Course Description:

This course is designed to equip dental professionals with the communication skills, techniques, and strategies to work effectively with individuals and families who are hesitant or opposed to fluoride. Explore how to address the concerns of fluoride and community water fluoridation, using motivational interviewing and evidence-based information to guide them towards informed consent or refusal. The course will also address some of the recent literature surrounding the safety of fluoride, debunking myths and combating misinformation. In addition to discussing fluoride’s importance in oral health, we will emphasize the role of other health providers as valuable allies in conveying fluoride’s benefits to individuals’ families. Practical examples will provide dental professionals with the tools to foster trust and make incremental shifts towards accepting fluoride as an essential part of oral health.

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide effective communication techniques to guide discussions with patients and families about fluoride.
2. Address common misconceptions and present evidence to counter misinformation about fluoride safety.
3. Explore different approaches to providing education about the benefits of fluoride and increasing acceptance.

Speaker Bios:

Megan Miller, DDS

Dr. Megan Miller is the founder of Expedition Pediatric Dentistry in Bellevue, WA. Born and raised in Texas, where her parents own and operate a farm that has been in her family for 150 years, Dr. Miller predictably went to Texas A&M University. After attending dental school at Baylor College of Dentistry and practicing in DFW the next stop on her academic tour of Texas was residency at UT Health Houston/Texas Children’s Hospital. Following residency Dr. Miller worked in Austin before realizing she belonged in the Pacific Northwest. A lover of plants, hiking, rain, and occasionally pairing socks with Birkenstocks, Dr. Miller has felt right at home in Washington since 2018.
Dr. Miller volunteers her time serving on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Committee on Clinical Affairs, the Seattle-King County Dental Society Budget and Finance Committee, the Washington State Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Executive Board, the Vestry at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and leading an annual dental mission trip to Mexico with Amigos de los Niños. She enjoys reading non-fiction, embroidery, watercolor painting, hiking, gardening and traveling.

Teresa Guillien, MPA

Managing Director, Resource Media

Teresa is a managing director at Resource Media, a nonprofit creative change agency, where she works with philanthropies and nonprofits that are dedicated to social impact, public health, and social justice. Teresa’s past and current clients include the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, the Gates Foundation and Public Health, Seattle & King County.

Teresa specializes in creating communications strategies and campaigns for public health issues with a focus on navigating misinformation and using strong values-based message framing for issues like vaccines, water fluoridation and systems approaches to improving community health. Teresa came to Resource Media after serving in a senior communications role at PATH, a major innovator in the field of international public health. As an independent consultant prior to joining Resource Media, she worked with numerous foundations and global nonprofits dedicated to improving public health, empowering women and girls, and increasing access to education. Teresa has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington.