U.S. Dentists Pushed to Vaccinate Patients

Historically, health care providers administer routine vaccines in primary care doctors’ offices or retail pharmacies. Over the past decade, several U.S. states authorized licensed dentists to administer vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now public health officials are evaluating proposals to permanently allow dental practices to routinely administer vaccines and provide vaccine education to patients. The initial targeted vaccines are for respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, as well as Human Papillomavirus (HPV) linked to certain oral cancers.^{1 2}

To measure how the public perceives this idea, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently designed a survey and published the study in Frontiers in Oral Health. The research team tested an earlier 22-question pilot questionnaire, combining quantitative statistical data with qualitative feedback from Philadelphia patient focus groups.³

Tamara Cadet, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and lead investigator supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, explained the primary goal:

 The primary aim was to conduct an initial validation of the questionnaire. But we also wanted to further understand perceptions of dentist involvement in vaccine efforts.⁴

By running factor analyses and incorporating focus group feedback, the scientists reduced the survey length by 25 percent to 16 final items. Tyler Moore, PhD, a research assistant professor at Penn Medicine, described the intent behind the redesign:

We kept the most informative questions and made the language clearer for patients. The result is a short, valid tool that can help us understand and address why some people still question whether dentists should be involved in vaccination.⁵

Public Skepticism and Patient Resistance

 Focus group results revealed widespread public hesitation and explicit opposition regarding vaccinations delivered in dental practices. Study participants expressed reluctance that varied depending on the specific vaccine offered. Notably, respondents displayed significantly greater resistance and opposition toward receiving an HPV vaccine from a dental provider than receiving a COVID-19 shot in the same setting. Researchers noted that a general lack of public information surrounding HPV contributes to this opposition, as many patients do not associate the virus with the head, neck, and throat cancers that dentists screen for during oral exams.^{6 7}

 Advocates believe letting dentists give vaccines improves healthcare by building on existing dentist-patient relationships, but the survey results show that many patients remain opposed to the idea. Arguing for why the goal of vaccinating patients in dental offices is important, Dr. Cadet explained:

Expanding the scope of dentistry to include vaccine education and administration could increase access to care, vaccine uptake, and disease prevention.⁸

Public Health Implications

Since Americans visit their dentists more frequently than their primary care doctors, the study authors emphasized that dental clinics offer a prime opportunity to boost national vaccination rates. They believe that public health experts need validated survey tools to accurately measure how patients view dentists delivering preventive care and that testing these surveys directly within local communities allows researchers to actively engage the public and gather key feedback to design better vaccine education programs.⁹

If future survey data shows strong patient support, the researchers suggest that advocates can present these findings to state legislators to expand the legal right for dentists to vaccinate patients.¹⁰

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