Media Sensationalism and Dentistry

Note: Dr. Widick wrote the following in 1992 while a dental student at UMKC.

Mention television programs such as “60 Minutes,” “Street Stories,” and “Prime Time Live” to a dentist and he or she may express skepticism — and with good reason. These popular news magazines, and many others, have focused on such issues as the hazards of amalgam, the transmission of HIV through dental handpieces, and the like. The media promotes these stories with catchy lead-ins and headlines that suggest that dental visits may be unsafe. The dental profession, I believe, has clearly become a favored target of the news media. I use the word “target” because I feel that, instead of accurate, unbiased reporting of issues, the media has resorted to sensational stories that play upon the public's fear of dental care. As Dr. Lawrence H. Meskin pointed out, “It would appear that someone is ganging up on dentistry, shredding its professional immunity, destroying its public trust” (1992). The media has promoted an agenda that results in producing sensationalized stories by not reporting factual information and by instilling fear in the minds of the public. In my opinion, the media is guilty of focusing on negative dental health issues rather than reporting factual, non-biased information.

First, I feel the media has failed to support their opinions on the above-mentioned dental issues with scientific facts. I understand that investigative reporting is sometimes beneficial and that the networks are only trying to do their jobs, but I feel that they don't tell the whole story or present it in an unbiased manner. They are avoiding a wonderful opportunity to educate millions of people by telling of the true disease transmission potential of HIV (Christensen, 1992). Meskin also stated that “the Centers for Disease Control are not aware of any studies that confirm the transmission of bloodborne pathogen through contaminated dental equipment” (1992). That fact is rarely mentioned by the media. Nor is any mention made of the vapor release that occurs during removal of amalgams or the damage to tooth structure that occurs during replacements of amalgams (Odom, 1991). Again, the media focuses only on the sensational.

Second, the media is playing upon the public's fear of dental care through sensationalized stories. There are many areas of everyday life with the same or greater potential to pass disease. “What about door handles, faucets, toilets? ... During your last restaurant visit, how sterile were the glasses, forks, and spoons? ..." (Christensen, 1992). But door handles and spoons don't offer the ratings-enhancing stories that an overblown story on dentists can. Instead, the media focuses on such images as pictures of Kimberly Bergalis just before her death, adding to the panic the media itself has propagated. Thus, the dental community is challenged to work constantly to restore and preserve public trust. With dental fear being one of the public's most common phobias, dentistry falls prey to the increasingly sharp knife of the media.

Unfortunately, the effective research efforts and public education by the dental field is often overlooked by the media. Positive stories such as the extensive relief efforts offered by the dental profession for victims of Hurricane Andrew are bypassed by the mainstream media. I think dentistry is a unique profession in its continued efforts to develop ways to decrease disease— and it's sad that media sensationalism sometimes casts a black cloud over the dental profession.

Literature Cited:

Christensen, Gordon J. Curbing the AIDS Hysteria: A Shared Responsibility. JADA 1992; 123: 72-73.

Meskin, Lawrence H. A Matter of Trust. JADA 1992; 123: 8-11.

Odom, John G. Ethics and Dental Amalgam Removal. JADA 1991; 122: 69-71.