Waterloo dentist notes uptick in teeth-grinding amid pandemic. cbc.ca, Feb 16: Dr. Aadil Shamji says more patients are coming to him with headaches and toothaches. He thinks teeth grinding is the culprit. Listen 5:52
BCIT’s dental clinic struggles as campus remains mostly empty. bcitnews.com, Feb 11: BCIT’s on-site dental clinic has seen a marked decrease in appointments since the onset of COVID-19. The Burnaby campus has remained virtually empty with most students attending classes online, making it challenging for the clinic to promote its services. Read more
Alberta pandemic danger pay program causes confusion among workers, unions. cbc.ca, Feb 12: …Maeghan Heck, president of the Calgary Dental Assistants Association, is frustrated by what she says is an artificial distinction between public and private health-care workers. Read more
ADA shares dental priorities for next COVID-19 relief package with Congress. ada.org, Feb 15: The ADA is urging Congress to pass additional COVID-19 relief legislation with provisions the Association believes are crucial to ensuring the safety and economic stability of dental practices across the country. The ADA is urging Congress to pass additional COVID-19 relief legislation with provisions the Association believes are crucial to ensuring the safety and economic stability of dental practices across the country. Read more
Trio of organizations agree more research needed on COVID-19’s effect on oral health. ada.org, Feb 12: American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology: Tongue conditions described in British article are common, may be unrelated to COVID-19. Read more
COVID-19 making it difficult for parents to find dental care for kids, poll finds. wcsjnews.com, Feb 15: One in three parents say COVID-19 has made it hard to get dental care for their child, according to a new poll. The poll's findings show just one of the ripple effects the coronavirus pandemic is having on children's health. Read more and watch 2:77
Study says dental care is the No. 1 unmet health need among children. floridapolitics.com, Feb 15: About one in six caregivers say dental care was the most unmet challenge amid the pandemic. ... Floridians for Dental Access — a coalition of dentists, dental hygienists, community advocates and families — said the study showed the need for lawmakers to pass a proposal that would bring dental therapists to Florida. Read more
The importance of dental care during a pandemic. wpri.com, Feb 15: Karyn Ward, President Rhode Island Dental Association, and Dr. Fred Hartman Oral Surgeon, Hasbro Children’s Hospital & Rhode Island Hospital, joined “The Rhode Show” to discuss safety protocols at dentists’ offices, the importance of dental care, February being Childrens Dental Health Month and how to find a dentist. Read more watch 05:17
California RDHs approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine under direct supervision of dentist. cda.org, Feb 12: The Department of Consumer Affairs on Feb. 11 approved a public health emergency waiver that allows registered dental hygienists in California to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 16 and older under the supervision of an eligible vaccine provider, such as a dentist, licensed physician or surgeon. Read more
Scottish dental students forced to repeat a year. bbc.com, Feb 12: All dental students in Scotland will have to repeat a year after their training was disrupted by Covid. Scotland's dental schools said students had not been able to gain sufficient clinical experience of aerosol generating procedures. Read more
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday. cbc.ca, Feb 17: B.C. health officials warn "tide can turn quickly" as COVID-19 cases creep up in some regions. Patients receiving treatment abroad exempt from testing, quarantine rules. Canada’s Pfizer vaccine shipment delayed by winter weather in the U.S. Why it might be best to avoid painkillers as a precaution before your COVID-19 vaccine. Read more
Moderna study suggests half doses offer strong immune response, but experts caution against changing approach. cbc.ca, Feb 17: There's now early evidence showing Moderna's coronavirus vaccine may elicit a strong immune response even through half doses, prompting hope that further research could back up the results and eventually allow countries like Canada to stretch out vaccine supplies. Read more
Canada’s public health authorities on edge as COVID-19 variants circulate and vaccines arrive slowly. thestar.com, Feb 16: Canada’s top public health authorities are warning that it is not time to “take the brakes off” collective and individual public health restrictions now that contagious new COVID-19 variants have been found in all 10 provinces. Read more
Eroding trust in scientists, CEOs and journalists threatens vaccine rollout: Survey. thestar.com, Feb 17: ...The survey underscores a growing struggle around trusted information and credible sources. Read more
