Dentists have been warned not to mention Botox or other prescription medications in their dental marketing and advertising by the UK’s Dental Defence Union (DDU).

Moreover, British dentists can’t so much as mention dental Botox treatment on the homepage of their dental websites.

Dentists are permitted to mention Botox and other prescription treatments only on pages within their dental website that patients choose to access.

In its warning report, the DDU is careful never to refer to Botox® by name.

“While a particular brand name of botulinum toxin may be a household name, dental practices cannot actually refer to it in publicity material as it is a prescription-only medicine.”

Dental marketing is one area where the UK is far more conservative than the US, with attitudes lagging years behind out own.

“To illustrate the pitfalls of practice promotion, this issue of the DDU Journal also includes a case study about a dentist facing a GDC investigation after his financial director placed an advertisement in the local telephone directory stating the practice was ‘a centre of excellence’ which ‘specialised in all aspects of dentistry’.

“The DDU was able to help the member draft a letter of response and the GDC accepted he had been unaware of the advert. However it warned him that as practice principal, responsibility for the advert rested with him and in future he must make absolutely sure no misleading statements were made.”

But the DDU advises dentists, “Phrases such as ‘centre of excellence’ should be avoided as well as any claim implying superiority over any other dental professional or practice.”

In the US, the standard is that you must not represent your services as superior to your competitors’, but the term “Dental Excellence” is found in countless practice names and internet dental marketing campaigns across the country.

So… does that mean that it’s okay for UK dentists to strive for excellence, but not to achieve it?

Read more: Beware the ‘B’ word warns DDU as it publishes advertising advice