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May 22, 2020: Wrap-Up of 2020 Kansas Legislative Session, Updated CDC Interim Guidance, and More

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Many Kansas Dental Offices Began Reopening Process on May 4
The state has allowed dental offices to reopen using the ADA Return to Work Interim Guidance and following any local/county orders.
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KDA News Updates & Notices

KDA Sends Letter to Governor Asking for Dental Offices to be Reopened on May 3 

The recommendations of the KDA Reopening Task Force, along with the American Dental Association (ADA) Return to Work Interim Guidance Toolkit, were sent via email to Governor Laura Kelly ​on Monday, April 27. 
 
Also receiving the information were Dr. Lee Norman, MD, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE); Dr. Dayna Brinckman, DDS, Director, KDHE Bureau of Oral Health; Senator Susan Wagle, President, Kansas Senate; and Rep. Ron Ryckman, Speaker, Kansas House of Representatives.

On Thursday, April 30, Governor Laura Kelly announced the lifting of Executive Order #20-24, which placed a statewide stay-at-home order on all Kansans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it expires on May 3. 

Now that Governor Kelly has lifted EO #20-24 and the KDHE Bureau of Oral Health has authorized dental offices to fully reopen on Monday, May 4, dentists need to pay attention to any county orders for final reopening guidance. 
 
The recommendations of the KDA Reopening Task Force, which is also meant as guidance to Kansas dentists, along with the ADA Return to Work interim Guidance Toolkit, are included for your review. Learn more in the KDA COVID-19 Resource Center. 
 
Visit the KDA COVID-19 Resource Center

Dr. Allen Reavis Inducted as 149th President of the Kansas Dental Association

On the afternoon of Friday, April 17, 2020, the Kansas Dental Association (KDA) held its 149th – and surely its most unique – General Assembly of membership via Zoom webinar format. During the meeting, Dr. Allen Reavis was inducted as the 2020-2021 KDA President. 

Dr. Reavis shared some profound thoughts with members during the virtual meeting. Speaking of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Reavis said, “It is not the changes that will define us; it is how we handle it, how we work together, and how we succeed in that effort. As your President, with the officers, KDA staff, and the support of the membership, I promise we will weather this storm and come out stronger. We must focus on our long-term goals while getting through this COVID-19 crisis.”

A desire to help others improve their health, a goal to serve his community, and being self-sufficient led Dr. Allen Reavis to dentistry. He has been enjoying that mission for 36 years in private practice at Atchison Dental Associates in Atchison, KS, where he loves practicing with his associate dentists and the entire dental team caring for their patients.
 
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​KDHE and KSU Remind Dentists of Upcoming Amalgam Rule, Require One-Time Compliance Report From Dental Offices*

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment ​(KDHE) and Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute (KSU PPI) have partnered to help dentists prepare for the upcoming compliance date of the EPA's new amalgam rule. 

More information on compliance in Kansas is available on the KSU PPI web site

*Dental offices who do not discharge to a publicly owned treatment work (POTW) with a pretreatment program must submit a one-time compliance report to the Kansas Small Business Environmental Assistance Program by October 12, 2020. 

Check here to see if your city has a pretreatment program and who you would need to contact for further information. 

The EPA requires amalgam separators to achieve at least a 95% removal efficiency. The EPA final rule on amalgam separators went into effect on July 14, 2017, and the date for compliance is July 14, 2020. 

The report can be submitted online, emailed to amalgamrule@ksu.edu,or mailed to 2323 Anderson Ave, Ste 300 in Manhattan, KS 66502.

​Contact information for KDHE and our local EPA office is listed below.

KDHE Industrial Programs Section
Bureau of Water
Steve Caspers, Pretreatment Specialist
785-296-5551
steve.caspers@ks.gov

Environmental Protection Agency
Region 7 (KS, NE, IA, MO)
Paul Marshall, Pretreatment Specialist
913-551-7419
marshall.paul@epa.gov

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CDC UPDATE: Data Suggests Lung Injury Cases Have Declined Since Peak in September 2019

​The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on January 9, 2020 that, based on syndromic data on emergency department visits, cases of the e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) have been declining since a peak in September. The outbreak began in June 2019. 

