New Frontiers for Implementation Science in Oral Health: Digital and Equity-Driven Pathways

May combine two claims.

False or misleading fluoride content online may generate fear, reduce acceptance of fluoridation and fluoride-based prevention, and worsen inequalities.

“False or misleading fluoride content online may generate fear, reduce acceptance of fluoridation and fluoride-based prevention, and worsen inequalities (Lotto et al 2022).”

• cites Lotto et al 2022 sourcePartly supported

  The Introduction (page unavailable) says online misinformation discourages consumption of fluoridated water and oral-care products and may generate or reinforce fluoride refusal. The Discussion’s Principal Findings (page unavailable) describe users’ fears surrounding fluoridated products and water. The cited passages do not address whether misinformation worsens inequalities. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

May combine two claims.

Implementation science has gradually entered oral health, contributing to guideline uptake, behavioral interventions, and deimplementation of low-value care.

“Implementation science has gradually entered the field of oral health, with important contributions to the adoption of clinical guidelines and recent debates on the deimplementation of low-value care.”

• Also stated in: § Introduction · plain

  “In oral health, its adoption has been gradual but increasingly relevant for guideline uptake, behavioral interventions, and the deimplementation of lowvalue care (Randall 2023;Bomfim and Arriola-Pacheco 2025).”

• cites Randall 2023 sourceSupported
• cites Bomfim and Arriola-Pacheco 2025 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

Digital tools, community-driven approaches, sustainability, misinformation, and commercial and colonial determinants shape whether evidence-based oral health interventions are adopted, adapted, sustained, and equitably delivered.

“Digital tools, community-driven approaches, sustainability, misinformation, and commercial and colonial determinants are not peripheral issues; they shape whether evidence-based interventions are adopted, adapted, sustained, and equitably delivered.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Digital technologies are reshaping oral health prevention, diagnosis, referral, and care coordination.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Mobile health, teledentistry, electronic health records, and artificial intelligence may expand access to oral health care, especially in underserved areas.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Dental care involves material consumption, waste generation, energy use, procurement decisions, and patient and professional travel.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Implementation science can contribute to countering misinformation by identifying sources, mapping trust networks, testing communication strategies, and codesigning messages.

“Implementation science can contribute by identifying misinformation sources, mapping trust networks, testing communication strategies, and codesigning messages with communities and trusted messengers.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Implementation in oral health is too often framed around provider behavior, patient adherence, and individual barriers, with less attention to digital transformation, structural inequities, misinformation, sustainability, commercial influence, and colonial legacies.

“Too often, implementation is framed around provider behavior, patient adherence, and individual barriers, while less attention is paid to digital transformation, structural inequities, misinformation, sustainability, commercial influence, and colonial legacies.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Countering misinformation requires culturally responsive communication, transparency, monitoring, and attention to social conditions that make misinformation persuasive.

“Countering misinformation requires more than correcting facts.It requires culturally responsive communication, transparency, monitoring, and attention to the social conditions that make misinformation persuasive.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

A decolonial implementation approach requires culturally safe care, Indigenous and community leadership, shared governance, and recognition of epistemic justice.

“A decolonial implementation approach requires culturally safe care, Indigenous and community leadership, shared governance, and recognition of epistemic justice (Abimbola and Pai 2020).”

• cites Abimbola and Pai 2020 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

Reframed implementation science can help oral health systems move beyond evidence uptake toward justice, trust, and structural change.

“Reframed in this way, implementation science can help oral health systems move beyond evidence uptake toward justice, trust, and structural change.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

The application of implementation science in oral health remains limited in scope, leaving critical opportunities underexplored.

“Yet, its application remains limited in scope, leaving critical opportunities underexplored.”

• Also stated in: § Introduction · plain

  “Yet the field remains narrower than the challenges facing oral health systems.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

Adoption of digital oral health technologies depends on interoperability, workforce training, data governance, acceptability, trust, digital literacy, and algorithmic fairness.

“Adoption depends on interoperability, workforce training, data governance, acceptability, trust, digital literacy, and algorithmic fairness.”