ADA News

Mehmet Oz, M.D.

The ADA has entered into an agreement with Sharecare, a new online resource that invites the public to submit health-related questions and have them answered by health professionals.

The website (www.sharecare.com), was created by Mehmet Oz, M.D., a physician who first began fielding questions on "The Oprah Show" and now hosts "The Dr. Oz Show." The co-creator of Sharecare is Jeff Arnold, founder of WebMD. Investors include Harpo Productions, which produces Oprah Winfrey's talk show, and Discovery Communications. Sharecare's goal is to provide accurate, clear and concise health information from multiple points of view.

"Sharecare's collaboration with the American Dental Association completes a necessary circle in total health as we learn more and more the importance of oral health in overall wellness," Dr. Oz said. "Sharecare will provide a platform for the American Dental Association to provide essential information from multiple points of view and provide consumers with vital resources."

The ADA will be a leading resource for the oral health content on the site, which launched in 2010, answering questions and providing information about various topics. The ADA will join other top health associations as Sharecare resources, including as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the American Association of Retired Persons, 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 Dr. Raymond F. Gist, ADA president.

The ADA was approached by Sharecare in January. After a meeting with ADA Executive Director Kathleen O'Loughlin, review from the Council on Communications and approval by the Board of Trustees, a contract was signed in April. 

Oral health will be among 48 topics covered on the site. Consumers can also ask questions pertaining to cancers, fitness and exercise and mental health among many other areas. Some of the questions currently on the site include: Is it safe to use herbal medicine for mild depression? Are loss of balance and neuropathy related? What can cause my child to get a rash after a fever?

Sharecare will begin incorporating ADA responses by taking topic information already available on ADA.org, 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 also 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.

"Sharecare represents an exciting opportunity for the ADA to directly engage with millions of people as the leading resource and advocate for oral health, while providing them with the information they need to become more knowledgeable and involved in their own disease prevention and oral care," said Dr. O'Loughlin.

The ADA's presence on the website will also provide the Association a vehicle to leverage its intellectual property and drive traffic to ADA.org.

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