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Toll free: 1-866-530-9189 within NB
New Tel: (506) 850-9876 Fax: (506) 532-3635
New Brunswick Dental Assistants' Association des assistant(e)s dentaires du Nouveau-Brunswick
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It looks like we forgot to double the number of prizes this year.
In recognition of the dental assistants recognition week, 5 members from each local and 5 members provincially will receive a $25 gift.
NBDAA
Mikayla Longstaff, Julie Couturier, Shandra Konkin, Véronique Blouin-Lepage, Rosalind Wilson
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Serenity Blanchard, Sydney Duclos, Rachelle Frenette, Mélissa St-Amand, Chelsey Chase
Moncton local
Heather Melvin, Ashoani Augustine, Kayla Wright, Kerrigan Brown, Brooke Armstrong
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Eleanor Berger, Monique Corneau, Hanna Savoy, Lana Weaver, Sylvie Hébert
Fredericton local
Michelle Curran, Amanda Boone, Laura Hallihan, Ashley George, Wendy LeRoux
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Kelly Doucette, Sandra Kerr, Treena Hetherington, Alisha McLean, Christine Good
Saint John local
Sarah Walsh, Jenna Levesque, Mackenzie Lackie, Bobbi-Jo Hopey, Kathryn Flanagan
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Amber Kelley-Martin, Erin Martin, Megan Voutour, Jo-Ann Selman, Sharman Lewis
North Shore local
Véronique O'Brien, Leanne Jardine, Alyson Moriorty, Sylvie Fortin-Bourque, Tanya Paulin
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Cynthia Basque, Valerie Vienneau, Isabelle Bérubé, Helen Crawford, Ginette Hébert
Upper Saint-John River Valley
Ashley Saunders, Erika Gallant-Parise, Penny Boulay, Audrey Lamarche, Amy Ouellette
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Meagan Inman, Josée Gagnon, Marybelle Raymond, Emily McLaughlin, Renée Mulherin
Congratulations to the winners and have a great week!
Dear Healthcare Professional,
Health Canada, in collaboration with members of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA), released a statement about confidence in COVID-19 vaccines for health care professionals. The statement aims to inform and help health care professionals answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines. It explains how vaccines undergo robust scientific evaluation to determine their safety, efficacy and quality and how safety will continue to be closely monitored after approval.
ICMRA brings together the heads of 30 medicines regulatory authorities from every region in the world, including Health Canada, with the World Health Organization (WHO) as an observer. Medicines regulators recognise their important role in facilitating the provision of access to safe and effective high-quality medicinal products that are essential to human health and well-being. This includes ensuring that the benefits of vaccines outweigh their risks.
Information on vaccines and treatments authorized for COVID-19 can be found on Canada’s COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal. Weekly updated information about any adverse events that individuals have experienced following COVID-19 vaccine immunization can be found in the COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Report.
Regards,
Director General Marketed Health Products Directorate
As workers navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on workers, employees are facing a host of new issues related to human resources, conditions of employment and privacy. Recently, the CDAA representatives participated in two virtual meetings that examined these issues: the first was with our malpractice insurance partner, PROLINK and the second was during the RBC Annual update for Not-for-Profit organizations. A common theme out of these two meetings, was that employees across all industries are seeing a spike in privacy-related complaints and breaches resulting from the Covid-19 environment individuals are working in (Telework implications? Symptom disclosure? Where data is held and by who? Who has access to this data? Who can know of a positive test result in the workplace?, etc.) and that the legal decisions/advice and precedent surrounding privacy and privacy breaches, is lagging behind what is taking place. Essentially, what may not have been considered a privacy breach before Covid-19 may be considered one in today’s environment. For this reason, to help dental assistants know what to do in the event that they are involved in a privacy breach situation, PROLINK, through the CDAA malpractice (professional liability) insurance program, offers dental assistants real time help and advise from experts at no cost to the dental assistant.
Working with PROLINK, CDAA has developed the attached material in both official languages. You will see attached resources for your members that include an infographic document and material to use on your websites, and social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). CDAA will also be posting this information to our website and social media platforms.
