ADA oral health video podcast co-hosts selected

Introducing: the hosts of the upcoming ADA Oral Health Video Podcast program.

Dr. Ruchi Nijjar, vice chair of the ADA Committee on the New Dentist, and Eric Grove, a fourth-year student at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, will co-host the video podcast program which is set for production this year.

In evaluating the nearly 40 audition videos submitted to the ADA, the Council on Communications and its podcast work group decided to feature two co-hosts instead of one to allow for more on-camera interaction between the hosts and added perspective on oral health issues. The Board of Trustees approved of this concept and the hosts at its December 2008 meeting.

The ADA House of Delegates in October 2008 adopted Resolution 29H-2008 which called for the production of a year-long series of video podcasts for the public on a variety of oral health topics. The ADA plans to present the podcasts in an informal style to appeal to viewers who increasingly receive their health news from alternative media. Younger patients, especially those in the 18-35 age range, are the heaviest consumers of online videos.

Podcasts are video and audio productions posted online and designed for playback on computers or digital players like iPods. The ADA podcasts will be about three to five minutes in length and address patient topics such as the importance of oral hygiene, risk factors related to oral cancer, the importance of oral health to overall health, the effect of energy drinks on oral health and oral health during pregnancy.

Dr. Nijjar practices general dentistry in Fremont, Calif. She is a 2004 graduate of the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and an ADA delegate. Mr. Grove came to the attention of the podcast work group from a video he produced and starred in that was a parody of the television show, “The Office.” He is a student member of the ADA and a member of the American Student Dental Association.聽

Onscreen presence and the ability to connect to the demographics of the Internet audience were highly valued in the selection of the podcast hosts, said Amber MacArthur of MGIMedia, a consultant on the podcasts.

“Both individuals have an impressive ability to deliver lines on-air in a way that is educational and entertaining,” said Ms. MacArthur. “When watching the audition tapes, it’s evident that Eric and Ruchi are naturals and will definitely appeal to a wide Internet audience.”