ADA teams with Dr. Oz on dental information

The ADA has entered into an agreement with Sharecare, an online resource that allows the public to submit health-related questions and have them answered by health professionals, to provide dental-specific expertise to the site.

The website was created by Mehmet Oz, MD, a physician who first began fielding questions on the "Oprah Show" and now hosts his own television program, the "Dr. Oz Show."

Sharecare's goal is to provide "accurate, clear, and concise health information from multiple points of view," the ADA said in a press release.

The ADA will be a leading resource for the oral health content on the site, answering questions and providing information about various topics.

The ADA will join other top health associations as Sharecare resources, including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, AARP, American Diabetes Association, and several leading hospitals.

"In Sharecare, we saw the opportunity to bring the voice of the ADA and dentists to millions of people, providing them with the most credible and trustworthy oral health information there is and helping them achieve optimal oral health," said ADA President Raymond Gist, DDS.

Oral health will be among 48 topics covered on the site. Consumers can also ask questions pertaining to cancer, fitness and exercise, and mental health, among other areas.

Sharecare will begin incorporating ADA responses by taking topic information already available on the ADA website, in patient brochures, and in dental videos, and repurposing it for its website. ADA staff will then begin to answer submitted questions and soon will invite its 25 trained member spokespersons to respond to questions that come through the website. The goal is eventually to open up the process to the general membership, allowing other dentists to participate in the Q&A process.

Those who opt to answer questions will get their own profile page on the website, which will list their credentials, link to any question they've answered, and link to their practice's website.

ADA leadership believes the collaboration will promote the ADA and reinforce the association's role as the leading advocate for oral health. It will also engage the public and enhance the recognition and importance of the dentist as the authority on oral health and care.

Content from the ADA will be available on Sharecare's website in early May.