We hope this information and the resources provided through the CDAA malpractice insurance program will assist dental assistants to successfully navigate a privacy-related situation, should they find themselves in this type of situation.
Through the CDAA’s work and partnership with the member organizations of the Organization for Health Action (HEAL), we recently received the following report commissioned by the Canadian Psychological Association and the Council of Professional Associations of Psychologists (CPAP). This study surveyed over 3,000 Canadians to better understand how they are managing their mental health and accessing care by psychologists in a world of Covid-19.
Le français suit
As CDAA continues to provide data on behalf of the profession, the CDAA has developed a short survey in both official languages regarding Covid-19 and its impact on dental assistants as they navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. Please respond to the survey before December 11, 2020.
The survey is completely anonymous.
The survey will take respondents not more than 5 minutes to complete.
The links to the survey:
FREE webinar on workplace safety in light of the COIVD-19 pandemic.
Link to Register: https://hopin.com/events/uvc
Eric Spath
647.278.6995
I recently participated in a webinar offered in partnership by the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Royal Bank of Canada which focused on “Your Organization’s Mental Health: From Top to Bottom – Part One: A Healthy Leader”
While some of the information is Ontario-centric, much of the information contained in the presentation I felt was quite useful, very practical in nature and applicable across all professional contexts. The CMHA and RBC has granted permission for me to share this information with you so that you can provide assistance to your members.
In addition, RBC and CMHA will partner again on November 4, 2020 to offer the second part to their series. This webinar will take place at 10am and 7pm EST – it is free to register.
This second presentation: “A Healthy Team” Will discuss what is healthy communication styles, way to create healthy workplaces and how to implement mental health accommodations. In addition, it will provide tools to identify when an employee or colleague may be experiencing mental distress, how to direct them to appropriate care and provide free resources to employers and employees. If members of your respective Boards would like to participate in the upcoming session please register at: https://vote.pollstream.com/PollPopupContent.php?short_link=Bef88W6&cb=a19092511001fe20483cdd729a22751b
Best regards,
Stephanie Mullen-Kavanagh
Executive Director - Directrice généraleCanadian Dental Assistants Association
Please see attached the CDAA Annual Report for June 2019-June 2020.
The annual report includes a synopsis of CDAA activities as well as our approved financial statements for fiscal year end 2019.
Although undertaken on a limited sample of the United States population, this study on Patient Perceptions about Professional Dental Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic, may be of interest to your respective Members and their clinical practices:
The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch of the Public Health Agency of Canada has released resources/data on mental illness.
The Mental Ilness Canada Infographic is the first to present information on the prevalence of mental illness in Canada using data from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS).
Also, check out our newly updated Mental Illness in Canada Data Blog on the Public Health Infobase. To dive deeper into the data, visit the interactive CCDSS Data Tool. Data Tools provide a unique way of interacting with public health data to gain insight on chronic diseases, mental health and risk and protective factors.
If you have feedback or questions, please contact us at PHAC.chronic.publications-chronique.ASPC@canada.ca
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The Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared with the national oral health organizations a report published by McGill University entitled: “Evidence to support safe return to clinical practice by oral health professionals in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A report prepared for the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada.”
The report is currently publicly available, posted to the McGill University website at the following link:
This document will be updated periodically in 2020 and 2021 and CDAA will continue to engage on these updates, as required.
Stephanie Mullen-Kavanagh
CDAA Executive Director - Directrice généralePlease see attached a request for input from members on behalf of the Canadian Health Workforce Network (CHWN) and the CDAA.
Responses due by September 30, 2020 please.
Please see attached the CDAA Executive Director Quarterly reports for Q2 of 2020, in both official languages.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Stephanie Mullen-Kavanagh
Executive Director - Directrice générale
Canadian Dental Assistants Association/ Association canadienne des assistant(e)s dentaires
Canadian Dental Assistants Association/ Association canadienne des assistant(e)s dentaires
613-521-5495 ext. 100 / 1-800-345-5137
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The CDAA is proud to be a member of the Organization for Health Action (known as HEAL), which is comprised of national health sector associations. HEAL is a non-partisan coalition of over 40 national health organizations dedicated to improving the health of Canadians and the quality of care they receive. Created in 1991, HEAL now represents more than 650,000 providers (and consumers) of health care. For the first time in its history, CDAA has been accepted as a member of HEAL, bringing forward the perspective of dental assistants on the issues facing the health care sector. In addition, CDAA’s Executive Director is a member of the HEAL Covid-19 Sub Task Force.
