Working with the industry

Today the pressures on dental professionals are enormous. Not only do they need to meet the demands of running  a busy practice, coping with increasingly  educated and enquiring patients, but they also need to keep professionally up to date. It can be time-consuming and costly. However, help may be at hand, and it need not mean ‘selling out’ or losing your professional integrity – the dental industry needs the support of the professions and, in return, can provide some very useful materials or financial help with professional activities. Working with the industry, taking advantage of some of the assistance commercial companies  can give, can be mutually beneficial and ultimately help the end user, the patient.

Product information

A well-informed professional is in an ideal position to advise and help patients buy products that have proven benefits. It is now well documented that professional  recommendation carries a great deal of weight with the public and, far from appearing to ‘plug’ a product, can avoid the patient buying inappropriate  or even harmful products. The better companies have put a great deal of investment into the development and trialling of their products and are able to provide research results that can demonstrate their effectiveness. These may be in the form of full scientific papers for professional use, or in handy digest form for sharing the key results with patients.

Don’t re-invent the wheel

Certain oral healthcare topics come up repeatedly  in surgery time. Here again, several commercial companies  have developed good relationships with the professions, working not only with top experts, but also with professional bodies such as the British Dental Association or the World Dental Federation (FDI) to put together materials  that are peer reviewed and of high quality. Used judiciously, they can be a useful backup to the advice you give to patients and mean that as a busy professional you don’t need to find new ways of illustrating important health messages.

Those commercial organisations who see a role for themselves in promoting oral health may put together independent advisory boards and/or focus groups to find out what kind of information would be really useful and relevant. Based on the feedback of those professionals, the company might put together a variety of learning materials such as publications, leaflets, posters or videos, or even a whole programme such as a distance learning resource. The Wrigley Oral Healthcare programme is and excellent  example  of a partnership between the profession and a manufacturer where both are able to benefit. Working closely with opinion leaders and listening to feedback from users, the programme features an array of independently commissioned professional and patient materials on a number of oral health topics, updated and added to regularly to facilitate communication. Commercial companies need the support of professionals, and it is through seeking their advice and providing the right kind of support, as well as the right products, that they will succeed. From your side, you should keep your independence and use only what you feel comfortable with. Your professional integrity and credibility depend on it.

Assessing materials

There is an abundance of information out there – you need to be selective about what you use.

• Look at the content  - is it accurate, up to date and relevant?

• Who have they consulted in putting it together?

• How will it help you deliver advice to your patients?

• Would it be useful in the waiting room?

• How will it help your particular target group?

Be aware of the implied endorsement in giving a branded leaflet. If there’s nothing that answers a specific issue for you, it may be worth approaching a company active in that field and suggesting they address it.

Getting support

There are a number of ways in which you might be able to get support from commercial companies to help you with professional activities. This could be sponsorship for a conference or support for an initiative such as a Smile Week event. Pick your company with care – choose one that could see a benefit to themselves from being involved with your project. Make sure to contact the right person to help you, and make sure to give them the relevant information . But make sure you keep your independence and don’t let them compromise you.

Finally

Through advertising and PR, commercial companies  can reach a huge number of people. They can be a great help in getting key oral healthcare messages across to the wider public and, if professionals are prepared to work with them and share their combined knowledge, the benefits to both and to patients will be even greater.