Dentists’ outlook on advertising in their line of work in Bengaluru, India: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Dentistry, being one of the healing professions, has a commitment to society that its members will adhere to high ethical standards of conduct. Dental Council of India (DCI), the regulating body for dental professionals in the country, has also given certain guidelines and regulations on advertising issues. But, studies on dentists’ opinion on the issues on advertising for dental professionals in India are very meager. Hence, the aim was to evaluate the opinion on advertising issues among practicing dentists from various dental colleges in Bengaluru, India. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 258 practicing dentists attached to various dental colleges in Bengaluru city. Chi-square test was used to determine the association of independent variables with each of the main outcome of interest. Results: Out of 258 practicing dentists, nearly three quarters of practitioners (68.2%) agreed that there is a need for some form of advertising. Among those who agreed that there is a need for advertising, more than half of the practitioners (63.6%) said that it is required for popularity, visibility, and good business. When asked about which form of advertising can largely benefit their dental practice, 29.1% agreed on the patient testimonials, and 25.2% thought ads in magazines and newspapers are useful. Conclusion: Nearly equal number of practitioners agreed and disagreed on the issue of whether advertising may make dentistry seem more like a trade than a health care service. More than three quarters of them agreed with the use of global advertising and tourism.