Don’t you hate it when patients believe something ridiculous about their oral health because they read some wacky website? The truth is that more and more patients rely on the Web for their health information. They check symptoms, research common myths, and even get second opinions from search engines. Some sites have great information and others, well…
Fluoride causes Alzheimer’s disease? That’s ridiculous; everyone knows it’s caused by amalgam fillings. Silly goose.
Well once again the American Dental Association has our back. They’ve just launched a brand spanking new website that helps dentists and patients get on the same page. Here’s why you should be talking about MouthHealthy.org with your patients:
(1) Best oral health practices from pediatric to geriatric
The most prominent feature of the site is an easy-to-read dental guide throughout life. Patients will get the facts, not crazy conspiracy theories, about home care, nutrition, and common dental procedures at each stage of life. But this is a great resource for dentists as well. If you struggle with finding simple, non-dentist terms to your patients, borrow some of the phrases you’ll find here.
(2) Symptom checker
The 10 most common symptoms from tooth pain to bad breath are laid out neatly. Each explanation suggests to make an appointment with a dentist for an official diagnosis and treatment options. Again, there are great phrases for you to borrow when talking with your patients.
(3) Find-a-Dentist
Sign up for this! It’s free for all ADA members. This will help patients find you. Did I mention it’s free?
(4) ADA Seal of Acceptance Products are listed
I only like to recommend the best products to my patients. It’s hard to trust all the claims that some sales reps make when they visit your office. So I like to rely on the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs which oversees the rigorous testing of our materials. We are scientists, of course! MouthHealthy.org provides a convenient list of all products who have been granted the seal.