How do you face COVID-19 variants? By upping your mask game. cbc.ca, Feb 17: Dr. Lisa Barrett shares her pro tips for taking your mask game from a C or a D to an A+. Read more
Disband conflicted, secretive task force behind flawed COVID-19 vaccine effort, MPs told. nationalpost.com, Feb 17: Born in secrecy, rife with conflict of interest, the task force that guided Ottawa in its stumbling effort to procure COVID-19 vaccine should be heavily revamped or disbanded entirely, expert witnesses argued Tuesday in a blunt dissection of Canada’s vaccine “disaster.” Read more
'Race against time': Third wave of COVID-19 feared as 'wild card' variants spread. ctvnews.ca, Feb 16: Fears are mounting that Canada could see a third wave of COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks, as variants of the novel coronavirus spread even to remote regions of the country. Though case counts are dropping and vaccinations are expected to pick up again this week after a month-long slowdown, mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are threatening the progress made this month. Read more
Canadian COVID-19 vaccine maker says it can produce 50 million doses this year. globalnews.ca, Feb 16: A Canadian company says it is on track to produce 50 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine this year, which if approved, could give the country’s vaccine supply a much-needed boost to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Calgary-based vaccine maker, Providence Therapeutics, is still in the early stages of clinical trials for its mRNA vaccine candidate, and Manitoba is the only province that has announced a deal with them. Read more
Expected influx of COVID-19 vaccines to test provincial promises of mass inoculations. ctvnews.ca, Feb 16: Whether doses remain in fridges or head straight into the arms of a winter weary public was still very much unclear for some who called on provinces to declare more detailed plans over how, when and where vaccines will be deployed. Read more
N.B. company's quick-results COVID-19 test now in use, but not in New Brunswick. cbc.ca, Feb 17: A Fredericton-based company says it has accurate diagnostic tests that provide quick results and are effective on both the original COVID-19 virus strain and all four known variants – but they aren't being used here in New Brunswick. Read more
Rapid testing will add to strain on long-term care sector, advocate warns. cbc.ca, Feb 16: Frequent antigen testing of anyone entering homes to be mandatory by mid-March. While most long-term care homes in Ontario are pleased that rapid antigen testing is now available, provincial requirements will add pressure to an already distressed sector, according to one advocate. Read more
Canada prepares for single biggest Pfizer vaccine shipment to date. globalnews.ca, Feb 15: …The Public Health Agency of Canada says it expects the two pharmaceutical companies to deliver more than 400,000 doses this week and another 475,000 following a slowdown as Pfizer expanded a production plant in Belgium. Read more
India manufacturer says it will send AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada in 'less than a month'. ctvnews.ca, Feb 15: The world's biggest vaccine manufacturer said Monday it would deliver COVID-19 shots from India to Canada "in less than a month", days after a phone call between the two nations' leaders following a diplomatic row over protests by farmers. Read more
NDP leader calls for quicker COVID-19 vaccine plan using Canada’s military. globalnews.ca, Feb 16: Jagmeet Singh is calling for a quicker, clearer vaccination plan that would see Canada’s military deployed across the country to speed up provincial COVID-19 inoculation efforts. The federal government should engage military personnel along with more medical and nursing students and retired health-care workers to ramp up Canada’s faltering vaccine rollout. Read more
Canada Revises COVID-19 Vaccination List To Prioritize Racialized Adults. huffingtonpost.ca, Feb 15: Adults from racialized communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic should be prioritized for shots in the second stage of the vaccination campaign, says new guidance from Canada’s national advisory committee on immunization. The advice also would see all essential workers who can’t do their jobs from home moved into the second stage, instead of focusing on health workers with lower-risk jobs. Read more
B.C. identifies new variant of COVID-19 - B.1.525 - associated with travel to Nigeria. bc.ctvnews.ca, Feb 12: …This variant, labelled B.1.525, is new to the province, and the case is the first to have been confirmed in Canada. Read more
