161,000 Dentists Support Increasing HPV Vaccinations

The American Dental Association (ADA) has adopted a policy that urges dentists to support the use and administration of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.   

This new ADA policy is related to the increasing number of HPV cancer cases reported, and the under-vaccination of America’s adolescents.

During 2017, only 49 percent of adolescents received all the recommended HPV vaccine doses.   

HPV can infect the mouth and throat and cause cancers of the oropharynx, which is called oropharyngeal cancer. 

The combined estimate by the American Cancer Society is that there will be more than 50,000 new cases of oral and oropharyngeal cancers in 2018, of which 70 to 80 percent will be attributable to HPV.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Of the more than 100 types of HPV, about 40 types can spread through direct sexual contact to the mouth and throat.   

The HPV vaccine could help prevent the vast majority of the oropharyngeal cases, but compared to other vaccines in the U.S., it is underutilized, said the ADA in a press release.

According to the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, the single best predictor of whether a young person or adolescent receives the vaccine is a recommendation from a trusted healthcare professional, such as a dentist. 

"There is incontrovertible evidence that this virus is responsible for the sharp uptick in oropharyngeal cancers, especially in younger patients and young adults," said Paul Eleazer, D.D.S., immediate past chair of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. 

"I'm pleased the ADA is taking action to combat this crisis.   

"This ADA support is good news since a recent study found that only 48 percent of parents of vaccine-eligible adolescents report receiving such a provider recommendation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that boys and girls receive the HPV vaccine during adolescence. 

The Gardasil 9 vaccine is the available HPV vaccine in the USA. 

For adults who did not receive the HPV vaccine in adolescence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently extended the Gardasil 9 vaccine approval for persons ages 27 to 45 to be vaccinated. 

To schedule an HPV vaccination appointment at a local pharmacy in the USA, please visit this website. 

And, vaccine discounts can be found on this page.  

The American Dental Association is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 161,000 dentist members. 

The ADA is a not-for-profit association and is the premier source of oral health information; the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859.