News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/10/07

PPE Shortages Remain A Problem At Dental Office, Plastic Surgery Clinic. chicago.cbslocal.com, Oct 7: That struggle feels like ages ago, but grappling with supply shortages is still a reality for several small businesses. CBS 2’s Lauren Victory took us inside a Chicago dentist’s office where personal protective equipment is taking a huge bite out of the budget. Read more

Even Dentist Visits Go Remote During the Covid-19 Pandemic. bnnbloomberg.ca, Oct 7: The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed many in-person activities into remote services delivered over the internet. The latest example is the dreaded visit to the dentist. Read more

Vaccine allocation framework identifies dentists as essential. ada.org, Oct 2: Dentists and dental hygienists are essential health care workers who should be afforded early access to a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a vaccine distribution framework released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine during an Oct. 2 webinar. Read more

Dentists facing uphill struggle, as missed appointments top 14m. bda.org, Oct 4: The British Dental Association has warned dentists face an uphill struggle to restore services unless government is willing to support costs for new equipment that could radically expand patient access, as the number of missed appointments hits over 14 million. Read more

COVID-19 connections in dentistry featured in October issue of Journal of the California Dental Association. prweb.com, Oct 5: Articles discuss the roles of hygiene and periodontal health in respiratory complications, differentiating medical and dental aerosols, barriers to accessing care globally and evaluating masks and air-purifying respirators. The issue, which also provides teledentistry guidance and back-to-practice resources, was designed to not only update contemporary readers but to serve as an archive for future researchers. Read more or read the issue

Pediatric dentists seeing more tooth decay as kids learn and eat at home. cbs4indy.com, Oct  5: Pediatric dentists with Riley Hospital for Children tell CBS4 they are seeing more children with tooth decay now that so many students are learning from home. Read more

Clinics help patients struggling to pay for dental care amid pandemic. news5cleveland.com, Oct 5: …Since February, an estimated 12 million Americans have lost their healthcare coverage. Most lost their insurance when they lost their job. But the number of people without dental coverage is typically four or five times higher than the number of people without health insurance. This clinic that typically sees about 3,000 patients a year has seen call volume increase 20 percent. Read more

Charlotte dentist becomes first in country to install new tech to fight COVID-19. wsoctv.com, Oct 5: The piece of equipment is called the “Safe-T-Shield.” It uses a Hepa filtration system, which works to remove and disinfect particles escaping from a patient’s mouth. Whatever comes out of the patient’s mouth is less likely to come in contact with the doctor or his staff. Read more

COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: 'alarming rise' in new and active cases. cbc.ca, Oct 7: Rise of new COVID-19 cases linked to private gatherings, says Indigenous Services Canada Read more

Canada sees 2,364 new coronavirus cases, setting new daily record. globalnews.ca, Oct 6: Canada reported 2,364 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, marking the highest single-day increase since the pandemic began. The new cases come as health officials struggle to stave off a second wave of COVID-19. Read more

Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday. cbc.ca, Oct 7: Delays with online classes mandatory mask rules adding to challenges of new school year. • Canadian military reports 222 COVID-19 cases since pandemic began. • Spain unveils huge economic recovery plan amid pandemic. • Sri Lanka bans public gatherings amid sharp rise in virus cases. • New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, lifting limits on public gatherings and activities. CERB helped this N.W.T. community afford basic necessities. It also increased alcohol and drug use. Read more

Health Canada approves first rapid antigen COVID-19 test. cbc.ca, Oct 6: U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories can now sell and distribute the Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device, which can produce results in less than 20 minutes. … Health Canada has authorized it as a point of care test, meaning it can be used by trained professionals in pharmacies, walk-in clinics or doctors' offices. Read more

Few provinces still resisting COVID Alert app as new features under consideration. cbc.ca, Oct 6: Quebec has joined the COVID Alert app, leaving B.C. and Alberta as the only remaining provinces with no immediate plans to activate the digital tool. Both Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have committed to joining in the coming days. Read more