Call centre, web portal to book vaccine appointments coming soon to Ontario: Hillier. cbc.ca, Feb 15: The head of Ontario's vaccine distribution plan says a call centre and online reservation system will be up and running in the next few weeks to help coordinate appointments as the province moves to inoculate those next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Retired general Rick Hillier, chair of the province's COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force, said Ontario hopes to start vaccinating adults aged 80 and over starting the first week of March. Read more
Are people smoking more cigarettes during the pandemic? It depends who you ask. thestar.com, Feb 16: “I don’t have empirical data,” says Natacha Duke, a registered psychotherapist with Cleveland Clinic Canada and Bhatia Psychology Group. “But I can say from my clinical experience that smoking has increased, the same way that alcohol use and problematic eating behaviour has increased during the pandemic, as well as other types of habits that might not be best for our health. “I think it’s partly due to this sense of Groundhog Day, especially now that it’s almost a year into this,” she continues. “The boredom is real.” Read more
Deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine doses to Canada set to more than quadruple next week. ctvnews.ca, Feb 11: A month-long slowdown in Canada's COVID-19 vaccine deliveries should end next week, with the single biggest shipment of vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech to date and almost two million doses expected in the next month. Read more
Don Martin: The provinces' big fail as rapid testing moves at glacial speed. ctvnews.ca, Feb 11 [OPINION]: A few steps from the soft drink and candy vending machines at Oakland’s International Airport is one that kicks out $200 COVID-19 rapid-testing kits. This instant-access rollout is expanding by the day and will soon be in hundreds of locations across the United States. In Canada, by starkly inexplicable contrast, more than 95 per cent of COVID-19 rapid test kits remain locked up in provincial government storage. Read more
Canada might learn soon whether COVID Alert app is a dud. ipolitics.ca, Feb 11: More than six months after releasing COVID Alert — the cellphone app meant to trip up the coronavirus in Canada — the federal government will begin collecting new metrics that will finally allow it to judge the app’s effectiveness. Read more
Former United Nations envoy Stephen Lewis takes on Big Pharma. globalnews.ca Feb 12 [COMMENTARY]: …Now, A global competition for vaccines has begun. Some countries are doing better than others, with the “other” category including Canada, which trails other developed nations in vaccine delivery. For poorer countries, though, the vaccine picture is much bleaker, as richer countries seek to vaccinate their own citizens first. And lording over it all are big pharmaceutical companies, set to reap large profits from the vaccines they produce. Read more
Ottawa could distribute COVID-19 rapid tests itself if provinces don’t start using them, Justin Trudeau says. thestar.com, Feb 11: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that if rapid tests for COVID-19 continue to sit on shelves across the country, Ottawa may just start sending them directly to pharmacies. Read more
Live updates: Rate of new coronavirus cases declining around the world, WHO says. washingtonpost.com, Feb 17: The global number of new coronavirus cases has declined by 16 percent over the past week, the World Health Organization said, even as more virulent strains of the virus spurred outbreaks in multiple regions. President Biden said Tuesday that every American who wants a coronavirus vaccine will have access to one by the end of July. Read more
A saliva test gets new attention in COVID fight. axios.com, Feb 17: The Yale School of Medicine is promoting a study by its researchers that suggests the saliva test might not just be less invasive — it might also be a better way to tell who's going to get severely ill. Read more
U.K. to expose healthy volunteers to COVID in world's first coronavirus 'human challenge' study. nationalpost.com, Feb 17: The study will initially seek to establish the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection, it said. Read more
Doctors bring the fight to anti-vaxxers online. politico.com, Feb 15: Health care workers are organizing online networks to promote Covid shots, strategically aiming to drown out vaccine opponents active on those sites. … At the same time, public health groups are mobilizing a global network of vaccine advocates to come to their aid when they are attacked online by activists, who closely monitor certain hashtags and keywords. Read more
UN approves AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. ctvnews.ca, Feb 15: The World Health Organization has granted an emergency authorization to AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine, a move that should allow the UN agency's partners to ship millions of doses to countries worldwide as part of a UN-backed program to tame the pandemic. In a statement Monday, the WHO said it was clearing the AstraZeneca vaccines made by the Serum Institute of India and South Korea's AstraZeneca-SKBio. Read more
