Terrific, New Educational Resources
Educating patients and communities about fluoride and fluoridation can be challenging in this environment. Thankfully, new research by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health offers insights on best practices for educating them.
CareQuest’s Public Opinion on Water Fluoridation summarizes recent survey findings, which reveal that a majority of
Americans support fluoridation. This new resource shows that only 6% of U.S. adults support the kind of state bans that were adopted by Florida and Utah. Most importantly, the Public Opinion document shows the five leading messages about fluoridation that people find persuasive.
One of the most encouraging nuggets from Public Opinion is that a strong majority of Americans — 4 out of 5 — believe government has a role in protecting oral health. Pediatricians and dental providers should take this to heart as they educate patients and their communities.
Fluoridation Talking Points is another CareQuest resource, and it recommends six key messages to communicate. These messages were chosen because they resonated the most with undecided adults who were part of the Institute’s public opinion research project.
Both of these resources are brief, informative and easily downloaded. Simply click on the hyperlinks posted in this article.
