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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 15, 2020.
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Advocacy Updates
Update! Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to be extended: As part of the government’s regular briefing on Friday morning (May 15), it was announced that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) will be extended by three months, through August 29, 2020. The government also stated that it will consult with business and labour groups to examine ways to rebalance the program’s eligibility criteria, including the 30% revenue decline. They will also expand the eligibility criteria to include partnerships that are up to 50% owned by non-eligible members. The request for an extension of the CEWS program was part of CDA’s presentation to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance on May 1, 2020.
Update! Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA): CECRA aims to lower rent for small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. While it was anticipated that the CECRA program would be launched in the coming weeks, there remain concerns that commercial landlords will not take up the program. CDA has raised this issue with other business and health groups in recent weeks, and at the moment there is no significant insight into the future of the program. CDA has also raised this with the federal government in recent weeks, and underlined the issue as part of its presentation to the Finance Committee. CDA will report any further updates about the CECRA program as new information becomes available.
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Other Important Updates
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
New! Counterfeit, Sub-standard and Non-equivalent N95 Respirators:
On May 14, 2020, CDA published a new webpage to help raise awareness that counterfeit, sub-standard and non-equivalent N95-like respirators are flooding the marketplace as the demand for N95 respirators continues to rise. These products have not been certified and will not deliver the same respiratory protection as NIOSH-certified N95 respirators.
The webpage includes helpful information about N95 compliance, varieties and markings; importing PPE and liability issues; how to check if your N95 respirator has been certified by NIOSH; how to spot suspicious sellers and counterfeit masks, and more.
CDA is actively promoting this page on its social media channels. Corporate Member PDAs are encouraged to use this social media promo pack to help raise awareness of this issue among dentists. The promo pack includes four targeted social media posts, which can be paired with CDA-branded or non-branded graphic cards. The messaging can be adjusted, as deemed appropriate. French language versions of these promotional materials will be shared when they become available.
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New! Health Canada Advisory of Failed Respirators, including KN95s:
Recent testing performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified significant concerns with the fit and filtration of some KN95 respirators, specifically those with ear loop design which generally did not achieve proper fit. Several models of KN95 respirator models also failed to meet the filtration criteria of 95%. This recall does not affect N95 respirators, and shouldn’t impact the supplies for hospitals and health care facilities.
These masks may not meet the standards required for frontline health care workers, including dentists. Health Canada requested manufacturers and importers to stop the sale of these products that do not meet the filtration criteria of 95%, which the KN95 designation is intended to certify. However, Canadians using these masks outside health care settings can continue to do so. These masks may still be available for sale, but should be re-labelled as "face masks," and not "respirators."
While this news is unfortunate, Health Canada is committed to ensuring that the medical devices available to Canadians meet the necessary safety and effectiveness standards. CDA will continue to look for alternatives and remains in discussion with the federal government, including Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Office of the Chief Dental Officer, on the availability of PPEs for dentistry. CDA will share new information as it becomes available.
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Update: Claims for Extra Charges for PPE:
CDA has initiated discussions with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) about claims for additional charges related to new enhanced PPE requirements. While decisions about coverage are made by individual companies on a plan-by-plan basis, CDA and CLHIA are working to facilitate the submission of claims for this expense by identifying an industry-wide approach that can be implemented rapidly by a majority of claims processors. CDA is invited to CLHIA’s Working Group on Group Claims on May 19 to discuss options. CDA will provide additional information as soon as it becomes available.
Reminder! Before charging additional fees to cover the cost of PPE, it is essential to ensure this is done in a manner that is aligned with the expectations of provincial dental regulatory authorities.
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CDA’s Return to Practice Task Force (The Task Force):
The Task Force includes representatives from all Corporate Member PDAs, and meets weekly to discuss
deliverables for:
- 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.
Completed! Return-to-Practice Office Manual: The Task Force has developed a Return-to-Practice Office Manual. A Word document format of the Manual was distributed to Corporate Member PDAs for use when developing their own specific provincial information for dentists. The document consolidates considerations from around the world related to return to practice, and it serves as a tool for Corporate Member PDAs. Since the roll-out of returning to practice is occurring at different stages across Canada, each province will have its own specific guidelines to follow. The document will continue to be updated as guidance and evidence-based findings become available to help guide recommendations.
The Task Force continues to review and prioritize its list of deliverables. Corporate Member PDAs who have specific expectations or special requests of the Task Force should feed comments forward to their PDA member representative.
