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A Message for CDA Corporate Member Provincial Dental Associations
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Below is a snapshot of the Canadian Dental Association’s (CDA) pandemic work for the week ending May 1, 2020.
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Advocacy Updates
New! CDA President Presents to Federal Finance Committee: Today, Dr. James Armstrong, recently installed as the new CDA President, addressed the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance as part of its study regarding the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his presentation, Dr. Armstrong outlined the challenges that COVID-19 and the ensuing shutdown have posed for dentistry, and emphasized the need to support practices in the coming months. Among the key recommendations were the need to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, tax credits for practices that need to physically adapt to new guidelines, facilitated access to PPE, and support for extended health care benefits. View a copy of Dr. Armstrong’s opening statement. Here is the webcast of the presentation.
Coming up! Statistics Canada to reveal the economic impact of COVID-19 for April 2020: On May 8, 2020, Statistics Canada will reveal facts and figures about COVID-19’s impact on the Canadian economy. These results pertain to April 2020, and will include key information such as unemployment rates. CDA will be monitoring this closely and will provide updates as they become available. Here are the first results from crowdsourcing about the impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians, released by Statistics Canada on April 23.
Reminder! The CDA website provides specific federal funding information to dental practice models: CDA has partnered with MNP and the Canadian Medical Association to share and personalize federal funding program information that is more specific to certain business models used in dentistry:
[French language versions will be available soon]
Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA): CECRA aims to lower rent for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. Further details are slated to be announced soon. CDA is monitoring this closely and will provide updates as soon as information becomes available.
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Other Important Updates
First meeting of the CDA Return to Practice Task Force:
CDA is preparing to move the profession forward in gradually returning to work. The newly established Return to Practice Task Force (“Task Force”), which has representation from each of CDA’s Corporate Member PDAs, held its first meeting on Sunday, April 26, 2020, and a second meeting on Wednesday, April 29.
The top three short-term deliverables for the Task Force are:
- Evidence-based treatment protocols and how to carry these out;
- Strategies for obtaining and securing PPEs; and
- Communications to the public on dentists returning to practice.
CDA staff are researching evidence-based information which can be used to create practical tools such as an office manual. These generic tools can be adapted for use by Corporate Members PDAs, dentists and their staff.
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Privacy and electronic communications:
CDA has worked closely with a privacy lawyer to develop the general guidance document, Patient Privacy And The Use Of Teledentistry Communication Tools During Covid-19 Pandemic, for dentists regarding privacy requirements when they communicate with patients using electronic means. This document has been provided to Corporate Member Executive Directors to adapt, use and promote among their member dentists, as deemed appropriate.
Point-of-Care Tests (Rapid Testing):
CDA inquired with the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation (CDRAF) to determine if its members were looking at point-of-care testing in their return to work plans, and whether CDA could be of assistance as those plans are being prepared. CDRAF indicated that the issue had not been discussed in that forum. CDA will continue to monitor developments related to point of care testing and its potential use to accelerate dental offices reopening.
For more information about the types of rapid testing, please refer to CDA’s COVID-19 email update from April 24 and the April 28 CDA Oasis Discussion, An In-Depth Expert Look at Covid-19 Point-of-Care Testing.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
PPE Internationally: China has recently nationalized the production of PPEs, which has caused a number of orders to be cancelled. Organizations now have to go through official brokers for ordering PPEs. This is causing new issues in the supply chain.
CDA encourages Corporate Member PDAs to remind dentists who are seeking to procure their own PPE internationally that the importer of medical devices usually inherits the responsibilities of the foreign manufacturer to comply with Canadian regulations. These responsibilities can be extensive and result in significant liabilities for the importer, should issues arise. Therefore, CDA urges extreme caution before entering into deals to import PPE from international manufacturers.
PPE Nationally: New Canadian sources of PPE are being added on an ongoing basis, but production remains insufficient to meet the current demand. Many organizations, including dental laboratories, are repurposing their equipment, in particular 3D printers, for the production of custom PPE. Although Health Canada supports efforts to increase the availability of PPEs for frontline health workers, organizations should be aware that the manufacture of medical devices sold in Canada have technical considerations to ensure that they are safe, effective, of high quality and must meet certain regulatory standards. Regardless of how N95 masks are produced, the requirement for fit testing still remains.
CDA continues to receive updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada on government purchases, as well as a website that is under development by Procurement Canada, which will provide information on PPE availability. CDA will communicate more information as it becomes available.
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Suppliers/Sales Representatives Pressuring Dentists: CDA is aware that some dentists may be feeling pressured to proceed with major purchases based on dental suppliers or sales reps advising that expensive materials or equipment they sell will be needed for return to practice. CDA is in contact with the Dental Association Industry of Canada (DIAC) regarding this issue and is advising against making major modifications to dental offices at this time, until more information becomes available. To help with the documentation of those issues, please forward any examples or advertisements to Dr. Benoit Soucy, CDA Director for Clinical and Scientific Affairs.