New model helps determine who should get COVID-19 vaccine first. cbc.ca, Oct 6: Researchers at University of Waterloo have developed a new model to help health officials determine which sector of the population should get a COVID-19 vaccination first. According to the model, if a vaccine becomes available in January 2021 or shortly after, it should be given to people 60 and older first since they have the highest death rate from COVID-19. If the vaccine becomes available in the summer of 2021, the priority group changes. Read more

Health Canada needs to ramp up rapid test approvals as cases rise across the country, infectious disease experts say. thestar.com, Oct 5: …The Canadian agency currently has almost a hundred COVID-19 tests under evaluation, from all over the globe. These range from rapid tests to be administered by a health professional, to lab-based tests that require samples to be evaluated elsewhere, to antibody tests. Read more

Canadian researchers begin clinical trials of tuberculosis vaccine for COVID-19. ctvnews.ca, Oct 5: The University Health Network in Toronto announced on Monday that it has begun the first Canadian trial of the Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine on more than 3,600 front-line workers in the area, including medical staff, paramedics, police officers and firefighters. Read more

Canadians are divided about whether to let the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt their plans, a new poll suggests. ctvnews.ca, Oct 6: The poll…comes as COVID-19 cases are surging and public health authorities are pleading with Canadians in places with rising case counts to avoid contact with anyone outside their immediate families or at least to stick to small social circles. The results suggest that message is only partially getting through. Read more

Mandatory masks made big impact on Ontario's COVID-19 trajectory: study. nationalpost.com, Oct 5: Mask mandates in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic may have reduced new weekly cases by as much as 25 per cent, a team of economists from Simon Fraser University found. The researchers also found that mask mandates dramatically increased mask usage in Canada, with self-reported mask-wearing jumping by 30 percentage points after mandates were introduced. Read more

British Columbia – Delta hospital no longer admitting new patients after 7 die since Sept. 16 in COVID-19 outbreak. cbc.ca, Oct 5: However, the emergency department remains open for urgent care and all scheduled surgeries at the hospital will go ahead, Fraser Health said Monday. Read more

Canadian health care workers hit harder by COVID-19 because of lack of N95 masks, report finds. thestar.com, Oct 4: Nearly 20 per cent of COVID-19 infections in Canada are among health care workers, which is double the global average and an “irresponsible approach to worker safety,” according to a new report by a former senior adviser on the SARS commission. Read more

Health Canada looking into private clinics offering COVID-19 tests. ctvnews.ca, Oct 5: Health Canada is looking into reports that a number of for-profit health clinics are administering COVID-19 tests to Canadians looking to bypass long wait times, going against the essence of the country’s universal health-care system. Read more

COVID-19 case counts will drop artificially as testing moves to appointment only, experts warn. cbc.ca, Oct 5: Doctors say case counts to be 'unreliable' because people might have trouble booking appointments. Read more

Patients' access to vital NHS tests delayed by warehouse failure. bbc.com, Oct 7: Key NHS tests for conditions from cancer to coronavirus are under threat, after a supply chain failure at a major diagnostics company. Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche said problems with a move to a new warehouse had led to a "very significant" drop in its processing capacity. Read more

FDA publishes COVID-19 vaccine guidelines blocked by White House. thehill.com, Oct 6: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rolled out new safety standards for vaccine manufacturers developing a treatment for COVID-19. The Associated Press reports that these guidelines were released after the White House blocked their formal release. Read more

Fauci: As many as 400,000 Americans could die from coronavirus. thehill.com, Oct 7: Fauci’s prediction goes beyond a University of Washington study from August that said as many as 300,000 people could die of COVID-19 by Dec. 1. Read more

Live updates: Trump abruptly cuts off coronavirus aid talks, but tweets send mixed messages. washingtonpost.com, Oct 7:  At least 7,463,000 coronavirus cases and 210,000 fatalities have been reported in the United States since February. • Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump, is the latest administration official to test positive for the novel coronavirus. The White House gestured toward enhancing public health protocols on Tuesday, but the main source of resistance continues to be Trump. Read more

CDC backtracks, says coronavirus could be spread through airborne transmission. globalnews.ca, Oct 5: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday said COVID-19 can spread through virus lingering in the air, sometimes for hours, acknowledging concerns widely voiced by public health experts about airborne transmission of the virus. The CDC guidance comes weeks after the agency published – and then took down – a similar warning, sparking debate over how the virus spreads. Read more

