DENTAL PROFESSION

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21049, 28 December 1933, Page 12

DENTAL PROFESSION

THE QUESTION OF ADVERTISING The dental profession has always maintained—since the passing of the unqualified practitioner in 1921—that advertising is utterly opposed to the ethical standards required of members, but the November issue of the "British Journal of Dental Science and Prosthetics" outlines a definite case for advertising as an aid to business development. Opening with the statement that "Dentistry is suffering from one of the greatest slumps in history." the writer goes on to declare that the cause must be sought and eradicated. "In our opinion it is due to the fact that latterly dentistry has become of less importance to the public. And we consider that the cause of that is that dentistry has lost its advertisement. Just as any business firm drops back when it ceases to advertise, so has dentistry. "The tooth-paste companies," the article continues, "were our greatest friends. Their advertisements did create what the sales experts call a 'tooth-consciousness' amongst the public. They kept dentistry in front of people's minds by plugging and hammering in their advertisements daily. They did convince people that good teeth were something to be desired and ( that bad teeth were dangerous to the health. * "We perhaps laughed at the 'one-in-every-five - with - pyorrhoea - advertisement,' but it was one of the finest advertisements that dentistry ever had, and drove in Ihousands of timid patients who really required treatment but who like many more thousands hung back. "The Gibbs' advertising scheme does more for dentistry than all the efforts of the Dental Board, and the Pepsodent advertisements of film-stars have stimulated many a girl to have her teeth saved. "Where are those great full-page advertisements now? "The Dental Board has a lot of money. We do not consider that this money has always been spent in the best interests of those who have subscribed it. The advertising efforts of the Dental Board have hitherto been abortive, pointless, and wasteful. We have a i'.finite suggestion to make, that is, that the Dental Board set aside every penny that it can possibly spare and engage an advertising expert to spend that money as wisely as possible in advertising dentistry."