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CDA Help Desk:
Only a quick call away, CDA’s Help Desk is available to assist dentists and dental office employees on how to navigate and access federal government support programs.
Calls are answered within two minutes, and last approximately five minutes in length. Ontario-based dentists continue to be redirected to ODA for information and services.
Corporate Member PDAs are encouraged to promote CDA’s Help Desk service to dentists: 1-866-232-0385, M-F, 7:30 A.M. – 8:00 p.m. EDT.
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Knowledge and Information Broker:
CDA Oasis is CDA’s primary channel of communication for delivering urgent information to the dental community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CDA Oasis produces a series of video interviews with members of the CDA Board, CDA’s COVID-19 Team, and other relevant subject matter experts. The following three videos were published this week:
- Nova Scotia Protocols for Dental Emergencies During COVID-19: The Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Dental Association and the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University, has recently created a set of protocols and procedures for the treatment of emergency patients during the COVID-19 crisis. (April 30)
- An In-Depth Expert Look at Covid-19 Point-of-Care Testing: In this in-depth interview, Dr. Aaron Burry, Dr. Michael Glick, and Dr. Mark Donaldson unpack the scarce evidence available so far; and give their expert views on how point-of-care tests work, how effective they are, and the clinical and ethical implications they may have on dentists across Canada. (April 28)
- The Impact of Covid-19 on Dental Departments in Toronto-Area Hospitals: Dr. Michael Glogauer talks about the impact of COVID-19 on hospital dental departments. Dr. Glogauer walks through his experience in managing patients during the pandemic crisis and explains that for some patients, elective procedures are still essential. (April 24)
This week’s CDA Oasis Bulletin collated relevant and timely “news that you can use” related to COVID-19.
CDA Essentials Issue 2 is available online. Issue 3 of the magazine will be ready for distribution in mid-May.
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TripleGuardTM Insurance Pandemic Coverage:
CDA is aware that CDSPI is receiving claims from across the country. It is estimated that payments made in full to all policy holders could inject up to $220M into the economy.
CDSPI is rapidly processing claims, with some being done within 48 hours with appropriate financial information provided.
Approximately 600 dentists across Canada have not submitted claims. CDSPI is following-up on this, but Corporate Member PDAs may wish to send a reminder to members about submitting claims, as deemed appropriate.
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Mental Health and Wellness:
Maintaining good mental health and wellness continues to be a priority. CDA is actively promoting available mental health and wellness support through CDSPI’s Members’ Assistance Program (MAP) via social media, its Help Desk service, and on its website. MAP can be accessed by calling 1.844.578.4040 or visiting www.workhealthlife.com. CDA is monitoring the volume of inquires about CDSPI’s MAP program and will report any significant uptake in the program to Corporate Member PDAs.
Additionally, one new wellness post has been featured in the Mental Health Corner of CDA Oasis:
- Your Wellbeing – Optimism, Pessimism & Your Health: Though there are no clear explanations for the health benefits a positive outlook brings, scientists believe there is a solid link between optimism and the immune system, providing a boost in the fight against the pitfalls of aging and disease.
BCDA has a Dentist Wellness Program available for member dentists and their families.
A growing list of other available mental health and wellness resources is available in CDA’s COVID-19 Repository. PDAs are encouraged to access the information and share resources, as deemed appropriate.
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Free counselling, referral and information service for dentists, dental office employees, and their families.
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CDA COVID-19 Repository at a Glance:
New resources added!
CDA serves as a COVID-19 Repository for Corporate Member PDAs by collecting advice and available COVID-19 resources from external organizations and any sources that PDAs wish to share. The information is placed in the Repository and is exclusively available for use by the PDAs, for onward transmission to their respective dentist members, as deemed appropriate.
For quick reference, the following materials have been added to the Repository this week. For the complete resource listing, please log in to view them all. Login details on how to access the Repository are below.
National Resources:
3M Canada:
- April 2020 Bulletin. Highlights include general information about COVID-19 for the public and healthcare professionals; a range of 3M resources about general respiratory protection, respirator selection and use considerations, respirator shelf-life Conditions, cleaning and disinfecting respirators, and other PPE. This bulletin also includes a range of resources about fit testing, and links to respirator demonstration and training videos about filtering facepiece respirators; powered air-purifying respirators; and reusable respirators.
