How prevalent is oral health and tobacco-related misinformation on social media? A professor of oral epidemiology and dental public health; a postdoctoral fellow; and a professor of medicine sought to answer that question and subsequently published the results of their research in a featured article in the latest collection of the Journal of the California Dental Association.
The authors analyzed misinformation on Twitter (X) between 2020 and 2022 through 796 Tweets related to oral health and tobacco products. Their analysis identified 52 Tweets that contained misinformation, including exaggerated claims such as that vaping has no negative effects on oral health.
Recognizing that such misinformation has implications for dentists and their patients, the authors discuss how dental professionals can improve their identification of misinformation and provide evidence-based advice.
“As trusted voices for oral health, dentists have a responsibility to provide sound, evidence-based guidance to patients,” said Benjamin W. Chaffee, DDS, MPH, PhD, who co-authored the article with Eileen L. Han, PhD, and Pamela M. Ling, MD, MPH. “Recognizing misinformation on social media will better position us for effective patient communication.”
Dentists can read “Tobacco and Oral Health Misinformation on Twitter (X): Implications for Dental Professionals” and successfully complete an online quiz to earn .5 units C.E.
Supporting HPV-related cancer prevention in dental settings
Over the past 20 years, the scientific community has learned that HPV vaccination is highly effective at drastically reducing the risk of HPV infection and subsequent oropharyngeal cancers.
Yet, vaccine hesitancy is increasing nationally. Recent research found that parents’ lack of intent to initiate the HPV vaccine series for their children increased from 50.4% in 2012 to 64.0% in 2018, for example.
In “Role of Oral Health Providers in Supporting HPV-Related Cancer Prevention in the Dental Setting,” authors Megan Cloidt, DDS, MPH, Sarah Vivo, BS, Aubree Thelen, MPH, and Shillpa Naavaal, BDS, MS, MPH, educate oral health care providers on oropharyngeal cancer, provide concrete strategies for incorporating life-saving HPV prevention interventions into daily clinical practice and discuss opportunities for patient education.
Did NBA star Stephen Curry make mouthguards cool?
Mouthguards substantially lower the risk of orofacial injuries and are recommended by the American Dental Association for 29 sports activities, including basketball, but no major basketball governing body requires them.
How much credit do oral health professionals owe NBA star Stephen Curry of the San Francisco-based Golden State Warriors, for making mouthguards “not just normative but actually cool?”
Benjamin W. Chaffee, DDS, MPH, PhD, dives into this question in his editorial “Saving Teeth, Three (Points) at a Time” while reviewing the history of mouthguards, including their fabrication and use in sports.
“Curry’s positive influence on mouthguard uptake may be unintentional, but I’m still inclined to celebrate him as an honorary oral health advocate,” Chaffee muses.
New dental student research
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry faculty and four class of 2025 students present the findings of their pilot study “Awareness and Perception of Salivary Diagnostics of Dental Students and Faculty.”
More topics in this collection
- Association Between Halitosis and Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Review
- Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Managing Painful Temporomandibular Joint Disorders – A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Studies
- Influence of Core Build-Up Designs on Preventing Early Failure of Composite Resin Core in Molars Under Traction Forces: A Finite Element Analysis Study
- Recurrent Pyogenic Granuloma: Surgical Management