News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2021/06/16

Pandemic stress causing trouble for teeth. globalnews.ca, June 12 [with Dr. Stephen Abrams]: If you’re noticing increased tooth trouble, you’re not alone. Research shows pandemic stress is taking a toll on people’s teeth through clenching and grinding. This can have major repercussions on our overall health which is why some dentists are advocating for better communication between healthcare providers. Watch 4:25

From teeth cleanings to X-rays, Pa. dentists struggle to see glut of patients as pandemic wanes. inquirer.com, June 16: Staffing shortages and more expenses are putting the squeeze on the state’s dentists as the pandemic wanes. Read more

Backlog of nearly 2000 Auckland children waiting for urgent dental treatment. rnz.co.nz, June 16: Auckland's public dental service has failed to clear a backlog of nearly 2000 children waiting for urgent dental treatment, many of them in pain. ... Dental Association president Katie Ayers said there were not enough theatres - or people to staff them - to keep up with children who needed care under general anaesthetic. Read more

Lack of dental care putting employees at risk of mouth cancer. employernews.co.uk, June 16: Covid has meant that routine dental visits have been delayed, cancelled, and often not even re-booked. This means employees are at risk of mouth cancer being undiagnosed, warns Towergate Health & Protection. The company is alerting employers to the rising number of cases of mouth cancer and encouraging employers to investigate the options on how they can look after their employees. Read more

Dental practices ‘largely exempt’ from OSHA rule. ada.org, June 14: The ADA is pleased that dental practices are mostly exempt from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new emergency temporary standard to protect health care workers from COVID-19. The OSHA emergency standard, released June 10, provides additional guidance for health care setting Read more

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Knowledge, Perception and Attitudes of Dentistry Students in Austria. dovepress.com, June 14: The current study finds good general knowledge on COVID-19 among dental students, but some gaps regarding hygienic protocols and infection control. Students’ preferences regarding modification in the curriculum suggest practical courses and lectures as a way to close COVID-19 related knowledge gaps. Read more

'This initiative comes straight from the heart': San Antonio dentist pays it forward to help families during pandemic with free dental care. kens5.com, June 13: Advanced Smile Care of North San Antonio gifted patients with nearly $25,000 of treatment. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday. cbc.ca, June 16: Canada has administered more than 30M doses of COVID-19 vaccine, CBC tracker shows. Ontario tops 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines in 24 hours as provincial borders reopen. Doctors worry they won't be able to help every cancer patient diagnosed, treated late due to COVID-19. 'We're not invincible': Yukoners grapple with 1st COVID-19 outbreak in months. New Brunswick enters Phase 1 of path to green reopening plan. What are the changes? Read more

Experts say second shot of Moderna is 'as good as' Pfizer when mixing with AZ. ctvnews.ca, June 15: Experts are reminding Canadians to get the first vaccine that is available to them as some, particularly those who received AstraZeneca as their first shot, turn down a Moderna jab in favour of its Pfizer-BioNTech counterpart. Read more

Survey reveals one in five vaccine-hesitant Canadians would lie about jab to travel. ctvnews.ca, June 15: A new survey suggests about 20 per cent of vaccine-hesitant Canadians would lie about their COVID-19 vaccine history if injections were required for international or domestic travel. … As recently as May, two travellers were slapped with $9,000 in combined fines after presenting COVID-19 test results upon arrival at the Toronto airport, while other travellers have also been fined and charged after presenting fake documents while trying to enter Canada. Read more

Toronto hospital shuts down COVID-19 unit as Ontario case numbers decline. ctvnews.ca, June 15: Toronto Western Hospital has closed its COVID-19 unit as infection numbers continue to decline across Ontario. Infectious disease expert Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, who works at the hospital, said on Twitter he was "thrilled" to report that the unit officially closed on Monday. "Let's keep it that way. This is a testament to the benefit of following PH advice & the incredible impact of vaccines!" Read more

