read more

Britain needs to live with coronavirus, not in fear of it. theguardian.com, Sept 21: The illness has clearly returned, as was predicted, but with nothing like its April virulence. Read more

Dental injuries on the rise thanks to e-scooter use: study by U of A prof. globalnews.ca, Sept 22: After running a study on the frequency and severity of dental and maxillofacial injuries associated with electric-powered bikes and scooters, a University of Alberta professor wants to see more education and possibly even more enforcement and legislation. Read more

Feds must also tackle non-COVID shortfalls in health care: CMA president. ipolitics.ca, Sept 23: The president of the organization that speaks for Canada’s physicians is hoping to hear deeper commitments to remedying health-care shortcomings, and not just overcoming the pandemic, in both today’s throne speech and the budget that’s expected to follow later this fall. Read more

Ontario has ordered 5.1M flu vaccine doses ahead of second wave of COVID-19 that may 'come at us harder than the last one.' cp24.com, Sept 22: Premier Ford made the announcement at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, noting that it is the “first pillar” of a six-part plan to respond to the second wave of the pandemic with more announcements to come this week. Read more

International experts call for independent probe of Canadian research linking fluoride and lower IQ. nationalpost.com, Sept 22: An arm’s-length review is needed to determine whether 'ideology is being misrepresented as science,' the group of academics and health officials says in a letter. Read more

Survey finds working Canadians are better off financially, more stressed about money. ctvnews.ca, Sept 21: A new survey has found that Canadians who’ve been able to continue working through the pandemic are in a better spot financially than they were a year ago, but are more stressed about money. Read more

With CERB winding down, Ottawa starts tinkering with an engine of the economic recovery. financialpost.com, Sept 22: Loss of CERB could deal a blow to people’s livelihoods and keep them from spending. Read more

Breakthrough for tomorrow's dentistry speeds tooth sensitivity treatments. medicalxpress.com, Sept 23: Using a single-cell RNA sequencing method and genetic tracing, researchers … have now identified and characterized all cell populations in mouse teeth and in the young growing and adult human teeth. Read more

Quitting smoking apps that help you acknowledge your triggers work better, study shows. cnn.com, Sept 21: An app that helped people accept, rather than avoid, cravings was 50% more effective at helping smokers quit, researchers found in a study released Monday. Read more

The Race to Redesign Sugar. newyorker.com, Sept 21: Forget artificial sweeteners. Researchers are now developing new forms of real sugar, to deliver sweetness with fewer calories. But tricking our biology is no easy feat. Read more

Study shows sharp decrease in periodontal treatment and tooth loss in Norway. dental-tribune.com, Sept 21: Periodontal disease is a global health issue, and many countries consistently report high levels of the disease among the population. The Norwegian government has attempted to address the issue by introducing certain measures, including major financial support, over the last four decades. 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
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