Laboratory data supports previous findings that vitamin E acetate is closely associated with EVALI. Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive in the production of e-cigarette, or vaping, products. 

​Health care providers should encourage patients NOT to use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC, particularly from informal sources like friends, or family, or in-person or online dealers. 

Based on the findings on EVALI patient rehospitalization and death, CDC has updated its guidance to clinicians to minimize these outcomes. Rapid recognition by health care providers of patients with EVALI and an increased understanding of treatment considerations could reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this injury.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has reported that 2 Kansans have died from vaping related illnesses since September 10, 2019. Kansas currently has 23 probable/confirmed vaping related cases, including the 2 deaths.

As this investigation continues, Kansas dentists should report possible cases of EVALI to ​KDHE for further investigation. If EVALI is suspected, a detailed history of the substances used, the sources of products, duration and frequency of use, and the devices used and how they are used should be obtained.

For assistance with managing patients suspected of illness related to recreational, illicit, or other drugs, call your local poison control center at: 
1-800-222-1222.

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ADA Releases Statement on Study in JAMA Pediatrics

On Monday, August 19, 2019 the American Dental Association (ADA) released a statement in response to a recently published study linking maternal ingestion of fluoridated water during pregnancy to lower IQ scores in children. 

The ADA remains committed to fluoridation of public water supplies as the single most effective public health measure to help prevent tooth decay.

This commitment is shared by many national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, US Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

Public health policy is based on a collective weight of scientific evidence. The ADA is aware of a new study conducted in Canada in which its authors reviewed maternal exposure to fluoride in pregnancy.

We welcome this and further scientific study of the issue to see if the findings can be replicated with methods that demonstrate more conclusive evidence."

Read the full news release at ada.org. 

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KDHE Radiation Control Program: Enforcement of Handheld X-ray Device Regulations Began September 1

Radiation has been a hot topic among KDA members over the past year, due to increased dental office inspections and new requirements regarding handheld X-ray units that took effect on September 1, 2019. 

In an effort to help our members, the KDA sat down with representatives from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Radiation Control Program to discuss ways we could better inform dentists of the responsibilities in their dental offices, pertaining to radiation.

View a variety of resources pertaining to proper protection, portable X-ray equipment, dental noncompliance issues, and an explanation of dental regulations at ksdental.org/radiation.

If you have questions about radiation regulations or an inspection, contact the KDHE Radiation Control Program at 785-296-1560 or kdhe.xray@ks.gov. 

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UPDATE: ADA Sets Record Straight on Status of Petition to FDA Regarding SmileDirectClub

The American Dental Association (ADA) believes the public has a right to accurate information concerning the status of its pending citizen petition submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about SmileDirectClub, LLC’s direct-to-consumer plastic teeth aligner business.

SmileDirectClub’s (SDC’s) inaccurate public statements that the ADA’s petition has been “shut down” or “dismissed” may deter customers who have experienced clinical problems in connection with SDC’s aligner “treatment therapy” from reporting their negative experiences to the FDA.  

SDC’s public misstatements, including in its press release on October 4, 2019 are apparently based on a May 30, 2019 letter from the FDA to the ADA. The letter, which can be viewed at the citizen petition landing page, did not reject or dismiss any substantive aspect of the ADA’s citizen petition.

The ADA submitted its citizen petition and a complaint letter to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection out of concern for public safety and customer recourse in the event of negative outcomes from SDC’s orthodontic “treatment therapy.” Plastic teeth aligners are designated by the FDA as a Class II medical device requiring a prescription. The ADA believes SDC is placing the public at risk by knowingly evading the FDA’s “by prescription only” restriction. 

The FDA’s MedWatch voluntary reporting form may be used by both consumers and health care professionals to report poor clinical outcomes associated with medical devices, including plastic teeth aligners. The FTC also offers consumers an online form to report complaints about unfair and deceptive business practices on its website.

For more patient information about direct-to-consumer dentistry, visit the ADA’s consumer website MouthHealthy.org/DIYdentistry.

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