Canada tops world in vaccinated population as new COVID-19 cases fall below 1,000. globalnews.ca, June 14: Just over two months after posting a record of over 9,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day, Canada’s daily case count has shrunk by 90 per cent. The achievement comes as the country leads the world in the share of national populations vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, with close to 65 per cent of Canadians now having received at least one dose. Read more

Canada in WTO talks on possibly waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents. Globalnews.ca, June 15: The World Trade Organization is in talks about the possibility of temporarily waiving intellectual property rights around vaccines. Those backing the move say doing so would make it easier for developing countries to import the expertise, equipment and ingredients necessary to make their own COVID-19 vaccines. Read more

Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination rates tied to levels of formal education, data shows. cbc.ca, June 15: Researchers say correlation can help guide efforts to immunize more people. Read more

Not all experts keen on federal guidance for Canadians fully vaccinated against COVID‑19. globalnews.ca, June 15: As provinces accelerate their efforts to get their populations fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there are calls for the federal government to issue clear guidance on what people can do once they receive both shots. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world Monday. cbc.ca, June 14: How Canada rose to the top for 1st doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Why not tracking ethnicity, occupation data can undermine the COVID-19 fight. Read more

Canada to receive 9.5M vaccine doses this week thanks to influx of Moderna shots. ctvnews.ca, June 14: ...While Canada is poised to receive millions of vaccine doses this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced at the conclusion of the G7 summit in Britain on Sunday that Canada would be donating 13 million surplus jabs to poorer countries struggling to vaccinate their populations. Trudeau said the donations would not affect Canada's own immunization efforts. Read more

Outbreaks of delta variant spark concern at Calgary hospital. cbc.ca, June 12: Alberta Health Services says symptoms have been mild, with 1 of 22 affected requiring ICU care. Calgary's Foothills Medical Centre has seen 22 cases of the Delta variant, including 16 patients and six health-care workers on two units. Read more

Coronavirus live. theguardian.com, June 16: UK reports 9,055 new cases – highest daily total since February. France and Spain ease mask-wearing as vaccine schemes gather pace. New drug cuts deaths among patients with no Covid antibodies. UK again excluded from EU’s Covid-safe travel list, but US added. Read more

U.S. CDC now calls coronavirus Delta variant a 'variant of concern'. ctvnews.ca, June 15: ...The CDC said the Delta variant, which was first identified in India, shows increased transmissibility, potential reduction in neutralization by some monoclonal antibody treatments under emergency authorization and potential reduction in neutralization from sera after vaccination in lab tests. The World Health Organization classified the Delta variant as a variant of concern on May 10. Read more

New drug cuts deaths among patients with no Covid antibodies. theguardian.com, June 16: A new drug has been found to cut Covid deaths by a fifth among the sickest patients in hospital and may change official practice so that every patient with coronavirus will have an antibody test before they are admitted. Read more

Pfizer, AstraZeneca preventing hospitalizations from Delta variant in Britain. ctvnews.ca, June 14: A new study in England suggests even just one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are extremely good at keeping people from ending up in the hospital if they contract COVID-19 from the Delta variant of the virus that causes it. The news is particularly welcome in Canada, where a focus on first doses means more than two-thirds of Canadians are now partially protected from COVID‑19, but only about one in eight are fully vaccinated. Read more

Astra antibody cocktail fails to prevent COVID-19 symptoms in large trial. reuters.com, June 15: AstraZeneca said a late-stage trial failed to provide evidence that its COVID-19 antibody therapy protected people who had contact with an infected person from the disease, a small setback in its efforts to find alternatives to vaccines. The study assessed whether the therapy, a cocktail of two types of antibodies, could prevent adults who had been exposed to the virus in the past eight days from developing COVID-19 symptoms. Read more

Pfizer studying vaccinated people who get infected for insights on boosters. thehill.com, June 15: Pfizer is studying the rare cases in which vaccinated people have gotten infected with the coronavirus in order to determine when booster shots might be needed. Read more

