Is the Internet the Best Choice for Oral Health Information?

The World Wide Web or the Internet is a repository of unlimited information on every subject. This information is unlimited in quantity, unlimited in scope, unlimited by controls, rules or editing. This quality of the Internet is a two edged sword. While it is possible to find information on any subject such as oral health, it may be difficult to determine which information is trustworthy. Educators and librarians wrestle with the issue of how to guide seekers of information to reliable sources.

The University of California at Berkeley has web page available to the public, "Evaluating Web Pages..." (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html). UC Berkeley instructs their students to "train your mind to think critically, even suspiciously, by asking a series of questions that will help you decide how much a web page is to be trusted."

For example, where is this information coming from? Examine the URL (Uniform Resource Locator or Web Address) carefully. The server name is in between "http://" and the next "/". For example, www.WickedLocal.com is the domain of GateHouse Media New England, the parent corporation of The Malden Observer newspaper. It would be a simple matter spoof that site by creating a page with a similar address such as WickedLocal.pdq.com. Locate dependable information on oral health on web pages such as www.ADA.org, or www.MassDental.org. Be aware of pages with similar addresses.

Much of the information on the Internet is on unedited, personal web pages. WWW.TheMaldenDentist.com is this author's personal web site. Understand the resume of the owner of the personal web site. Sometimes, it is difficult to know that a web page is a personal page. Anyone can name a site www.DentalInformation.us, or www.dentistsagainstfluoride.com (not very likely); look for a resume or "about us" section. As a personal site, the information is subject to the owner's political and scientific viewpoint. Personal web sites may include as much fact as opinion. Each reader must decide if that is a trustworthy source of oral health information.

Corporations use their web sites to promote their products and services. Corporations that produce health products and provide health services, as all corporations, exist to earn a profit. It is very important to examine information on these sites with a jaundiced eye. When reading articles on a company's own web site it is important to understand who wrote the article? Were the authors on the payroll of the company that produces the product that they are studying? Are the authors associated with a teaching hospital or a school? Was the article published in a professional journal that is peer reviewed (a panel of experts review articles before publication)?

Search the web for information on dentures on a popular search engine such as Google.com. The title of the first page is "ADA.org: Oral Health Topics: Dentures". The URL is www.ada.org/public/topics/dentures.asp. The title and the URL both mention the American Dental Association or the ADA. Most people trust the ADA to be a reliable source for oral health information. The link takes the reader to a very short article about full dentures. There are links on this page to other articles on the ADA web site about dentures and related subjects.

Another link, "Dentures - A Complete Consumer Guide", takes the reader to www.yourdentistryguide.com/dentures, the URL of the "Consumer Guide to Dentistry". The owner of this site is Ceatus Media Group, an advertising company. This site uses informational articles to attract readers with the intention of helping them find a local dentist. Dentists may contract with Ceatus Media Group for a listing. Their article on dentures posts the name of the author with a link to the author's bio (an experienced health care author and coincidentally a graduate of UC Berkeley). A dentist reviewed the same article; his resume indicates that he holds a supervisory position at a hospital and a teaching position at a respected dental school. This article appears to be of high quality with accurate information.

A third link, "What Are Dentures?" is on www.Colgate.com, the website of the Colgate-Polmolive company. Even though there is no author by-line, or editor listed, the information, the article is thorough and has accurate information. Interestingly, there is no mention of any Colgate denture care products in this article.

Some web sites offer unrestricted health information. CureZone.org says that its main focus is "educating instead of medicating". The "about" page lists 21 administrators and moderators who provide and monitor material on this site. Not one of these officials offers a resume or even a last name. Some of them are only identified by nick names such as Southern Belle and PTree. While it is hard to judge all of the information on this site, the lack of reliable authors and editors makes their entire library suspect.

Conversely, WebMD.com lists all of the members of their staff, editorial and medical advisory boards with biographical information. Former Surgeon General C. Everett Coop is one of the founders of this dependable site.

AssociatedContent.com (AC) is an open content network. The articles on AC are the original product of thousands of contributors. Each contributor has an informational page with a list of articles they author and optionally, a short biography. The editorial staff is a team of salaried professionals who are identified on the site. It is possible to find oral health advice on AC from professionals and from lay people. Readers are encouraged to study each author's biography and decide how much to trust each author.

Another technique for finding information on-line is to join a news group such as sci.med.dentistry. The theory is that one member of the group posts a question such as "should I have root canal treatment of my molar?" and other members respond. This may work well in a moderated group - a newsgroup with a member who acts as an umpire restricting posts and access as necessary. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know anything about the background or education of members of an unmoderated newsgroup. This information can't be trustworthy. Additionally, dentists who offer advice on public newsgroups should be aware of improbable, but possible legal ramifications.

The World Wide Web is a repository of unlimited information on oral health. Studying this information may be at once enlightening and confusing. Study all of this information with suspicion and incredulity. Work with an experienced guide. That guide may be your town or school librarian, your hygienist, or your dentist.