News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2021/04/21

Eligible vaccine age drops to 44 on Thursday, 40 next week in Sask. thestarphoenix.com, Apr 20: Frontline workers like teachers, police and dentists of all ages will be eligible to receive vaccines once age drops to 40. Read more

Local dentist giving away $1,000 a month. tbnewswatch.com, Apr 15: A Thunder Bay dental office plans to give away $1,000 a month for 10 months to an individual or family in need, or an organization that has been supporting the community during the pandemic. Dr. Derval Clarke said he and his staff have been lucky enough to remain open during most of the past year, deemed an essential service, but know not everyone has been as fortunate. Read more

Taking Care of Oral Health During the Pandemic. bc.ctvnews.ca, Apr 15: COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for more than a year. It has impacted all aspects of life, including our oral health. Some patients have been avoiding visits to the dentist out of COVID-19 concerns. This has resulted in dentists seeing an increase in oral infections. An infection that starts in the mouth, if left untreated, can easily spread to other parts of the body. Dr. Gisèle Fouellefack of Meadows Dental Group joined CTV Morning Live to alleviate patient concerns about dentist visits. Read more

Dentist volunteers to give COVID-19 vaccine from office if they can get the supply. spectrumlocalnews.com, Apr 20: Dentists are allowed to administer the vaccine in North Carolina. Some dentists are trying to get the vaccine in their office to help with distribution and dental health. Dr. Jorgenson says people have been putting off dental visits since the onset of the pandemic and need to return. Read more

From Rotten Teeth to Advanced Cancer, Patients Feel the Effects of Treatment Delays. khn.org, Apr 20: With medical visits picking up again among patients vaccinated against covid‑19, health providers are starting to see the consequences of a year of pandemic-delayed preventive and emergency care as they find more advanced cancer and rotting and damaged teeth, among other ailments. Read more

Illinois Dental Office Asks 7th Circ. To Revive COVID Coverage Bid. law360.com, Apr 19: An Illinois dental office has urged the Seventh Circuit to revive its suit seeking to force Cincinnati Insurance Co. to cover its lost revenues during the pandemic, arguing a lower court applied an overly narrow reading of a key insurance term. Read more

Dental staffing shortages are more than a pain in the mouth. heraldnet.com, Apr 19: With hundreds of open hygienist and assistant positions statewide, local dentists are short-handed. Read more

Arkansas dentists say pandemic has caused concern for oral health. thv11.com, Apr 18: What could've been a root canal before the pandemic, has now probably turned into an extraction. Dentists are seeing more and more costly visits. Read more

Josh Stewart: Now is not the time to let our masks down. rockymounttelegram.com, Apr 17 [OPINION]: As a dental student, I hear patients say they can’t wait to stop wearing masks after they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. I can’t help but worry that vaccines may give people a false sense of security. Read more

Shocking number of children with rotten teeth in Lancashire. lep.co.uk, Apr 17: The British Dental Association says dental health inequalities across the country could “go from bad to worse” after the coronavirus pandemic if the Government does not support services which have faced disruption. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world Wednesday. cbc.ca, Apr 21: ICU admissions near 800 as Ontario sees record day for COVID-19 vaccinations. Workplace vaccination to begin in one of Quebec's hardest-hit regions. Nova Scotia's vaccination strategy picks up speed following early criticism. Canada-U.S. border restrictions extended as U.S. congressman pushes for reopening plan. Report delves into Indigenous women's struggle to find adequate health care during pandemic. Trudeau says he wants an AstraZeneca shot, but a supply crunch could be coming. Read more

Top Canadian WHO adviser under fire after downplaying airborne threat of COVID‑19. cbc.ca, Apr 21: Dr. John Conly says N95 masks cause 'harms,' focus should be on physical distancing. An influential Canadian doctor and top adviser to the World Health Organization has come under fire from international experts for his controversial comments downplaying the risk of airborne spread of the coronavirus. Read more

'They’re heroes': How COVID-19 'vaccine hunters' help Canadians find appointments. nationalpost.com, Apr 21: Online tools are being created to encourage people to get vaccinated, helping reduce vaccine waste. Read more

