On February 28, dentists from the American Dental Association (ADA) are tweeting tips regarding children’s oral health during a live Twitter chat in celebration of National Children’s Dental Health Month.
The live Twitter chat will take place today (Tuesday, Feb. 28), from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Sharecare’s new Twitter account @SCGetsMouthy dedicated to oral health.
Individuals with a Twitter account can follow the chat and ask the experts questions at the hashtag #CavityFightrs. Dentists will tweet the ADA’s responses using the ADA’s Twitter account, @AmerDentalAssn.
Mary J. Hayes, D.D.S., and Jonathan D. Shenkin, D.D.S., M.P.H., ADA spokespersons on pediatric dentistry will represent the American Dental Association during “Chat-n-Chomp: Kid’s Dental Health,” sponsored by Sharecare. Chat-n-Chomp is the ADA and Sharecare’s first Twitter chat collaboration.
ADA joined forces with Sharecare, an online resource which allows members of the general public to submit health-related questions that are answered by health professions, in 2011. ADA is the leading resource for oral health content on Sharecare’s website.
Dr. Hayes, who practices in Chicago, explained:
“This Twitter chat is an opportunity for us to make a “house call” so to speak. We want to clarify misconceptions and provide tips directly to parents and caregivers on how to keep children’s teeth healthy for life.”
Dante Gonzales, D.M.D, an orthodontist who serves on Sharecare’s editorial advisory board will be joining Dr. Hayes and Dr. Shenkin on the Twitter chat.
Dr. Shenkin, who practices in Augusta, Maine, said:
“An infant’s teeth are valuable and need as much attention as adult teeth. Infants should visit their dentist no later than their first birthday. Oral health is such an important part of a child’s overall good health, and yet it can be overlooked in young children.”
In order to participate in the chat, search Twitter using the hashtag #CavityFightrs, and bring up all tweets containing this hashtag, including promotional, questions, mentions, retweets, and answers tweets.
All tweets must have the hashtag #CavityFightrs so users can easily identify the tweet as part of the Twitter chat.
To create a twitter account visit http://www.twitter.com.
National Children’s Dental Health Month was created by the American Dental Association in order to increase awareness regarding the importance of good dental health for children, youth and teens.
Click here for more information, and for fun activity sheets for children.
Written by Grace Rattue