HEAL member associations have been asked to share the links to the survey (below) with our members to them to participate in the study, as appropriate. The CDAA encourages you to share this survey callout with your membership.
MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre Online Survey
The MacDonald Franklin Operational Stress Injury Research Centre is conducting a longitudinal study to examine moral distress and well-being in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research is to document moral-ethical experiences at the personal, professional, and organizational level, associated moral distress and well-being, and overall health care delivery experiences in the wake of COVID-19. They expect that their findings can be used to optimize the well-being of health care workers and minimize moral distress in future crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic and to guide policies.
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary and your members’ responses will remain confidential. This is an academic research study and their decision on whether or not to participate will not impact their employment status in any way. This project is in partnership with the Centre of Excellence on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions. The focus of the Centre of Excellence is to create knowledge networks across Canada in order to increase expertise and create the best possible supports and services for Veterans, First Responders, and their families.
Survey Link:
Twitter:
“If you are a health care worker, we invite you to participate in an online study exploring moral-ethical challenges encountered at work and your well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. For inquiries, email: osiresearch@sjhc.london.on.ca. https://t.co/hD25As59Pd”
Please see below in both official languages two Infographics CDAA has prepared for our members:
- Burnout
- Coping Tips to manage stress
CDAA will continue to prepare similar Infographics on topics relevant to dental assistants for CDAA Organizational Members to use to help members through these unsettling times.
CDAA thanks all dental assistants who participated in the survey. You will want to read this. Click here.
DIAC has shared the attached special bulletin on a scam that is occurring in the dental community. DIAC has indicated that Ontario and BC are particular hotspots for this type of scam. See details
The Chief Dental Office has shared the attached statement from the US Public Health Service Chief Dental Officers’ -Support for the 75th Anniversary of Community Water Fluoridation with Canada’s national oral health associations.
Note that Canada’s statement on CWF remains:
You can find CDAA’s policy statement on CWF at:
Canadian Press has recently ran several articles relating to PTSD and stress experienced by front line workers during a pandemic situation.
Here are links to various articles:
The Centre for Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, (https://www.theroyal.ca/about-royal/about-us/centre-excellence-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-related-mental-health) funded by Veterans Affairs Canada and housed at The Royal-Mental Health and Research hospital here in Ottawa, recently published a Guide on Moral Injury for the health sector environment during a pandemic crisis. The guide can be found at: https://www.moralinjuryguide.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Moral-Injury-Guide.pdf and may be of interest to your membership.
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following information with Canada’s national oral health organizations.
The Health Policy Institute of the American Dental Association has been analyzing Covid-19’s Impact on the Dental Care Sector.
The weekly data roll-up can be found here:
The webinar recordings archive can be found here:
The latest data slides/information can be found here (week of June 29, 2020):
In case you missed yesterday’s Health Canada advisory:
CDAA has developed a short survey (3 questions) in both official languages regarding Covid-19 and return to practice. Please respond to the survey before July 30, 2020.
The survey is completely anonymous.
The links to the survey:
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following webinar event with Canada’s national oral health organizations. The event may be of interest to you.
It is a free event. See the poster here, and the live link for registration can be found below.
The topic of the webinar is: “Infection Prevention/Control in Dentistry, Post-Pandemic Planning:”
The webinar will be given by Ms. Kathy Eklund, RDH MHP who is currently the Director of Occupational Health and Safety at The Forsyth Institute. She is also a past Chair of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) and current member of the OSAP Board of Directors, and has been a contributing author for the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health Care Settings.
The webinar is presented from a United States perspective but may include relevant information applicable to the Canadian context.
