Getting the COVID-19 vaccine an emotional experience for Squamish dental staff. squamishchief.com, March 21: Squamish dental hygienist Julie Harrison says she felt more emotional than she expected while getting the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination at The 55 Activity Centre last week. Staff from dentistry, medical and other health-related offices in Squamish were able to register and receive their vaccine last week. By the end of the week, all 15 staff at the Squamish Dental Clinic office where Harrison works were vaccinated. Read more
Edmonton dental clinic offers free appointments for children whose parents are experiencing financial struggles. edmonton.ctvnews.ca, March 19: … Clean Smiles Dental Hygiene Clinic hosted a free hygiene day for children from four to 14 years old on Friday whose parents cannot normally take their kids to the dentist because of financial pressures. The clinic aims to host a free dental hygiene day once a month as a way to give back to Edmonton and support families who have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. Read more
Counterfeit 3M N95 respirators. healthycanadians.gc.ca, March 19: Health Canada is warning Canadians about counterfeit 3M N95 respirators in light of recent seizures of counterfeit products in Canada and at the border. Health Canada is working with 3M Canada, the manufacturer of authentic 3M N95 respirators, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to address the issue of counterfeit 3M N95 respirators, also seen in other countries. 3M has established a hotline and published information on its website to help Canadian customers identify, prevent and report suspected fraud. Read more
Important State-Run Program Reopens to Provide Dental Health to Children in Underserved Communities. prnewswire.com, March 24. After a mandated shutdown imposed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York State Dental Association successfully advocated, in conjunction with New York School Based Health Alliance and Community Healthcare Association of New York, to reopen school-based health dental services in school settings. With these programs cleared to resume, critical dental care and screenings will once again be administered to children in grades Pre-K through 12 who rely on these services and who have otherwise gone untreated or unscreened since March 2020. Read more
Gov. Evers signs new law allowing dentists to give COVID-19 vaccines. weau.com, March 23. Wisconsinites could soon get their teeth cleaned and a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine all in the comfort of the dentist’s chair. During a visit to the UW-Milwaukee vaccine site, Gov. Tony Evers signed into law Wisconsin Act 8. It allows dentists to administer certain vaccines like those for COVID-19. Wisconsin Dental Association President Paula Crum said dentists have the right qualifications to help with the vaccine rollout. Read more
Local dentists volunteer to give COVID-19 vaccinations. cleveland19.com, March 22: As Ohio picks up the pace on coronavirus vaccinations, thousands and thousands of people are heading to clinics and pharmacies to get their shots every day. So how are they keeping up with demand? You may be surprised just who is volunteering to give you your shot. Dentists, medical students, and even veterinarians are stepping up to give COVID-19 vaccinations. … 19 News spoke with a local dentist who’s proud to be part of the effort. Dr. Najia Usman, a board-certified endodontist, jumped at the chance to get the coronavirus vaccine early this year. Read more
Covid in Scotland: 'The lump on my jaw was cancer.' bbc.com, March 20: "I'd had some pain in my jaw and my wisdom teeth and they planned to take them out in April and May, but then because of lockdown everything got cancelled," she said. … Eventually, 29-year-old Roisin O'Leary had her wisdom teeth removed but the lump kept growing. Read more
Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday. cbc.ca, March 24. Struggling businesses call for extension of pandemic supports ahead of federal budget. Why Alberta has identified more variant cases but they're believed to be more prevalent in Ontario. Vaccine timeline moved up for B.C. residents with serious existing medical conditions. Read more
Government says COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Canada won't be affected by possible EU restrictions. cbc.ca, March 24: The federal government says it does not believe COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Canada would be affected by export restrictions being considered by the European Union. A report in the New York Times says the EU is finalizing emergency legislation that would give it broad powers to curb exports of COVID-19 vaccines for the next six weeks, as part of its response to supply shortages at home. Read more
Health Canada says AstraZeneca shot is safe as U.S. questions vaccine's clinical trial data. cbc.ca, March 23: ...Marc Berthiaume, the director of the bureau of medical science at Health Canada, said the issues flagged Monday by a U.S. federal health agency relate to the product's published efficacy rate, not to whether it's safe to use. Read more
Vancouver Island crisis line saw more calls than ever in a year of COVID-19. nanaimobulletin.com, March 24. Crisis line phones rang more than 40,000 times during 12 months of a COVID-19 pandemic, and the calls keep coming in. Vancouver Island Crisis Society reported “record-setting” call volumes for the past year as it released some of its call statistics during Crisis Line Awareness Week, March 22-26. Read more
Front Line Workers Frustrated by Their Position in Vaccine Rollout. vocm.com, March 24. More questions and frustrations are being raised about the rollout of vaccines from those who work on the front lines. The Teachers Union wants teachers prioritized in the province’s vaccine plans. President Dean Ingram points to the recent outbreak involving Mount Pearl Senior High as a prime example of the vulnerable position teachers are in. Read more
Ottawa extends CEBA loan program for small businesses to June 30. ca.finance.yahoo, March 23: Deputy Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced on Monday that the program, which was set to expire March 31, has been extended to June 30. Read more