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New! Gradual Resumption of Routine Dental Care CDA Webpage:
CDA has been receiving more inquiries from national media about the “new normal” as dental offices begin to resume routine dental care in some parts in Canada. CDA published a webpage on the CDA website, Gradual Resumption of Routine Dental Care, which provides general information about the current situation from a national perspective, potential changes patients can expect to see as they return to their dental office for care, and more.
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Ongoing: CDA’s Infection Control Working Group:
This Working Group is responsible for collecting and assessing information on infection protection and control to support the Return to Practice Task Force. The Working Group will continue to meet every Thursday until its tasks are completed. The Working Group has organized its work into four key areas, including:
- minimizing the emission of infectant particles;
- controlling infectant particles’ dispersion to other surrounding areas;
- protecting staff and patients in the dental office, including PPE requirements; and
- contamination and disinfection protocols.
With the assistance of the CDA Committee on Clinical and Scientific Affairs, the Working Group continues to research credible, science-based information in all four areas.
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Update: TripleGuardTM Insurance Pandemic Coverage:
Over 6,000 claims have been filed and have been assigned a case number. As of May 12, 2020, financial information has been received from 1,655 dentists to process their claims, 1,023 dentists have received a partial payment, and 813 claims have been settled. However, AVIVA is experiencing some backlog since claims are being received all at once from policy holders.
CDSPI has asked AVIVA for more information about which claims are paid and how reductions in gross income are applied. CDSPI advised that variable expenses can be deducted from a claim such as wages, associate wages, supplies, lab fees, office expenses and interest/bank charges.
CDSPI will clarify with AVIVA if rent is considered a variable office expense, and how claims are prioritized/adjudicated. CDA will share any updates as new information becomes available; however, please continue to check CDSPI’s website for the latest information on pandemic claims.
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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 video was published this week:
- Managing Pain for the Non-Communicative Patient in the Era of Telehealth
The Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health, an organization dedicated to improving the oral health and quality of life of people with special needs, gives its inaugural presentation Managing Pain for the Non-Communicative Patient in the Era of Telehealth with an expert panel of Dr. Clive Friedman, Dr. Darya Dabiri, Dr. Donald Nixdorf, Dr. Margherita Fontana, and Dr. Daniel Clauw. (May 13)
This week’s CDA Oasis Bulletin collated relevant and timely “news that you can use” related to COVID-19.
New! CDA Essentials Issue 3 now is available online. Content specific to the COVID-19 pandemic includes the President’s Column, Working Together (At a Safe Distance) Through the COVID-19 Pandemic, which features Dr. James Armstrong. See also CDA at Work During the Pandemic, which provides an overview of CDA’s work with the CDA Board of Directors and Corporate Member provincial and territorial dental associations to help dentists navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic, and ongoing efforts to advocate for the dental profession at a national level.
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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.
New! Four wellness posts featured in the Mental Health Corner of CDA Oasis:
- Your Wellness - Managing Restructuring & Change in the Workplace
As dental offices across Canada make plans to reopen, the question on everybody's mind is What will the post-COVID-19 workplace look like? Fear of the unknown makes everybody anxious. Here are some simple steps to make reopening the office as successful as possible for you and your team. (May 11)
- Your Wellbeing - Tips to cope with news overload
Thanks to social media, mobile devices and 24-hour news stations, we seem to be bombarded with bad news. It's no wonder many of us are feeling stressed. While we can't control what happens around us, we can control how we react to them. (May 12)
- Coping with the news of today and the world around us
Technology and the Internet have changed the way we receive and react to news. Is this a positive or a negative? After all, it's important to know what's going on in the world, but have you ever wondered what impact news, especially bad news, can have on your mental health? (May 13)
- Your Wellbeing - Strategies to Maintain Your Emotional Equilibrium
The growing number of priorities to keep track of mentally may leave our minds feeling overwhelmed with a jumble of constant thoughts and emotions. There are some simple, straightforward activities you can do to get in touch with your inner peace to help you remain calm, cool and collected, both personally and professionally. (May 15)
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Free counselling, referral and information service for dentists, dental office employees, and their families.
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Ongoing! CDA Help Desk:
CDA’s Help Desk assists dentists and dental office employees on how to navigate and access federal government support programs.
CDA’s website offers federal funding program information that is tailored to certain business models used in dentistry, including:
Help is only a quick call away. Calls are typically 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. This Help Desk social media promo pack includes suggested messaging and graphic cards, sized for each social channel.
