Penn unveils virtual `dentist'

It may not inspire the terror of a dentist's drill, but the Dental School's new consumer information Web site may do almost as much to fight cavities. The Penn School of Dental Medicine has collaborated with a popular medical information site to create InteliHealth Dental. The site made its debut this week as the first comprehensive online source for oral health information. "The Surgeon General put out a report this year that identified this as an area that needs to be recognized," Director of Professional Education Programming Wendy McGeehan said. "The dean felt that it's imperative that we're on the forefront of bringing dental health information to the general public." Penn's dental faculty -- many of whom also see patients in private practice or in clinics -- contributed the information for the site. Writers interviewed professors to create content on topics ranging from root canals and fillings to fluoride and bad breath. In addition, dentists and specialists at the University will be updating the site with new information and answering "Ask the Dentist" questions from patients. The site's creators hope that InteliHealth Dental will help patients with questions as a supplement for, but not a replacement for, a trip to the dentist. "We envision the site to be the place where, if you had a special need in some way, this is the place you would go to make sure the person would receive optimum oral care," McGeehan said. McGeehan said the site's producers are now focused on creating more interactive material. New additions will supplement tools already on the site, such as step-by-step diagrams of a decaying tooth. Ken Carsto, director of Penn's faculty practice in Chestnut Hill, provided information for another interactive tool, a "Solution Sleuth" that allows patients to explore oral health options for whatever problem they suffer. "You enter one of a number of conditions and it will give you some options you may have," Carsto said. "My guess is that people that are probably going to use [the site] are people who have seen their dentists and want to get some sort of second opinion or backup information."