In order to access the webinar, individuals must first register for free with the NEAETC. It will ask for an email, address, etc. Please ensure “Other” is selected for state and enter 00000 for the ZIP code.
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following information with Canada’s national oral health organizations:
Health Canada engaged a task force composed of a broad range of technical and scientific experts to assess the health risks posed by hand sanitizers containing technical-grade ethanol. Based on the results of this assessment, Health Canada determined that, when used as directed and for a limited period of time, the public health benefits of using hand sanitizer containing specific sources of technical-grade ethanol outweigh the risk. For more information, consult Health Canada’s risk assessment summary report.
To date, seven companies have been authorized to produce technical-grade ethanol for use in hand sanitizer following a case-by-case risk assessment. Health Canada has published a list of authorized suppliers.
As noted in the Summary Risk Assessment Report, risk is a function of hazard and exposure. The lower the exposure to acetaldehyde in the alcohol-based hand sanitizers, in terms of concentration, quantity of hand sanitizer used in each application, frequency of applications per day, and duration of use, the lower the risk. While the task force considered acetaldehyde levels of 1,000 ppm in their analysis, authorized producers have been working to reduce impurity levels to the point where current levels of acetaldehyde are between 10-400 ppm. Based on these lower levels, the task force is currently reviewing its risk assessment to determine if extensions are warranted for suppliers of technical grade ethanol and producers of hand sanitizers, and whether any of the conditions including additional labelling requirements need to be adjusted. The updated risk assessment report should be available in mid-June.
To help you identify hand sanitizers that may contain technical-grade ethanol, we have published a list of manufacturers who received “No Objection Letters” from Health Canada to produce hand sanitizers using authorized technical-grade ethanol.
Products on this list do not necessarily contain technical-grade ethanol. Manufacturers may continue to produce the hand sanitizer using food or pharmaceutical grade ethanol, switching to technical-grade only when higher quality grades cannot be sourced.
The best way to identify whether a hand sanitizers contains technical-grade ethanol, is to refer to the product label. The product label must clearly indicate that it contains technical-grade ethanol, and include the following statements. The first two warnings reflect the fact that the task force did not assess the risk specifically to children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women. This takes a cautious approach and is consistent with Health Canada’s approach to mitigate risk and protect vulnerable populations.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- Adults only;
- Do not inhale; and
- Do not use on broken or damaged skin.
The health and safety of Canadians is Health Canada’s top priority and the Health Department is doing everything possible to facilitate access to products needed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Department encourages anyone who has information regarding the potential non-compliant sale of a health product, including technical-grade ethanol, to report it using the online complaint form.
Following the results of the Healthy and Respectful Workplace survey and the FREEDAC study, CDAA has developed a Vision for a Healthy and Respectful Workplace, based on the responses of your members.
As part of the larger pan-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program is participating in a multi-departmental initiative seeking innovative solutions to help in the fight.In support of members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the public safety community, these challenges were designed to strengthen Canada's ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics, as well as other emergencies such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
The below challenges are focused on improving disease tracking and likely exposure to COVID-19 using data analytics as well as making sure those on the front lines have a safe operating environment through a combination of better decontamination technology and improved personal protective equipment.
The following challenges are now available:
IDEaS will be hosting an information session via webinar on June 11, 2020 to answer questions about the application process and any technical questions. Register now
Deadline to submit proposals to the IDEaS program is June 23, 2020.
Please directly apply at Canada.ca/Defence-Ideas
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following user notices with Canada’s national oral health organizations:
From the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), tips and visual aids on how to identify counterfeit respirators (masks):
I understand these are sourced from the US, however, many products are similarly designated as counterfeit in Canada.
As a dental assistant, you will want to read this article titled "CDAA Response Article on the FREEDAC Study" Make sure to read it.
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following study with Canada’s national oral health organizations.
Given the impact COVID-19 is having on all industries across Canada, insurance companies are offering relief measures for their clients. CDAA’s Group Benefits’ provider, Prolink Insurance, is offering the attached discount to CDAA members who participate in the CDAA Group Benefits Health and Dental plan. Participants in the plan were to have received the attached document after April 30, 2020.
