Dr. Steve Scott Orthodontics

Dr. Scott and the team at Markham Orthodontics

"The CDC had previously defined a ‘close contact’ as someone who spent at least 15 consecutive minutes within six feet of a confirmed coronavirus case. The up...dated guidance, which health departments rely on to conduct contact tracing, now defines a close contact as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period..." So, the new guidance is 15 minutes CUMULITIVE over a 24 hour period. It doesn't have to be 15 minutes all at once. [Link in comments.]

Hey! Don't forget that the *regular* flu is about to make its annual rounds to add to your misery. Get your flu shot!

Hey Sacramento! UC Davis Medical and Kaiser Hospital are looking for volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trials. UC Davis Medical Center explained it is focusing o...n enrolling participants who are Latinx and Black -- communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Kaiser Permanente is looking for applicants who are between 18 to 85 years old and generally healthy but are considered high-risk due to employment, a living situation or being part of a community considered at-risk for COVID-19. [Link in comments.]

Some Fear Pandemic Will Magnify Racial Disparities In Oral Health "U.S. News & World Report (8/4, Williams) considered how the coronavirus pandemic that’s hit ...African Americans and Latinos particularly hard is magnifying racial disparities in oral and dental health. The article noted, Black Americans, for example, are more likely than whites to have untreated tooth decay, while older Black adults are more likely to see cost as a barrier to getting maintenance and care. Dr. James Crall, chair of the Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Dentistry, said, There were already some underlying trends that I think COVID-19 is going to exacerbate." [Link in comments.]

Dental offices in California will remain open during latest shut down. [Link in comments.]

[T]he World Health Organization and the CDC say there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmitted in a dental office so far.

Adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta and posterior open bites or crossbites reported functional limitations and negative oral symptoms that could benefit from orthodontic interventions while their permanent dentition develops, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association. (Link in comments.)

Your dentist is spending, perhaps, tens of thousands of dollars to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect your health. So...don't freak out too much if you see it as a line item on your bill. (Link in comments.)

The AAO recognizes diversity is strength. We see the open wounds currently exposed in our society and know it is impacting our African-American members, in part...icular, as well as all of our membership. As an association, we are taking a hard look in the mirror at ourselves and at the profession of orthodontics to determine what steps we can take to increase the diversity in our profession, AAO leadership, event speaker lineups and committee involvement. This is just the beginning. There is more work to be done. And it will be done. We hope that you and all members of the AAO will join us in our strategic efforts to increase inclusivity. We encourage you to take an active role in our association or nominate a person of color for a volunteer committee, other leadership role or as an industry speaker. We can all do better in this regard, and it is only possible for us to move forward and bring about meaningful change if we are united. Sincerely, Dr. Chris Roberts AAO President