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The volume of oral health
information available through the media and the Internet
can be overwhelming. The American Dental Association
(ADA) developed these tips to help you evaluate the
quality of what you read and hear.
Qualifications
Examine the source of the information to determine if
the individuals or organizations are qualified on the
topic and credible. Questions to consider include:
- What are the qualifications of
the person or organization?
- Is this person a practicing
dentist or does this organization work with
dentists?
- What type of scientific or
health care expertise do they have?
- Does this person have a dental
or medical degree?
- Did the information come from
an objective source, such as the Food and Drug
Administration, a medical or academic institution,
or a well known scientific or medical publication?
Motivations
Always question the motivations of the information
source. The types of questions you should ask include:
- Why is this person or
organization speaking about this topic?
- Is the source an individual or
group promoting a particular cause or point of view?
- Is this person or organization
trying to raise money?
- Does this person or
organization want my personal information, or are
they asking me to do something on their behalf?
- Is the information provided in
the public interest?
- Is any advertising on the page
clearly separate from the health information?
Science
Always question scientific results and determine if
the facts support the conclusions. Ask yourself if the
findings sound too good or too awful to be true. Don't
hesitate to get a second opinion or ask additional
questions to be sure that you are getting accurate
information.
Also, remember that just because
it is posted on the Internet does not necessarily mean
the information is true or credible.
Finally, be careful about any
individual or organization that pushes you toward
immediate action without consulting a dentist or other
oral health care professional first. The types of
questions you should ask include:
- Do the author's credentials
reflect expertise in the area?
- Is the argument or conclusion
supported by sound scientific evidence or just an
unsubstantiated theory? Is it a myth or fact?
- Do objective organizations such
as the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug
Administration and the National Institutes of Health
support these claims or conclusions?
- Are the study results current,
and does the research provide the most up-to-date
facts available?
- Has the information appeared in
a well-known medical, dental, or science journal and
been reviewed by other dentists or members of the
scientific community? If so, the publication should
be easily obtainable through a medical/dental
library.
- Does any other credible health
care organization support the findings?
These tips will help you sort
through the maze of Web sites to find credible
information about oral health issues.
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