WHO: 10 per cent of world's people may have been infected with the virus. ctvnews.ca, Oct 5: The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization said Monday the agency's "best estimates" indicate roughly 1 in 10 people worldwide may have been infected by the coronavirus -- more than 20 times the number of confirmed cases -- and warned of a difficult period ahead. Read more

Cost estimate of a federal dental care program for uninsured Canadians. pbo-dpb.gc.ca, Oct 7: In response to a request based on a motion from Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway), this report estimates the cost of establishing a Federal dental care program for uninsured Canadians with a total household income below $90,000 as of January 1, 2021. Read more or Read the report (PDF)

Canada banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021. ctvnews.ca, Oct 7: ...Citing the ongoing need for single-use plastic personal protective equipment items like face shields, the federal government says the ban will not impact access to PPE. Read more

Canada’s Dental Hygienists Elect New President. The Canadian Dental Hygienists. files.cdha.ca, Oct 5: CDHA is pleased to announce the installation of its new president, Tiffany Ludwick. Read more

Doctors, pharmacies explore drive-thrus, outdoor clinics to meet flu shot demand. ctv.ca, Oct 6: …While residents in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have been among the first in Canada to receive doses in recent weeks, pharmacies and doctor's clinics in much of the rest of the country are still waiting and preparing to deliver their shots. Read more

Hoffer and Roth: Evidence backs innovative recovery program for the frail elderly at The Perley. ottawacitizen.com, Oct 5 [OPINION}: Without new models of care, our rapidly aging population could soon overwhelm Canada’s health care and long-term care systems. The SAFE program is showing what can be done to help. Read more

Calls for cultural safety training for health-care staff renewed after Joyce Echaquan's death. cbc.ca, Oct 5: ...The Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association (CINA) and Canadian Nurses Association denounced the treatment Echaquan received, stating that it is a clear example of the need for a mandatory cultural competency and humility training program for health-care professions. Read more

Alberta city struggling with surge in opioid deaths as advocates call for more safe injection sites. ctvnews.ca, Oct 4: While B.C. has been hit the hardest with more than 1,000 opioid-related deaths this year, Lethbridge, Alta. has seen the highest per-capita rate of overdoses amid the pandemic, and the community is struggling to find a solution to the crisis. Read more

Dentists, health leaders frustrated over New Zealand's fluoridation failure. stuff.co.nz, Oct 7: At The Press Leaders Debate on Tuesday, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins both said they supported fluoridating water supplies. Dental health leaders were happy to see the leaders voice their support, but were puzzled about why the Fluoridation Amendment Bill, introduced in 2016, had not been passed already. … Dental care has been a key issue of the 2020 election. Read more

Walmart to sell Medicare plans in latest healthcare push. financialpost.com, Oct 6: Walmart Inc said on Tuesday it would sell Medicare insurance plans in 50 states and Washington D.C. through its broker, marking the U.S. retailer’s latest move into the healthcare space. Read more

Consuming sugary drinks while breastfeeding could cause cognitive issues in infants: study. ctvnews.ca, Oct 6: A new study looking at the diets of breastfeeding mothers has found that too many sugary beverages could negatively impact the cognitive development of their infants. Read more

Smoking on TV: Attorneys general call on Hollywood unions for help kicking the habit. usatoday.com, Oct 5: The National Association of Attorneys General is asking several major Hollywood talent unions to help "protect young audiences from tobacco use" by limiting its exposure in streaming shows. Read more

Parents less aware when their kids vape than when they smoke. eurekalert.org, Oct 5: UCSF study says strict household rules are best way to prevent tobacco use. Read more

Cheese Preservative Slows Oral Cancer Spread in Mice: Study. the-scientist.com, Oct 1: In a study in PLOS Pathogens, researchers demonstrate the mechanism by which three oral bacteria found in cells of the gums promote oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumor development and progression in mice. And they show that a bacteriocin, an antimicrobial peptide that bacteria produce, counters the effects of the oral bacteria and slows tumor growth. 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
Jan 25-28: 2021 OSAP Dental Infection Control Boot Camp. Read more
March 13-16: “WE” 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition (Virtual). Read more