Dentaltown September 2016 - 48

second opinion column To Floss or Not to Floss? That Isn't the Question Second opinions are common in health care, whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient isn't sure what to do next. In Dentaltown magazine, the first opinion always belongs to you, the reader, and our Second Opinion column allows your fellow dental professionals to share their thoughts and ideas about timely topics-providing you with a "second opinion." Some of their observations might change your mind, while others end up further solidifying the position you already held. Either way, the goal in the end is to create discussion and debate that enriches our profession. Unless you were asleep at the wheel last week, you probably heard or saw some of the headlines that created a huge buzz: "Flossing Doesn't Help! Your Dentist Is Wrong!" Dentistry's message of health was again foiled by a sensationalized story. (It's bad enough that we're perpetually portrayed as buffoons and socially inept characters in Hollywood productions!) The media jumped at an opportunity to make everyone feel good about their dereliction of duties. The report's false implication that "flossing doesn't work" resonates with the public because it confirms and justifies the decision not to floss in the first place. Essentially, it excuses someone's lack of diligence with oral hygiene - a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, if you will. And now, it opens the opportunity for patients to throw the report at their dentists or hygienists at their next visits. In fact, some of us may have already faced that confrontation! (I did today with one patient ... the only one so far, thankfully.) "What we meant was ..." won't work The American Dental Association contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address its exclusion of flossing. In its official statement, the ADA clarified that flossing was still considered a beneficial hygienic practice. Someone on the Dentaltown message boards lamented that the ADA statement didn't make the news. But the news business is all about buzz. Eyeballs equal ad revenue. Titillating headlines like "Your Dentist Was Wrong-Floss Doesn't Work" resonate with viewers and readers. by Michael I. Barr, DDS 48 SEPTEMBER 2016 // dentaltown.com For proof, look at the social media firestorm that this single Associated Press report created. Meanwhile, the ADA's rebuttal brings none of that. It's boring. It's not a headline that will bring eyeballs. That means no revenue, and that the ADA's statement won't see much play-if any-in the media. How to tell your patients the truth So, how do dental warriors in the trenches deal with the inevitable onslaught of questions-or smug declarations-from patients? I've already heard a few suggestions for replies, and they range from the crude ("There's no evidence that wiping your butt 'works,' either, so why don't you stop that, too?") to the cerebral ("An absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"... but I'd save that one for the PhDs in your practice). I've also seen dental professionals on the "interwebz" say that patients might be persuaded to floss if they took a week off, then flossed once and took a whiff of the used material. Ewww! The report's false implication that "flossing doesn't work" resonates with the public because it confirms and justifies the decision not to floss in the first place. Essentially, it excuses someone's lack of diligence with oral hygiene-a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, if you will. http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown September 2016