Research doesn't back vaccine dose delay for seniors, Canada's chief science adviser says. ctvnews.ca, March 22: Canada’s top scientist is advising against extending the time between doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to four months in seniors, arguing the research isn’t there to justify the delay for that population and those with pre-existing conditions. ... Canada’s chief science adviser Dr. Mona Nemer told CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Monday that studies have shown that extending the interval between doses has had a negative effect on their efficacy, particularly in seniors. Read more
Manulife to offer insurance clients rewards points for getting vaccinated. financialpost.com, March 23: Manulife Financial Corp. is trying to entice Canadians to get a COVID-19 vaccine — and push the country towards “herd immunity” — by offering rewards points to about a million life, health and group insurance clients if they get the shot. Proof of a vaccination is worth 400 points for clients with access to Maulife’s Vitality program, which was launched before the pandemic to encourage healthy behaviour among clients in the hope that they would make fewer insurance claims as a result. Read more
Many Canadians keep quiet about mental health at work, worried it will hurt their career: report. ctvnews.ca, March 23: A report tracking mental health in Canada during the pandemic has scored Canadians’ mental health in the negatives for eleven straight months, and suggests many Canadians fear that revealing mental health struggles could damage their career. According to Morneau Shepell’s latest data, released Tuesday, Canadians experienced almost the same rate of depression in February as they did in April, 2020. Read more
Nearly 200,000 Ontarians aged 80 and older have not signed up for a COVID-19 vaccination. cbc.ca, March 23: Low uptake blamed on obstacles facing this age group, vaccine hesitancy, limited role of family doctors. … Figures provided Monday by the Ontario government suggest that about 71 per cent of people in the 80-plus age group provincewide had either had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or booked an appointment for one. Read more
Saskatchewan – Rapid testing coming to schools after 24 COVID-19 cases reported in one weekend. cbc.ca, March 22: Rapid COVID-19 tests could be used in schools as early as this week, as the province works to get outbreaks under control. The government of Saskatchewan is providing 100,000 rapid COVID-19 tests to schools across the province. The tests use a short nasal swab and can be administered by anyone who has completed a training program. Read more
Get answers from Canada's doctors: CMA COVID-19 vaccine campaign tackles top questions from Canadians. cma.ca, March 22: As COVID-19 vaccine supplies increase and provinces and territories continue to rollout the largest mass immunization effort in history, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has launched a campaign to reach Canadians who have questions about COVID-19 vaccines. A key pillar of the campaign is Covidquestions.ca Opens in a new window, where questions from Canadians about the COVID-19 vaccines are answered. Read more
Fewer COVID-19 cases in people 80 and up, Tam says as vaccine programs expand. ctvnews.ca, March 21: The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has resulted in a drop in the number of infections in people over the age of 80, Canada's chief public health officer said Sunday as several provinces prepared to further expand their immunization rollouts. Dr. Theresa Tam said on Twitter that the reduction in cases among older adults, along with fewer outbreaks in long-term care settings, "reassure us that vaccines will bring more (and) greater benefits in the weeks to come." Read more
Canada expects major surge in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries this week. globalnews.ca, March 22: Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination drive is poised to shift into high gear this week as the federal public health agency prepares to take delivery of the largest number of doses since the launch of the immunization effort. Nearly 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are set to arrive this week, alongside 846,000 shots of the product developed by Moderna. Read more
Majority of nurses working in Ontario long-term care homes report PTSD symptoms, survey finds. toronto.ctvnews.ca, March 21: A majority of nurses working in Ontario long-term care homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic are reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder due to “horrors” witnessed inside the worst-hit homes, according to a new survey. Read more
Coronavirus live news: Belgium closes schools and shops again; AstraZeneca 'very far away' on vaccine delivery, says EU. theguardian.com, March 24. Belgium will impose fresh lockdown restrictions, shutting schools, hairdressers and non-essential stores, Le Soir newspaper reported on Wednesday. Read more
Hong Kong halts use of Pfizer vaccine, cites defective lids. Apnews.com, March 24. Hong Kong suspended use of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday after its Chinese distributor informed the city that one batch had defective bottle lids. The city’s government said the suspension was immediate while the matter is investigated by distributor Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, the German company that created the vaccine with American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer. Read more
France hit by 3rd virus surge; culture minister in hospital. Apnews.com, March 24. France’s high-profile culture minister has been hospitalized for COVID-19, the latest senior official to become ill as the nation faces a third surge of coronavirus infections, this one propelled by a highly contagious variant first found in Britain. Roselyne Bachelot, 74, announced last weekend that she tested positive and her hospitalization was made public Wednesday, just as Employment Minister Elisabeth Borne left the hospital, tweeting “I’m relieved.” Read more
AstraZeneca may have used outdated info in vaccine trial: U.S. ctvnews.ca, March 23: Results from a U.S. trial of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine may have used "outdated information," U.S. federal health officials said early Tuesday. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board said in a statement that it was concerned that AstraZeneca may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data. Read more
AstraZeneca: U.S. data shows COVID-19 vaccine effective for all ages. ctvnews.ca, March 22: AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease, including in older adults, in final-stage U.S. testing, the company announced Monday. AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of rare blood clots identified in Europe. Read more
