Dentists Can Influence COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

Published September 2021 | Journal of the American Dental Association

The introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine has helped to curb many of the effects of the global pandemic. In healthcare settings, it has allowed for a safer environment for practicing dentistry, including aerosol-generating procedures, which can play a disproportionate role in spreading the disease.

Moreover, dentists can influence the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to research conducted by Jennifer Cully, DMD, MEd, Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, and her colleagues.

The study involved administering a 41-point questionnaire about vaccine acceptance to caregivers of children receiving oral healthcare in a dental clinic in an urban pediatric teaching hospital. The questionnaire used the Health Belief Model—a tool aimed at predicting future health behaviors.

The results showed that 39.2% of caregivers would not allow their child to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. However, 27.8% of caregivers agreed that if their physician recommended a COVID-19 vaccination, they would allow their child to receive it. In total, 52.2% said that a healthcare professional could influence this decision.

“Although vaccine hesitancy has been researched in dental settings, this article was one of the first specifically looking at the COVID vaccination for children in the context of dentistry,” Cully says. “We will continue to look at other areas of vaccination hesitance, such as the HPV vaccination, which continues to be controversial amongst caregivers.”

Dentists are able to engage and advocate for vaccines be-cause they already have a history of advocating for preventive health measures like fluoride and frequent check-ups.

Since this study was published, Cully and colleagues have launched other public health projects at the intersection of dentistry and medicine, including advocating for penicillin allergy testing.