U.S. seven-day average of daily new cases drops below 90,000 — first time since early November. washingtonpost.com, Feb 16: Nearly a year into the pandemic, Americans are increasingly turning to more extremist beliefs marked by a wholesale distrust in authorities — a historical pattern for pandemics since ancient times. Read more
Researchers propose that humidity from masks may lessen severity of COVID-19. nih.gov, Feb 12: The study, led by researchers in the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), found that face masks substantially increase the humidity in the air that the mask-wearer breathes in. This higher level of humidity in inhaled air, the researchers suggest, could help explain why wearing masks has been linked to lower disease severity in people infected with SARS-CoV-2, because hydration of the respiratory tract is known to benefit the immune system. The study published in the Biophysical Journal. Read more
Vaccine makers face possible strain on supply of key ingredient: lipid molecules. globalnews.ca, Feb 12: Vaccine makers are shoring up their supply of a critical raw material in “messenger RNA” vaccines: the lipid molecules that help deliver the genetic RNA material into cells. Manufacturers are under pressure to increase production of COVID-19 vaccines as infections from the pandemic approach 110 million people. Read more
France recommends single vaccine dose for people who have had Covid. france24.com, Feb 12: France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid‑19 receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice. Read more
Biden administration purchases 200 million additional vaccine doses. axios.com, Feb 12: Biden said the U.S. is on track to have enough supply of the vaccine to inoculate 300 million Americans by the end of July. That comes out to roughly 600 million doses, boosting "supply in the United States by 50 percent." Read more
Pfizer vaccine found to give strong immune response to new Covid variants. theguardian.com, Feb 11: …The study, which has not yet been reviewed by other scientists, found that people’s antibodies were moderately effective against the original virus after their first dose of vaccine, less effective against the Kent variant, and were unable to neutralise the South African variant. Read more
NDEB Voids Examination as a Result of Cheating Investigation. cdeb-bned.ca, Feb 16: Following receipt of several reports of cheating and complaints about unfairness on the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK) in December 2020 the NDEB launched to determine the validity of the allegations. While the NDEB continues to investigate, it now has sufficient information to determine that it cannot be confident in the validity of the scores from the December 2020 AFK. Consequently, the scores for all examinees are being voided. Read more
Why 7-Eleven's plan to serve alcohol in Ontario sparks concern — and curiosity — in business community. cbc.ca, Feb 17: ‘Novel approach’ would see convenience store giant selling alcohol for in-store consumption. … Corner store alcohol sales remain prohibited in Ontario. It's seeking liquor licences for 61 Ontario locations, including 14 stores in Toronto. Read more
Healthcare Hacks #98: Why is dentistry not included in our health care? cbc.ca, Feb 16 [Information Morning - NS]: Our Healthcare columnist Mary Jane Hampton looks at providing health insurance coverage for dental care as well, now that we may be on the brink of modernizing the Canada Health Act. Listen 6:53
NDP wants to make sure all Canadians can take care of their teeth. chemainusvalleycourier.ca, Feb 15: The NDP tabled a motion in the House of Commons Feb. 2 calling on the Liberal government to establish a federal dental care program for Canadian families earning less than $90,000 per year. The NDP consider this a first step to a universal dental care program covered in Canada’s health care system. The emphasis is on good dental health that can impact a person’s entire well-being. Read more
U of A dentistry school partners with Métis Nation of Alberta to improve access to oral health care. ualberta.ca, Feb 16: Students learn about Métis culture while providing checkups, dentures and emergency services to people who may have avoided the dentist due to cost, distance or fear. Read more
Instead of a universal basic income, governments should enrich existing social programs. theconversation.com, Feb 14 [OPINION]: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a universal basic income (UBI) has been touted by those across the political spectrum as a prospective model of social security that would provide guaranteed cash to citizens. But while UBI is desirable in principle, it’s not a magic solution to the intricate and perennial problems of poverty and income inequality. Furthermore, its implementation in Canada is not financially, administratively, politically or constitutionally feasible. Read more