YVR study suggests rapid testing contributes to safer travel. globalnews.ca, Apr 20: Vancouver International Airport and WestJet are touting the results of a four-month study that suggests your chances of getting COVID-19 on a domestic flight are low as long as proper testing is in place. Read more

Ontario's science table calls for stronger measures to control COVID-19 pandemic. toronto.ctvnews.ca, Apr 21: …In a report released on Tuesday, Ontario’s science table said that there is a need for additional restrictions amid surging case counts and record hospitalizations that have “hospitals buckling.” But the panel said that the Ford government should be “clearly encouraging safe outdoor activities” and “allowing small groups of people from different households to meet outside with masking and two-metre distancing.” Read more

PPE must guard against airborne transmission of COVID-19, nurses' union demands. cbc.ca, Apr 20: Ontario Nurses' Association has applied for judicial review of current equipment standards. … Specifically, the union wants the province to explicitly acknowledge that the virus can be transmitted through the air, that asymptomatic transmission occurs and that nurses need the highest level of precaution available. Read more

Collateral damage of COVID-19: Rising rates of domestic and social violence. theconversation.com, Apr 18: As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, evidence continues to grow that an unequal burden of illness and death has fallen on marginalized people. At the same time, the collateral damage of a year of shutdowns and confinement — including economic difficulties, social isolation and mental health problems — disproportionately affects racialized communities. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Monday. cbc.ca, Apr 19: Trudeau pledges more health-care workers, rapid testing for pandemic-battered Ontario. As Ontario seeks help in its COVID struggle, P.E.I. considers stricter border measures. Read more

Ontario may have trouble getting nurses from rest of Canada, says nurses' association. cbc.ca, Apr 18: Provinces, territories experiencing own vacancies, says head of Canadian Nurses Association. Read more

Ontario, Alberta to lower minimum age for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from 55 to 40. globalnews.ca, Apr 18: Both Ontario and Alberta say they will be administering AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to people age 40 and over. … The provinces’ move comes just hours after Canada’s federal health minister, Patty Hajdu, said that provinces and territories were “free to use” AstraZeneca’s vaccine on any groups aged 18 and above, despite the country’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendation to not give the vaccine to those under 55. Read more

Doctors hone in on cause of blood clots potentially linked with COVID-19 vaccines. ctvnews.ca, Apr 17: Doctors say they are honing in on the cause of blood clots that may be linked with certain coronavirus vaccines, and add their findings have important implications for how to treat the condition, regardless of whether vaccines cause it. Even though the link is not firm yet, they're calling the condition vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT. Read more

How can clinicians counter viral misinformation? cmajnews.com Apr 16: American misinformation is driving Canada’s infodemic, according to McGill University researchers. Read more

Staff shortages, emotional toll weigh on health-care staff during Ontario's 3rd wave. ctvnews.ca, Apr 18: …Severely ill COVID-19 patients are being hospitalized in Ontario in higher numbers than ever, as the province and health-care sector scramble to increase capacity through transferring patients to other hospitals, cancelling non-essential procedures and setting up field units. Read more

Student leaders cry out for support in federal budget. cbc.ca, Apr 18: …The coronavirus pandemic has dealt multiple blows to Canadian post-secondary students, altering their schooling and drastically affecting their job options. Student leaders and policy experts are calling for them to get more help in the federal budget, wary of long-term consequences if they are not supported. Read more

Pandemic's stress and loneliness create dangerous cocktail for alcohol abuse. Some alcoholism treatment centres say the pandemic has seen more people looking for a cure to their woes at the bottom of a glass. Read more

'This country must come together': CMA urges national approach to fighting COVID-19 crisis. ctvnews.ca, Apr 16: The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is calling for “extraordinary measures” to be implemented to address the surge of COVID-19 cases across several provinces. In a release Friday, the organization said it was issuing an “urgent call for unprecedented measures to address the state of crisis unfolding in several provinces,” including marshalling national resources, applying restrictive public health measures and prioritizing national collaboration to save lives. Read more

Covid-19 live updates. washingtonpost.com, Apr 21: India’s raging virus surge tops 200,000 new cases for seventh straight day. Two out of three Americans who haven’t received a coronavirus vaccine say they’re unlikely to get the shots, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll, indicating the country’s mass immunization campaign could soon reach its peak. European regulators said the coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson may be tied to very rare blood clots, but they placed no restrictions on the use of the vaccine inside the European Union. Read more

Coronavirus live news. theguardian.com, Apr 21: France to launch J&J vaccine rollout next week. India sees over 200,000 new cases again; Delhi warns hospitals running out of oxygen. Protesters gather in Berlin as parliament debates law to impose restrictions.  Japan to declare state of emergency amid pre-Olympics surge. Read more

Nearly 3 in 4 say Johnson & Johnson pause won't decrease likelihood of vaccination: poll. thehill.com, Apr 20: Sixty-three percent of respondents said that people should continue to get Pfizer and Moderna shots despite Johnson & Johnson blood clot concerns, while 37 percent believe that people should slow down and wait for more information before getting the vaccine. Read more

FDA finds multiple failures at Johnson & Johnson vaccine plant in Baltimore. thehill.com, Apr 21: ...The report found the plant from Emergent BioSolutions, which previously was revealed to have ruined up to 15 million doses of vaccine, was "not maintained in a clean and sanitary condition" and some "procedures to prevent cross-contamination are not followed." The FDA has ordered a pause on manufacturing at the plant while the problems are addressed. Read more

Pfizer identifies fake vaccine doses in Mexico, Poland. thehill.com, Apr 21: The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that roughly 80 people in Mexico received a fake vaccine at $1,000 per dose in February, but didn’t appear to be harmed. Six people were detained. Meanwhile, no one in Poland is thought to have received faked Pfizer vaccines, which were seized from a man’s apartment, the Journal reported. ...Pfizer advises patients to never get a vaccine online, emphasizing that “no legitimate vaccine is sold online,” adding that people should get vaccinated at “official vaccination centers or by certified healthcare providers.” Multiple governmental agencies domestically and internationally have warned of COVID-19 scams regarding vaccines and treatments. Read more

COVID-19 may not actually infect the brain, but neurological damage persists: study. ctvnews.ca, Apr 19: Does COVID-19 impact the brain? The answer is both yes and no, according to a new study which suggests the virus likely doesn’t infect the brain itself. Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons researchers found that while the patients examined did not have significant traces of the virus in their brain cells, they still sustained neurological damage from the virus. Read more

Disinfecting surfaces to prevent COVID-19 often all for show, CDC advises. ctvnews.ca, Apr 19: The risk of surface transmission of COVID-19 is low, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Far more important is airborne transmission -- and people who obsessively disinfect surfaces may be doing more harm than good. Read more

EU regulator finds link between J&J shot and blood clots. ctvnews.ca, Apr 20: Experts at the agency that regulates drugs for the European Union said Tuesday that they found a "possible link" between the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and very rare blood clots after a small number of cases were reported in the United States, but they confirmed the vaccine's benefits still outweighed the very small risks of recipients developing the unusual clots. Read more

Covid-Vaccinations Study Highlights How Shots Are Curbing Spread. bnnbloomberg.ca, Apr 19: Covid‑19 infection and death rates in Israel -- the world’s most vaccinated country -- are falling roughly in line with the order in which various age groups gained eligibility to get their shots, according to a study showing the campaign’s impact. While all Israelis endured a nationwide lockdown and rules on social distancing, the age-tiered declines seen in the study suggest vaccines are playing a major role in blunting the impact of the pandemic. Read more

COVID-19 'human challenge trial' to purposely reinfect patients. ctvnews.ca, Apr 19: A new study at the University of Oxford will see patients who have already had COVID^‑19 re-exposed to the virus that causes it, in order to gauge their immune response and determine how to best protect against reinfection. Read more

Pandemic-induced delays in medical care leading to influx of advanced illnesses. thehill.com, Apr 19: While the coronavirus raged throughout the world over the past year — monopolizing medical care amid soaring cases — many found themselves reluctant to even attempt to seek care for other medical ailments, frightened that they could be exposed to the virus. Now, doctors are seeing the effects of these delays. Read more

Covid-19 live updates. washingtonpost.com, Apr 19: Fauci predicts J&J pause will lift by Friday as U.S. hits key vaccination milestone. Researchers at Oxford University plan to deliberately reinfect healthy individuals who recovered from covid-19, in a new trial tracking immune response to the virus. Law enforcement officials warn that a burgeoning trade in counterfeit coronavirus vaccination cards could spur the spread of the coronavirus even as the United States looks to open up again. Despite major gains in vaccination, the increase in daily new cases in the United States has been steady for months, with many states showing substantial surges. Read more

Experts find more evidence COVID-19 is airborne, that we need to rethink indoor spaces. globalnews.ca, Apr 18: …A Lancet report published Thursday from epidemiologists and experts across both Canada, U.S. and the U.K. found an overwhelming amount of evidence that the disease was spread through aerosols — tiny airborne particles that come from people’s mouths when they breathe, talk or cough. Read more

The U.S. is awash in vaccine supply. Its new concern: Will demand keep up? cbc.ca, Apr 18: A growing gap in uptake between red and blue states raises issue of global concern in fight against COVID-19. On the road to mass-vaccination, the U.S. is so far ahead that it's detecting new obstacles that remain, for much of the world, an afterthought on a distant horizon. Read more

Consumer round-up: B.C.'s budget hikes tobacco tax, provides free transit for kids. bc.ctvnews.ca, Apr 20: ...If you’re a smoker, you’ll be spending more on tobacco products beginning July 1. The tax increase includes cigarettes, heated tobacco products and loose tobacco. ... “This measure will create an added incentive to reduce tobacco consumption,” the budget documents say. Read more

Businesses worried as government increases vaping restrictions and taxes amid concerns of teen usage. leaderpost.com, Apr 20: Federal and provincial governments will implement sales restrictions and a 20% tax on all vape products starting Sept 1. Read more

‘Gut check’: Ted Knudtson launches campaign for Calgary’s Ward 8 seat. livewirecalgary.com, Apr 20: ... On fluoride, Knudtson is happy to see that Calgarians will once again get to decide on the issue. “Seeing this go to a plebiscite so that Calgarians had the chance to have their say lands really well with me,” he said. Read more

Study looks at how HIV self-tests can help queer people overcome health-care hurdles. ctvnews.ca, Apr 20: Researchers are sending out thousands of free HIV self-test kits as part of a study to help gay men and queer people overcome barriers to getting screened. The Community-Based Research Centre says longstanding issues such as stigma and lack of access to testing have become even more pronounced during the COVID-19 crisis, which has shuttered many sexual health clinics across the country. Read more

How Canada’s federal budget affects benefits, taxes, and the minimum wage. globalnews.ca, Apr 19: From COVID-19 benefit extensions through new taxes to a bump in Old Age Security payments and a new pay floor for some minimum-wage workers, Canada’s 2021 federal budget outlines a slew of measures that will impact Canadians’ bottom lines. ... Here are some of the highlights from the measures aimed directly at individuals. Read more

Liberals promise $10-a-day child care with a federal budget that looks beyond the pandemic. thestar.com, Apr 19: Although the federal Liberals say the first race is to defeat the coronavirus and beat back the pandemic, the federal budget unveiled Monday makes clear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, have their eyes on a longer track and would be happy to face the electorate with their plan in hand. … What the federal Liberal budget doesn’t do is set out billions for a national drug insurance plan or pharmacare, or dental coverage — long-standing demands of the NDP. The budget says “the case for national universal pharmacare is well-established” but it only devotes three paragraphs to it. Read more

Your health and the federal budget: Long-term care standards, vaccine production, more. ctvnews.ca, Apr 19: The federal budget is promising billions to close gaps in long-term care and Canada's vaccine production laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the pandemic preyed "mercilessly" on Canada's most vulnerable seniors and it cannot be allowed to happen again. To begin to fix it, the government is promising $3 billion over the next five years to help provinces implement new standards. Read more

New taxes on vaping products, tobacco proposed in federal budget. ctvnews.ca, Apr 19: It will get more expensive for Canadians who smoke cigarettes and vape, under proposals outlined in the 2021 federal budget to further tax tobacco and vaping products, such as e-cigarettes. Read more

Liberals pledge $18B for Indigenous communities in 2021 federal budget. globalnews.ca, Apr 19: The federal Liberal government plans to spend more than $18 billion over the next five years to try to narrow the socio-economic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and to help these communities fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government has made progress in righting the historic wrongs in Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples, but a lot of work remains to be done. Read more

