Public views on fluoridation and other preventive dental practices

Isman, Robert

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0528.1983.tb01881.x

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…In particular , they would not be able to measure any e ects not directly related to improvements in dental health. For example, the disbene® t generated by violations of freedom of choice has been raised as a general issue in economics (Sen, 1988), and the speci® c violation associated with water¯uoridation has been identi® ed as a potentially important factor (Isman, 1983;Boughton, 1984). Therefore, in order to avoid overlooking such aspects it is necessary to use a measure which can incorporate more than just health bene® ts.…”

Section: I Ec On Om I C E V a L U A T I On S Of D E N T A L C A R Ementioning

confidence: 98%

Using contingent valuation to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation

Shackley¹,

Dixon²

2000

Applied Economics

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The methods and results of a contingent valuation survey to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation are reported. The study demonstrates that not only is it important to acknowledge that there will be losers from the introduction of such a programme but that losers must be allowed to express a value for the magnitude of their perceived loss. Two methods of valuing this loss are explored. Conventional willingness to accept compensation questions are compared with questions in which losers are asked to state their willingness to pay to prevent their water being fluoridated. The results provide tentative support for asking willingness to pay to prevent questions instead of willingness to accept questions when evaluating certain types of public good. The issue of protest responses in contingent valuation surveys is also highlighted and discussed.

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Section: I Ec On Om I C E V a L U A T I On S Of D E N T A L C A R Ementioning

confidence: 98%

Using contingent valuation to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation

Shackley¹,

Dixon²

2000

Applied Economics

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“…10 For example, Isman 23 found that 64 percent of an adult sample in Oregon obtained dental health information from their dentists, while investigators in Australia found that 65 percent of participants obtained preventive information from their private dental practitioners. 10 Furthermore, dentists regularly encounter a high percentage of the population.…”

Section: Dentists As Sources Of Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 The results of a U.S. study conducted in 1980 revealed that only 20 percent of study participants obtained fluoridation information from their dentists. 23 However, in a study of dentists in Minnesota conducted almost two decades previously, Metz 27 reported that approximately one-half of the dentists surveyed stated they discussed fluoridation with many patients. The results of another study showed that although 90 percent of dentists reported discussing water fluoridation with at least a few patients, the majority of those dentists (68 percent) discussed water fluoridation with less than 20 percent of their patients.…”

Section: Dentists As Sources Of Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…23,29,32 Dental education researchers have questioned whether dental education is doing enough to ensure that future dentists are “fully conversant with the science underlying the effectiveness and safety of community water fluoridation” 39 or are “capable of countering the often specious arguments being made against community water fluoridation.” 39 These research findings suggest that for dentists to be minimally prepared and motivated to promote water fluoridation, dental school graduates must possess the following:…”

Section: Injecting Change Into Clinical Dentistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The dentist's role in promoting community water fluoridation

Melbye¹,

Armfield²

2013

The Journal of the American Dental Association

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Background and Overview Community water fluoridation is an important public health intervention that reduces oral health disparities and increases the health of the population. Promotion of its safety and effectiveness is critical to maintaining its widespread acceptance and ensuring its continued use. Dentists are a potentially important source of knowledge regarding the oral health benefits and safety of water fluoridation. However, few dentists regularly discuss fluorides, and water fluoridation in particular, with patients. The authors aim to describe and discuss the role and importance of dentists’ promotion of public water fluoridation, barriers to dentists’ involvement and some approaches that might influence dentists to promote water fluoridation more actively. Conclusions and Practice Implications Ongoing promotion of fluoridation by dentists is a key factor in ensuring sustained municipal water fluoridation. However, current undergraduate dental curricula do not adequately prepare dentists for this role, and continuing dental education may be insufficient to change clinical practice. Although smoking-cessation literature can shed some light on how to proceed, changing dentists’ practice behavior remains a largely unstudied topic. Dental associations are a key resource for dentists, providing information that can assist them in becoming advocates for water fluoridation.

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“…Studies in the USA and South Africa have shown that many people did not know water fluoridation was intended to prevent tooth decay, although that knowledge was better in higher educated groups and among older people (21–23). Other studies have also found that the public are aware that fluoride can strengthen teeth, because they know that it is added to toothpaste (9, 24). However, no demographic differences in knowledge or attitude were observed between our focus groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

European citizens’ opinions on water fluoridation

Griffin

Shickle

Moran

2007

Comm Dent Oral Epid

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– Objectives: To understand European citizens’ opinions on water fluoridation, as part of research on their attitudes to the tensions between private and public interest. Methods: Sixty‐eight focus groups held (with an average of eight people per group) in September and October 2003 in 16 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK). Results: Most participants were against water fluoridation, although groups in Greece, Ireland, Poland and Sweden were more in favour. Many felt dental health was an issue to be dealt with at the level of the individual, rather than a solution to be imposed en masse. While people accepted that some children were not encouraged to brush their teeth, they proposed other solutions to addressing these needs rather than having a solution of unproved safety imposed on them by public health authorities whom they did not fully trust. They did not see why they should accept potential side effects in order that a minority may benefit. In particular, water was something that should be kept as pure as possible, even though it was recognized that it already contains many additives. Conclusions: While the vast majority of people opposed water fluoridation, this may be indicative of shifts away from public support of population interventions towards private interventions, as well as reduced trust in public agencies. Thus if research were to demonstrate more clear benefits of water fluoridation over and above that which can be achieved by use of fluoride toothpaste, then the public may become more supportive. However, lobby groups are likely to remain influential.

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Public views on fluoridation and other preventive dental practices

Cited by 16 publications

References 11 publications

Using contingent valuation to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation

Using contingent valuation to elicit public preferences for water fluoridation

The dentist's role in promoting community water fluoridation

European citizens’ opinions on water fluoridation

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