Novavax: Large study finds COVID-19 shot about 90 per cent effective. ctvnews.ca, June 14: Vaccine maker Novavax said Monday its shot was highly effective against COVID-19 and also protected against variants in a large, late-stage study in the U.S. and Mexico. ... While demand for COVID-19 shots in the U.S. has dropped off dramatically, the need for more vaccines around the world remains critical. The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world. Read more

Top CDC official warns US not ready for next pandemic. thehill.com, June 11: The No. 2 official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that without consistent, long-term funding for public health, the U.S. won't be any better prepared for the next pandemic. Read more

Inflation sees largest year-over-year jump since 2011: StatCan. ctvnews.ca, June 16: Statistics Canada says the consumer price index in May was up 3.6 per cent compared with a year ago, its largest yearly increase since May 2011. The reading for May compared with a year-over-year gain of 3.4 per cent in April, which at the time was the fast annual rate in nearly a decade. Read more

Canada’s Proposed Vaping Rules Could Turn Young People Into Smokers, Users Say. vice.com, June 15: Ex-smokers worry the proposed regulations to cut down on nicotine in vapes might bring them back to cigarettes. Read more

100 years after the end of alcohol prohibition, advocates push for drug decriminalization. cbc.ca, June 15: An advocate for the decriminalization of drugs says a century of legal liquor consumption is evidence that regulated substances save lives. … Karen Ward, a long time advocate for people who use drugs, says the anniversary makes her hopeful that other illegal substances won't always be so heavily restricted. Read more

'A call for justice': Indigenous communities welcome provincial funding to search residential school sites. kitchener.ctvnews.ca, June 15: There is cautious optimism amongst the local Indigenous community following Ontario's announcement of funding to identify and commemorate burial sites at former residential schools. Read more

Lobby group wants city to add vaping to tobacco law. medicinehatnews.com, June 15: The City of Medicine Hat is being asked to bring vaping under measures that deter smoking tobacco or cannabis in public by a national stop-smoking group. Action on Smoking and Health Canada is a lobby group that says as smoking tobacco has decreased to record lows throughout Canada, vaping – which is often promoted as an alternative to tobacco – is increasing. Read more

Opioid overdose crisis has dramatically worsened during COVID-19 pandemic, report says. cbc.ca, June 14: City saw 'unprecedented' hike in overdose deaths in 2020, Toronto Board of Health hears. A new report from Toronto Public Health calls on the federal government to decriminalize drugs as a way to tackle a worsening opioid overdose crisis in Canada's largest city. Read more

National dental program would help free up hospital staff: NDP. chroniclejournal.com, June 13: A national dental-care program for low-income households wouldn’t come cheap but would help cut down traffic at hospital emergency rooms, the NDP says. Read more

Canadian parents frustrated with lack of autism support seek solutions in the U.S. ctvnews.ca, June 12: As parents continue to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing frustration with the federal government for not living up to a promise made years ago on a national autism strategy. The situation has now reached a point where some families are seeking solutions south of the border. Read more

New resources help Indigenous communities start process of searching for unmarked graves. cbc.ca, June 14: Concerns persist that companies without the right technology or expertise may take advantage of communities. Read more

Free NHS dental care for young people extended to under 25’s. scottishbusinessnews.net, June 16: NEW measures to provide free NHS dental care for all young people aged 18 to 25 have been introduced at the Scottish Parliament today. Amendments to the regulations which cover the cost of NHS dental care will mean around 600,000 young people will benefit from free dental care from the end of August, subject to Parliamentary approval. Read more

Global Forum on Nicotine: Experts call for worldwide access to safer nicotine to reduce deadly smoking-related harms. newswire.ca, June 16: International public health specialists, scientists, doctors, tobacco control experts and consumers are convening for the Global Forum on Nicotine 2021 (#GFN21) on 17 and 18 June in Liverpool, UK, and streaming free online, to highlight the vital role of safer nicotine products in the fight to reduce global smoking-related death and disease Read more

Doctors May Be Overprescribing Opioids After Surgeries. usnews.com, June 14: Many patients who are prescribed opioids after surgery could get the same level of pain relief with non-opioid alternatives such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen without the risk of addiction, researchers say. Read more