Krispy Kreme giving away free donuts to vaccinated Americans. thehill.com, March 22: Krispy Kreme is offering a sweet incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine — a free doughnut to Americans who can prove they've gotten their shots. The famed doughnut company announced Monday that any customer who shows a valid COVID-19 vaccination card at any of its more than 350 U.S. stores will get a free original glazed doughnut "anytime, any day, even every day — through the remainder of 2021." Read more
European trust in AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine plummets after blood clot reports. globalnews.ca, March 21: Confidence in the safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has taken a big hit in Spain, Germany, France and Italy as reports of rare blood clots have been linked to it and many countries briefly stopped using it, poll data showed on Monday. Read more
Third dose of Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine needed for some in UAE after low immune response. washingtonpost.com, March 21: A "very small number" of people in the United Arab Emirates are being invited to receive a third shot of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine after antibody tests indicated they did not have a sufficient immune response following two doses of the Chinese-made vaccine, its distributor confirmed Sunday. Read more
A strong economic rebound is within reach, says RBC. wealthprofessional.ca, March 24. Savoie and Chornous pointed to a number of constructive developments across major nations. Tightened restrictions and vaccinations have contributed to a worldwide plunge in new infections and transmission rates, helped further by seasonal factors. That COVID-19 containment has set the stage for a global economic recovery, which has plenty of room to run as it’s supported by significant monetary and fiscal stimulus. Read more
State-of-the art oral health clinic at Fanshawe College to offer low-cost services. london.ctvnews.ca, March 22: Dental hygiene students at Fanshawe College are now fully equipped with all the bells and whistles, as the college is set to open its new oral health clinic to clients this May. …Due to COVID-19, many Fanshawe students were spending their third year of education learning from their computer screens. In order to change all that, the facility was built with COVID-19 protocols and regulations foremost in mind. Read more
Canada needs a university-based, domestic vaccine-making capability. policyoptions.irpp.org, March 22: Canada lost its edge in the ’70s when Connaught Laboratories was sold. Time to invest and ensure that vaccines will once again be produced here. Read more
New dental program for low-income Islanders comes up short, says Opposition. cbc.ca, March 19: The Prince Edward Island government released some details Friday about a new dental care program for low-income Islanders, but the Opposition says it's not enough and a year too late. The government had previously announced it will spend $2.5 million over three years to enhance and expand dental care for low-income Islanders. Read more
Hélène Lamonde, la dentiste qui soigne les enfants de la Direction de la protection de la jeunesse. lactualite.com, 20 mars : Au fil des ans, Hélène Lamonde a appris à quel point il est important de prendre tout le temps nécessaire pour développer un lien avec ces jeunes à qui elle demande de lui faire confiance. Lire plus
'Wake us all up:' Edmonton city councillor calls on Ottawa to implement safe supply drug pilot program. edmontonjournal.com, March 22: An Edmonton city councillor is calling on the federal government to launch a safe supply drug pilot program in the city to address the growing opioid crisis. Read more
Bill Would Open Up Dentistry In Oregon To New Profession. thelundreport.org, March 22: Oregon’s dental care landscape will change if lawmakers pass a proposal to let dental therapists practice in the state. House Bill 2528 would establish dental therapists as an occupation and give them a scope of practice to provide much of the routine dental care that dentists now provide. ... However, some Oregon dentists and the Oregon Dental Association, oppose the bill as written and want to reshape it to put dental therapists under closer supervision of dentists. Read more
CDC initiative seeks to get more Americans access to fluoridated water. thedenverchannel.com, March 22: We've talked a lot about health equity with the pandemic disproportionately impacting lower income and communities of color. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new initiative to deliver an important preventive health care tool to rural and smaller neighborhoods. It’s a new fluoride tablet system that works similar to chlorine tablets in a pool, but it's designed for small public water systems. Read more
Only 12 percent of licensed dentists are women in Idaho. kivitv.com, March 22: Of the 925 actively licensed dentists in Idaho, only 116, or 12 percent, are women. This brings challenges to women in this line of work, but there has been a slight increase in the number of women dentists, and it's expected to continue growing. In the entire country, only 34 percent of licensed dentists are women, making this a male-dominated field, which brings challenges. Read more
Kids skip teeth brushing 7x more often when parents don’t set the example. all4women.co.za, March 23: New global research, released to coincide with World Oral Health Day on 20 March 2021, has revealed that parents are not being the best possible examples to their children when it comes to oral care, with day and night brushing in the morning and evening emerging as an unlikely casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Health Ministry Experiencing Difficulty in Providing Dental Services. barbadosadvocate.com, March 20: The Ministry of Health and Wellness has been finding it difficult to provide comprehensive dental services for Barbadians, given that most dentists seem to favour private practice. 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
2021
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
June 10-11: Atlantic Virtual Dental Convention. Read more
September 26-29: FDI World Dental Congress | Special Edition | Sydney 2021 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
We invite you to send us leads to news stories worth sharing oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca.