The age one dental visit: information on the web

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Health Informatics
• Consumer Health Information Access

Background:

• Parents increasingly use the internet for health information.
• Information on the recommended age for a child's first dental visit is sought by parents.
• The accessibility and authority of online health information require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the availability, accessibility, and authority of online information regarding the recommended age for a first dental visit.
• To compare information found via meta-search engines versus direct searches on organizational websites.

Main Methods:

• A meta-search engine was used to evaluate 47 search results for "first dental visit".
• Individual searches were conducted on websites of leading dental and pediatric organizations.
• Information authority was assessed based on the source of the recommendation.

Main Results:

• Meta-search results for "first dental visit" were accessible but lacked authoritative backing, with only 2 of 47 hits linked to major health associations.
• Direct searches on selected organizational websites provided authoritative information.
• Most dental organizations and the Bright Futures consortium recommend a first dental visit by age one.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends age three for the first dental visit.

Conclusions:

• Online information on the first dental visit is readily available and accessible but often not authoritative when using general search methods.
• Authoritative guidance is available through direct searches of specific professional organization websites.
• Discrepancies exist among major health organizations regarding the optimal age for a child's initial dental visit.