Discounts will be applied to May and June premiums (as a retroactive credit for April and May 2020). What remains to be determined, is if these discounts will continue beyond May. Potential discounts going forward will be evaluated by Prolink Insurance and will be based upon future distancing regulations imposed across the country. Prolink Insurance will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate with CDAA as necessary.
If you have specific questions about the benefits, please contact Prolink’s Life and Benefits Team.
Beware COVID-19 scams:
As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, protect yourself and beware of associated scams. Fraudsters want to profit from consumers’ fears, uncertainties and misinformation. Turn to trusted resources and advice for health, financial and security resources.
Full details can be found here: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/features-vedette/2020/covid-19-eng.htm
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Friday, May 8, 2020
On March 17, 2020 the New Brunswick Dental Society (NBDS) issued a strong recommendation to its members and the public that dentistry was restricted to emergency care.
On March 19, 2020, the Province of New Brunswick issued a mandatory order restricting dentistry to emergency and essential services only.
As of 2:30 pm today, the Province of New Brunswick confirmed that upon confirmation of an Operational Plan, that dentistry will no longer be restricted to emergencies. The NBDS has developed an operational plan that complements the provincial plan, and which must be adhered to by its members.
“The NBDS Operational Plan is our new standard of practice and must be implemented in each clinic prior to any return to practice” says Dr Joy Carmichael, President of the NBDS. “We will be placing a strong emphasis in the early stages, on physical distancing and on the importance of dealing with the backlog of patients who have been unable to receive full dental care in the past seven weeks.”, says Dr Carmichael.
Members will need to prepare for a return to work and comply with this new operating plan and for this reason dental offices will not be open until Wednesday May 13, 2020.
Today’s announcement is good news for our province and for dental patients.
Paul Blanchard
Executive Director
New Brunswick Dental Society
506-452-8575
The Chief Dental Officer of Canada has shared the following information with Canada’s national oral health organizations.
This rapid review of international sources on the Recommendations for the Re-opening of Dental Services in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic collates and summarises recommendations from the various international sources identified within five themes relevant to the re-opening of dental services: 1. practice preparation,
2. personal protective equipment,
3. management of the clinical area,
4. dental procedures, and
5. cleaning and disinfection.
The review is not guidance. Given that the world has only really known about COVID-19 for about 120 days, robust evidence is scarce. However, this review is intended to assist policy and decision-makers in producing national guidance for their own settings.
Canada’s CDO is a contributor.
An interesting read that may provide useful information for any discussions you may have with regulators/governments in your respective jurisdictions, as provinces begin to ease restrictions.
Please follow this link: https://oralhealth.cochrane.org/news/recommendations-re-opening-dental-services-rapid-review-international-sources
Then, click at: Read the rapid review here.
I have been advised that there will be regular updates to this review, so I invite you to check this link going forward.
This article from CBC includes some good information for workers who will be returning to work as provinces begin to ease restrictions.
The lawyer quoted in the CBC article also has some important information/FAQs on his firm’s website that may also be of interest to your members.
Please see a roll-up of open-sourced studies/articles related to “Ambient Air Filtration for Viruses in Dental Spaces” as pulled together from the University of Manitoba’s MHIKNET - Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library. This was originally posted to the NBDAA’s website, but once I became aware of this, I thought it may be of interest to DAs across Canada as well.
Also, below is a link from the University of Toronto with links to studies and publications that may also be of interest to your members.
Scholarly Resources on COVID-19 for Dental Practitioners and Researchers
CDAA has rolled up a listing of the most recent updated guidelines that have been published from around the country regarding the easement of restrictions in response to COVID-19
New Brunswick
COVID-19 Guidance for Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting – April 29, 2020: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h-s/pdf/PrimaryCareProvidersCommunitySetting.pdf
Government of NB Phased Re-opening Plan: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/eco-bce/Promo/covid-19/phphases-e.pdf
*note: as of May 3, 2020 NB has entered its 3rd week with no new COVID-19 cases and all positive cases have recovered.