N.L. elections officer delays voting in areas hit by COVID-19 outbreak. atlantic.ctvnews.ca, Feb 11: Elections NL said in a news release Thursday that with community spread in the St. John's region, polling station workers were backing out in droves over fears of contracting and spreading COVID-19. In-person voting has been postponed in 18 of the province's 40 ridings stretching from St. John's and its neighbouring city of Mount Pearl to the town of Carbonear, about 100 kilometres away. Read more
B.C. proposes drug decriminalization as overdose deaths climb. cbc.ca, Feb 11: After a record-breaking year for overdose deaths, British Columbia is seeking federal support, in the hope of becoming the first province to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. Read more
Is Psoriasis Linked to Dental Health? healthline.com, Feb 16: Psoriasis is a complicated disease driven by inflammation. This inflammation is thought to extend beyond the skin and may lead to problems throughout the body for many people. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that psoriasis may be closely related to dental health. Read more
‘It would’ve been too late.’ Jackson dentist office employees credited with saving patient’s life. mlive.com, Feb 16: When a patient at Padbury Periodontics & Implant Dentistry didn’t show up for her appointment in early February, Kellie Underwood had a gut feeling that something was off. Read more
Down the tubes: should you brush your teeth with toothpaste tablets? theguardian.com, Feb 15 [BEAUTY]:Toothpaste tablets are marketed as a plastic-free, more portable oral care solution. … But there’s an elephant in the bathroom. Do toothpaste tablets actually work? One ingredient you won’t find in many tablets is fluoride, a proven cavity-buster that’s been standard in toothpaste since Procter & Gamble released Crest in 1956. Read more
For kids, teeth can be a ‘magnet for trauma.’ Here’s what parents need to know about treating dental injuries. inquirer.com, Feb 16: In children birth to six, about 18% to 20% of all bodily injuries are dental related, said Angela Stout, vice president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. … While time matters with most dental injuries, the first thing to consider is how the injury happened and how the child is doing, said Joseph Napoli, attending plastic and oral surgeon at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Read more
New hope for treating chronic pain without opioids. news.umich.edu. Feb 15: According to some estimates, chronic pain affects up to 40% of Americans, and treating it frustrates both clinicians and patients––a frustration that’s often compounded by a hesitation to prescribe opioids for pain. A new study from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry confirms a low dose of a drug called naltrexone is a good option for patients with orofacial and chronic pain, without the risk of addiction. Read more
Doctors who say no to opioid use face threats from patients. abcnews.go.com, Feb 14: Doctors say they're facing increasing threats of violence for refusing to prescribe opioids or trying to wean patients off the addictive painkillers. Read more
National Academies ’strongly recommends’ third revision to fluoride monograph. ada.org, Feb 11: Panel finds insufficient evidence linking fluoridation to neurocognitive development. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is strongly recommending that the National Toxicology Program revise its draft monograph to make clear that “much of the evidence presented comes from studies that involve relatively high fluoride concentrations” and that the monograph “cannot be used to draw conclusions about low fluoride exposure concentrations, including those typically associated with drinking-water fluoridation.” Read more
Dental resins used in 3D printing may impair reproductive health. dental-tribune.com, Feb 11: …researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago and in Evanston have found that two 3D-printable resins for use in dental applications leach compounds that can cause severe toxic effects in the oocyte, the immature precursor to the ovum that can eventually be fertilized. 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
March 4-6: Pacific Dental Conference – 2021 Virtual Experience. Read more and register
March 13-16: “WE” 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition (Virtual). Read more
May 6-8: 2021 Ontario Dental Association Annual Spring Meeting (ASM21) Read more
April 12-17: The New World of Dentistry 2021. Manitoba Dental Association co-hosts the new national 2021 Virtual Dental Convention with the Canadian Dental Association. Read more
We invite you to send us leads to news stories worth sharing oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca.
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