Why this communication intervention was selected
SmileFacts is a patient-facing website designed to reduce dental care miscommunication and social media misinformation by offering tiered, provider-curated education.
Why this intervention was selected
Chairside conversations alone cannot keep up with the volume of online dental claims patients encounter between visits. A website intervention was selected because it:
- Scales education beyond the appointment window
- Lets patients explore at their own pace and comfort level
- Models what factual dental information looks like (government, professional, and peer-reviewed sources)
- Supports shared decision-making when patients return with better questions
By offering common titles — such as “Cavities: why do they occur?”, “Why do I need a filling?”, and “The ins and outs of oral health” — and then branching into Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, the site meets people where they are instead of forcing a single knowledge level or format.
How it addresses identified barriers
Health literacy
Health literacy is addressed by providing information at multiple levels and in different formats — short plain-language summaries, videos, pamphlets/handouts, patient education articles, and research papers. Patients can engage with the website at their own comfort level and move up only when ready.
Misinformation exposure
Resources are drawn from organizations the dental team trusts: CDC, NIH/NIDCR, ADA (MouthHealthy and JADA “For the Patient” materials), MedlinePlus, WHO, and PubMed-indexed literature. This creates a “safe garden” for self-directed research rather than an open scroll through unverified social content.
Time and access barriers
Patients can review materials before or after visits, on a phone or computer, without needing a paid app or special account. Free access reduces one structural barrier to education.
How it supports equitable care
Equitable care means communication that does not only work for highly health-literate patients. SmileFacts supports equity by:
- Tailoring communication — three literacy tiers and mixed media (video, print-style handouts, research)
- Free access for all — no paywall for core education
- Respecting autonomy — patients choose depth and format rather than receiving a one-size handout only
- Reducing shame — starting at “Basic” is framed as smart, not lesser
When education is easier to understand and easier to trust, more patients can participate in their care plans, ask informed questions, and advocate for themselves — core elements of equitable, patient-centered dentistry.
How it improves communication effectiveness
Communication is more effective when the message matches the receiver’s knowledge, language, and learning style. This website improves effectiveness by:
- Letting patients choose content aligned with their learning level and preferred formats
- Helping clarify misunderstandings before or after clinical explanations
- Preventing misinformation from becoming the default “second opinion”
- Building patient confidence in oral health knowledge for future visits
- Strengthening the provider–patient partnership through shared, accurate reference points
Over time, patients who practice finding and reading reliable sources become more prepared partners in care — which can reduce repeated explanations, improve treatment acceptance based on understanding (not pressure), and support better home-care follow-through.
What “provider-selected” means here
Every resource linked in SmileFacts was chosen to reflect sources a dental team would be comfortable recommending: federal public health agencies, NIH institutes, the American Dental Association’s patient and journal materials, National Library of Medicine resources, and peer-reviewed literature discoverable via PubMed. The site’s own plain-language summaries help orient the reader before they open external links.