GSDM Faculty Member Quoted In National News Outlets

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine faculty member Dr. Jonathan Shenkin has recently been quoted, via his role as Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA), in several news articles about a recent study done by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan about secondhand smoke and caries. Dr. Shenkin is a Clinical Associate Professor in both the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research and the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

The study that Dr. Shenkin was asked about, “Secondhand smoke and incidence of dental caries in deciduous teeth among children in Japan: population based retrospective cohort study,” was published on October 21, 2015, in The BMJ. The study evaluated the increase in the risk of caries in children who experience secondhand smoke at home.

The researchers found that the risk of caries at age three was 14 percent for children with no smokers in their household, 20 percent for children with smoking in their household (but without any evidence of tobacco smoke), and 27.6 percent for children with at least one tobacco smoker in their household.

While Dr. Shenkin did not have a role in the research or publication of the study, he did publish a study in 2004 showing an association between secondhand smoke and dental caries. And, in his role as Spokesperson for the ADA, he is frequently contacted to provide insight into dental matters, specifically matters of pediatric dentistry.

Dr. Shenkin, who works in private practice in Augusta, Maine, is quoted in an October 22, 2015 Chicago Tribune article  as saying, “Like the population in this study, exposure to secondhand smoke continues to be a problem in the U.S., suggesting value in additional research.”

In an October 30 Reuters article,  Dr. Shenkin said, “This study simply adds to the body of evidence that associates secondhand smoke and an increased risk of tooth decay among children.”

“Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in childhood,” Dr. Shenkin is quoted as saying in the Reuters article. “Knowing they can protect their children against pain and suffering will hopefully be a strong motivator to quit smoking.”

This is not the first time Dr. Shenkin has been involved with matters related to secondhand smoke and the health of children. In 2007 Dr. Shenkin led the successful effort to ban smoking in cars with children in Bangor, Maine, making the city the first in the nation to do so.

Following his success in Bangor, Dr. Shenkin once again led a successful effort to ban smoking in cars with children in 2008, this time across the entire state of Maine.

“I would like to thank Dr. Shenkin for serving as a spokesperson for the American Dental Association on such a crucial matter,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “It is important that our faculty members continue to find ways to reach out to the public about the various innovations in dental research and the dental profession.”

For more information about the study:

Tanaka S, Shinzawa M, Tokumasu H, et al. Secondhand smoke and incidence of dental caries in deciduous teeth among children in Japan: population-based retrospective cohort study. BMJ. 2015 Oct 21;351:h5397 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h5397 PubMed PMID: 26489750