Canada 'rolling the dice' on big-spending federal budget as debt total set to climb beyond $1.4 trillion. nationalpost.com, Apr 20: Lack of incentives for big business one of budget’s oversights. The federal government is betting that its massive new spending measures will stoke enough economic growth to outpace ballooning public debts, setting the stage for a race that will drag on for years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

New vaping laws in Saskatchewan aimed at lowering use among young people. globalnews.ca, Apr 19: Saskatchewan introduced new vapour regulations on Monday aimed at lowering vaping rates among young people in the province. Changes to The Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act restrict the sale of flavoured vapour products to adult-only vape shops and limit marketing and availability to youth. Read more

Canadian Cancer Society won't back Manitoba's extended smoking ban because First Nations sidelined. cbc.ca, Apr 19: The Canadian Cancer Society is stamping out its previous support for a proposed Manitoba law that will ban smoking in public places on First Nations communities. The national charity — which actively campaigns to discourage smoking — has written to the province to withdraw its support of Bill 56 until First Nations are properly consulted. Read more

We Tested The Hottest Teeth Whitening Products. cityline.tv, Apr 19: They say you’re never fully dressed without a smile! With summer around the corner, we all want to be looking our best and the same goes for our teeth! There are so many products out there on the market claiming amazing whitening results at home. So, with the help of dentist, Dr Jeanie Luong and two Cityline producers, we put 3 popular teeth whitening products to the test. Read more

Les dentistes dénoncent le manque d’accès des autochtones et des Innus aux soins dentaires. tvanouvelles.ca, 17 avril : Près de 70 dentistes travaillant au sein des communautés autochtones cries et inuites du Grand Nord et de la Basse-Côte-Nord ont tenu une mobilisation vendredi pour sensibiliser Québec à l’importance d’améliorer les conditions de travail de ceux qui offrent des soins à ceux qui habitent ces régions. Lire plus

‘Healthcare Champions’ recognized for work in their communities. blackburnnews.com, Apr 18: Five health care professionals in southwestern Ontario have been recognized for their work in going “above and beyond” to help others. ... Three of the recipients are from the London region, including Dentist Dr. Kenneth Wright of the London Dental Community Alliance. Wright was nominated for his work in providing dental services to low-income individuals. Read more

Expanded during pandemic, virtual medical care offers big climate benefits: researchers. cbc.ca, Apr 19: Nearly half of Canadians surveyed used virtual medical care during pandemic, and most reported good results. Read more

Scam Alert - Calls from a fake “investigator. rcdso.org, Apr 16: The College has had several reports of “scam calls” this week. Some dental offices were contacted by someone who identified themself as “Jack Miller” and claimed to be an RCDSO investigator. The call appeared to be coming from the RCDSO’s main telephone number. Read more

Un manque criant de dentistes dans le Nord. tvanouvelles.ca, 15 avril : Les dentistes du Grand Nord québécois sonnent l’alarme. Pour la première fois en 30 ans, des communautés cries seront privées de soins dentaires pendant des semaines par manque de relève. Lire plus

UCLA introduces American Sign Language/Deaf culture course to dental students. ada.org, Apr 20: Addressing communication barriers between the Deaf population and the dental community. Read more

HPI publishes findings into racial disparities in oral health. ada.org, Apr 19: Health Policy Institute: Racial mix of workforce does not reflect population. Read more

Civil rights and Black health organizations press Biden administration to ban menthol cigarettes. thefloridapost.com, Apr 16: “The predatory marketing of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products must be stopped and we should all recognize this as a social justice issue, and one that disproportionately impacts youth and communities of color,” said the letter, whose signers included the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, the NAACP and the National Medical Association, which represents African American physicians. Read more

Pandemic-Delayed Trials Over Drugmakers’ Marketing of Opioids to Begin. insurancejournal.com, Apr 19: Four drugmakers, including Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., will go to trial on Monday over claims they helped fuel an opioid crisis that has resulted in nearly 500,000 overdose deaths in the United States. Read more

WHO report highlights shortage of new antibiotics. cidrap.umn.edu, Apr 15: The latest antibiotic pipeline analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) concludes that there has been little progress made in efforts to develop new, desperately needed antibiotics to tackle drug-resistant infections. 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

June 2-5: Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention’s (OSAP) 2021 Virtual Conference. 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