The GDC’s ‘Ethical Advertising’ requirements and guidance were published in 2011; however, a number of GDC registered professionals fall short of the standards. The GDC have clarified their foundation of all advertising in the dental profession: ‘all advertising, information or statements that a registrant makes are legal, decent, honest and truthful at all times’.
It is important to look at the specific requirements the GDC expect you to comply with to achieve ‘Ethical Advertising’.
When advertising, you must assume that the patient reading the information has no knowledge, and is looking to your advertising/information as a guide. As such, the information you include must be balanced, factual, and sufficient to contribute to the patient being able to make an initial informed choice about the dental service they are going to receive. You must only make statements in your advertising that you can back up with facts.
The GDC ethical advertising guidance states that the following should be adhered to when producing any information that includes your name. It is the responsibility of the registrant to ensure that all information is correct; all parties involved in advertising your role in providing dental services must be made aware of the following GDC requirements:
• Ensure that all information is current and accurate
• Make sure that your GDC registration number is included
• Use clear language that patients are likely to understand
• Back up claims with facts
• Avoid ambiguous statements
• Avoid statements or claims intended or likely to create an unjustified expectation about the results you can achieve
The GDC’s ethical advertising requirements apply to the following business stationery:
• Business cards
• Practice/laboratory letterheads/invoices/compliment slips
• Appointment cards
• Practice/laboratory brochures
• Advertisements
Requirements to make additional considerations for websites include:
• Your professional qualification and the country from which that qualification is derived
• Your GDC registration number.
You must also ensure that the following information is displayed:
• The name and geographic address at which the dental service is provided
• Contact details of the dental service, including e-mail address and telephone number
• The GDC’s address and other contact details, or a link to the GDC website
• Details of the practice’s complaints procedure and information about who patients may contact if they are not satisfied with the response (namely the relevant NHS (or equivalent body for NHS treatment and the dental complaints service for private treatment)
• The date the website was last updated
Social media requires additional ethical advertising considerations: ‘If you promote your services on marketing or social networking […] you must make clear that the treatment advertised may not be appropriate for every patient and that it is conditional on a satisfactory assessment being carried out. You must assess the patient, obtain appropriate consent, obtain a medical history and explain all the options before carrying out any work.’
Endorsing products requires the following: ‘You should only recommend particular products if they are the best way to meet a patient’s needs. If you endorse products, you must ensure that you only provide factual information about the product which can be verified by evidence. You should also be careful not to express or imply that your view is shared by the whole profession.’
Regarding specialist titles, you must comply with the following: ‘There are no specialist lists for dental care professionals. If you are a dental care professional you must ensure that you do not mislead patients by using titles which could imply specialist status, such as ‘Smile specialist’ or ‘Denture specialist’. If you are not on a specialist list you must not describe yourself as ‘specialising in…’ a particular form of treatment but may use the terms ‘special interest in..’, ‘experienced in..’ or ‘practice limited to..’.’
We recommend that all members review their advertising and promotional work on a regular basis to ensure compliance.