- Filtering of Bioaerosols by Filtering Facepiece Respirators (3 min. video)
Canadian Dental Association:
CDA Oasis Discussions
- Nova Scotia Protocols for Dental Emergencies During COVID-19: The Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Dental Association and the Faculty of Dentistry at Dalhousie University, has recently created a set of protocols and procedures for the treatment of emergency patients during the COVID-19 crisis. (April 30)
- An In-Depth Expert Look at Covid-19 Point-of-Care Testing: In this in-depth interview, Dr. Aaron Burry, Dr. Michael Glick, and Dr. Mark Donaldson unpack the scarce evidence available so far; and give their expert views on how point-of-care tests work, how effective they are, and the clinical and ethical implications they may have on dentists across Canada. (April 28)
- The Impact of Covid-19 on Dental Departments in Toronto-Area Hospitals: Dr. Michael Glogauer talks about the impact of COVID-19 on hospital dental departments. Dr. Glogauer walks through his experience in managing patients during the pandemic crisis and explains that for some patients, elective procedures are still essential. (April 24)
Canadian Association of Orthodontists
CDSPI:
Health Canada:
- Information for health product manufacturers and distributors in relation to COVID-19:
- Advertising complaints: How to report, lists of complaints on authorized and un-authorized products
- Diagnostic devices for use against coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Disinfectants, hand sanitizers, cleaners and soaps: Expedited access, information for manufacturers, lists of products, who to contact
- Drugs and vaccines: Clinical trials, expedited access, drug shortages, special access, who to contact
- List of medical devices authorized under Interim Order
- Medical devices: Diagnostic tests, ventilators, personal protective equipment, expedited access, lists of authorized products, who to contact
- Medical masks and N95 respirators (COVID-19)
- Mobilizing industry to provide medical supplies: Information for Canadian manufacturers, supply and procurement, scale-up and re-tooling, donations, research and funding
National Dental Examining Board (NDEB): April Update: Business continuity during uncertain times
Provincial Governments, Dental Associations and Regulatory Body Resources:
British Columbia Dental Association:
College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan:
CDSS Alert- COVID-19 Pandemic: IPC Interim Protocol Update (April 27) – Highlights include “Re-open Saskatchewan – A Summary for Dentists”
Dental Association of PEI:
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador:
- Alert Level 5: NL’s current state with broad sweeping public health measures to protect the population. Public Health Orders are in place. (April 30)
Manitoba Dental Association:
New Brunswick Dental Society
- Member Communication (April 29): The NBDS has formed an advisory group to review and recommend protocols for a gradual return to work; The Government of New Brunswick has released a guidance document which applies to all business owners. All dental offices will need to have an operational plan in place to be able to return to work.
- Member Communication: Business recovery implications for the dental practice (April 27). CDA’s Dr. Aaron Burry answers questions about COVID-19 in this webinar.
Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Association:
Nova Scotia Dental Association:
- President's letter #7. Highlights include small business model for dentistry provided to the provincial Department of Business; the establishment of the NSDA Return to Practice Advisory Group; and an update on teledentistry.
- Member Update April 28: Upcoming Webinar Tuesday, May 5: Covid – What’s normal? – Coping with anger, fear and loss within yourself and among your team
Ontario Dental Association:
RCDSO:
International Resources:
American Dental Association:
Australian Dental Association:
German Dental Association
- Current situation and insights on returning to work (April 20)
- Information about: Prevention on transmission; Prevention of aerosols; Treatment of patients for whom there is no urgent suspicion of being infected; Risk Groups; and Assessment of Danger (April 20)
Collegiate Organization of Dentists of Spain
Danish Dental Association
Italian Dental Association
Korean Dental Association:
- Current states and countermeasure against the COVID-19: Document includes information on interim guidance for clinics and healthcare facilities and interim guidance for healthcare personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with COVID-19 (April 27)
- Letter from Korean Dental Association President to CDA (April 21)
New Zealand Dental Association:
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Access to COVID-19 Repository: PDA Executive Directors, Corporate Member Presidents and select staff, and CDA Board Members have access to the CDA COVID-19 Repository via the CDA Board Resource Website.
The link to access the CDA COVID-19 Repository: https://boardresources.ca/covid/.
Log-in: Please use your existing CDA Board Resources login credentials to access the COVID-19 Repository.
If you have trouble logging in, or require a login for someone in your organization who would like access, please email Dean Smith, CDA Manager of Information Technology, dsmith@cda-adc.ca.
Share: To include your organization’s resources in the COVID-19 Repository, please email Zelda Burt, CDA Communications Manager, zburt@cda-adc.ca.
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The CDA COVID-19 Response Team works diligently on a range of fronts to help minimize and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the dental profession. CDA is working to address scientific, clinical, economic and business-related matters impacting dentistry, including efforts to increase awareness about the mental health and wellness of dentists, their families and dental office employees during these challenging times. CDA will communicate regular updates as new information becomes available.
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