The age one dental visit: information on the web

As consumers increasingly turn to the Internet as a health resource it is likely that parents may seek information on the recommended age for a first dental visit. A meta-search engine was used to determine whether a parent would find available, accessible, and authoritative information when seeking this recommendation. Of 47 "hits" on the phrase "first dental visit", only 2 were associated with major national health professional associations. Information obtained through this search technique was readily available and accessible but not authoritative. Individual searches on sites of leading dental and pediatric organizations revealed that all major dental organizations that provide consumer information and the Bright Futures consortium of child healthcare providers site all advocate the age 1 visit. The American Academy of Pediatrics, however suggests age 3 for the first visit. Information obtained from selected sites is available and authoritative but not particularly accessible unless the names of leading organizations are known.