Dentists warn against in-home dental work. flipboard.com (FOX26 Houston), June 14: Across the nation and right in the Houston area, fake dentists and orthodontists are popping up on social media offering dental work at deep discounts. Dr. Sharel Sly at Hermann Park Smiles has seen the painful effects of falling for a bargain which could end up costing thousands of dollars to undo. Watch 3:30

For kids, dental care shouldn't be an unfunded mandate. santafenewmexican.com, June 14 [OPINION]: A [New Mexico] mandate that requires new public school students to have a dental exam before they enroll is an example of the right idea with inadequate follow-up. All children need excellent dental care. And for whatever reason — lack of funds, no dental insurance, parents who are too busy, lack of providers, even flat-out neglect — many children do not receive the yearly checkups and cleanings that help maintain tooth health. Read more

Are e-cigarettes a gateway to cigarettes? Rising popularity of 'ice' flavoured vape juice is driving people to nicotine addiction, study warns. dailymail.co.uk, June 14: E-cigarettes are often touted as a good alternative for people trying to wean themselves from tobacco. But a new study from researchers at the University of Southern California reveals a certain kind of e-cigarettes may do the complete opposite. The researchers found the use of 'ice' flavoured e-cigarettes is positively associated with smoking conventional cigarettes among young adults. Read more

YouTube bans election, alcohol and prescription drug ads from its masthead. cnn.com, June 14: This is the second big change in less than a year to YouTube's masthead policies, after banning advertisers in November from reserving the spot for a full day. Read more

Ransomware is biggest online threat to people in UK, spy agency chief to warn. theguardian.com, June 14: Ransomware represents the biggest threat to online security for most people and businesses in the UK, the head of GCHQ’s cybersecurity arm is to warn. Lindy Cameron, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, will say in a speech that the phenomenon, where hackers encrypt data and demand payment for it to be restored, is escalating and becoming increasingly professionalised. Read more

Wisconsin may soon allow dental therapists and auxiliaries. kenoshawnews.com, June 14: Proponents say the moves would boost efficiency at dental clinics and access to dental care for the underserved in the state, which has a relatively low proportion of dentists who treat Medicaid patients. Read more

Letter: Most dentists serve their patients admirably, as the pandemic has demonstrated. chicagotribune.com, June 13: Regarding the article in the Tribune from Kaiser Health News about dentists pushing unnecessary procedures (“Some dentists push unnecessary procedures,” June 9): Unfortunately, all professions have their bad apples, including mine. However, the vast majority of dentists are kind, caring individuals who want to provide the best and most necessary dental care for their patients. Read more

Soft drinks ban in WA hospitals welcomed as beverages lobby warns on consumer rights. abc.net.au, June 14: The sale of sugary drinks has been banned in public hospitals in Western Australia as part of measures to combat obesity, which has been applauded by health groups but criticised by the beverages industry as "overreach". Read more

Flavored tobacco bans won’t achieve desired outcomes. dailynews.com, June 13 [OPINION]: ...Criminalizing flavored tobacco creates more opportunities for conflict with police in communities of color, where police-community relations are already suffering. Flavored cigarettes, particularly menthol cigarettes, are favored by Black smokers, while most white smokers tend to prefer unflavored tobacco. To draw up a ban against products favored by people of color, while leaving those favored by white people completely legal, seems not only unjust but remarkably insensitive at a time when Americans everywhere are working to overcome racial injustices in our communities and institutions. Read more

Plan to print 'smoking kills' warning on every individual cigarette not just packets. mirror.co.uk, June 12: A plan to put red health warnings on individual cigarettes is to be unveiled in Parliament on Monday. It would also see tobacco manufacturers who fail to comply facing jail or huge fines. 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

September 25-26: 2021 Virtual Saskatchewan Oral Health Conference. Read more

September 26-29: FDI World Dental Congress | Special Edition | Sydney 2021 Virtual. Read more

September 30 – October 2: Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics (CARDP) 28th Annual Scientific Meeting. Read more

October 15-19: Journées dentaires internationales du Québec 2021. 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