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Phishing Warning CDA Webpage:
There continues to be a range of COVID-19-related phishing scams going out to dental offices. These scams tempt users:
- to buy face masks and other personal protective equipment;
- with phony medical cures; and/or
- to give up personal bank or government login credentials to access federal funds as part of Canada's COVID-19 Federal Economic Response Plan.
New! CDA published Tips to Spot Phishing Emails on its website to remind dentists to be vigilant when opening or responding to emails. It’s smart to avoid advertisements seeking to take advantage of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. CDA is actively promoting these tips via social media. Corporate Member PDAs are encouraged to like and share these posts to help create a greater awareness on the matter.
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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.
Dental Schools, Research, Journal Articles and Continuing Education Resources:
American Dental Association:
Federal Government Resources:
Health Canada
- Health Canada launched a portal dedicated to mental wellness on Canada.ca/coronavirus and the Canada COVID-19 app. Wellness Together Canada will connect Canadians to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls, and will make it easier to find credible information and help address mental health and substance use issues.
International Resources:
American Dental Association:
(CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Legal Resources:
Bloomberg Law
National Resources:
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)
Canadian Dental Association:
- Managing Pain for the Non-Communicative Patient in the Era of Telehealth
The Canadian Society for Disability and Oral Health, an organization dedicated to improving the oral health and quality of life of people with special needs, gives its inaugural presentation Managing Pain for the Non-Communicative Patient in the Era of Telehealth with an expert panel of Dr. Clive Friedman, Dr. Darya Dabiri, Dr. Donald Nixdorf, Dr. Margherita Fontana, and Dr. Daniel Clauw. (May 13)
Choosing Wisely Canada
- Recommendations for the Public and Clinicians: Stewardship of limited resources is critical. This list was developed to raise awareness about the need to use limited health care resources wisely.
Office of the Chief Dental Officer
CDSPI:
Mental Health and Wellness Resources:
Canadian Dental Association:
- Your Wellness - Managing Restructuring & Change in the Workplace
As dental offices across Canada make plans to reopen, the question on everybody's mind is What will the post-COVID-19 workplace look like? Fear of the unknown makes everybody anxious. Here are some simple steps to make reopening the office as successful as possible for you and your team. (May 11)
- Your Wellbeing - Tips to cope with news overload
Thanks to social media, mobile devices and 24-hour news stations, we seem to be bombarded with bad news. It's no wonder many of us are feeling stressed. While we can't control what happens around us, we can control how we react to them. (May 12)
- Coping with the news of today and the world around us
Technology and the Internet have changed the way we receive and react to news. Is this a positive or a negative? After all, it's important to know what's going on in the world, but have you ever wondered what impact news, especially bad news, can have on your mental health? (May 13)
- Your Wellbeing - Strategies to Maintain Your Emotional Equilibrium
The growing number of priorities to keep track of mentally may leave our minds feeling overwhelmed with a jumble of constant thoughts and emotions. There are some simple, straightforward activities you can do to get in touch with your inner peace to help you remain calm, cool and collected, both personally and professionally. (May 15)
Community Addictions Peer Support Association (CAPSA)
- CAPSA has partnered with Breaking Free Online to offer their self-activate wellness and support program during COVID-19.
Provincial Dental Association / Regulatory Body Resources:
British Columbia Dental Association
Dental Association of PEI
Government of New Brunswick:
New Brunswick Dental Society
Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Association
- NLDA COVID-19 Update (May 14): Upcoming wellness webinar; Select wellness CDA Oasis Discussions; updated emergency dental clinic list.
- NLDA COVID-19 Update (May 13): Government of NL states to be able to conduct fit tests for N95s for dentistry, and more.
- NLDA COVID-19 Update May 11: An update on CECRA and CEWS; and the National Task Force has completed a Back to Work plan and the Panel, an adhoc committee with members from the NLDA and the NLDB, is reviewing this document to ensure that it works for Newfoundland and Labrador dentists.
- NLDA COVID-19 Update May 8: MPC Teledentistry Codes; A Message from CDSPI; NLDA webinars, and more.
Nova Scotia Dental Association:
Ontario Dental Association
- ODA Return to Practice Working Group update (May 14)
- Your Weekly COVID-19 Update: Emergency Orders Extended; Masks and Gloves Available Through ODA Supply Hub; CDA Calls for Federal Financial Help for Dentists; Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance; Under Pressure: Resist Sales Pitches; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Buyer Beware; and more.
WorkSafe NB
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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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