Advertising lies

Readers will be aware that advertising in Dental Update, and elsewhere, is not peer reviewed, but it could be expected that it would contain – mostly – the truth. Why? Because ill-conceived promises for a certain product will ultimately lead to loss of consumer confidence in the company making the claims and will cause the reputation of the company to suffer, and this ultimately will be reflected in a fall in sales. Worse still, if a clinical company is making an erroneous claim regarding the success of a given treatment, while in the short term this may enhance the company's ‘busyness’, aggrieved patients may end up seeking a legal route to recoup their losses.

It was with some anxiety that I could see such a situation mapping out before me as I read an advertorial in a local newspaper while waiting at my opticians for an eye test. There was a stunning before/after set of photographs (Figure 1) with promises, and here I quote ‘If you have been suffering from gum disease, bone loss and unstable teeth, we suggest a revolutionary technique which means that we can provide a new set of teeth fixed in place using dental implants, in just one day’. The advertisement also indicated greater chewing capacity, improved aesthetics and speech, less bone resorption and better quality of life. There was no mention of how long the treatment might last!