Oral health promotion by the oral health products industry: unrecognised and unappreciated?

There is often ambivalence in the way dentists view the oral health care industry. On the one hand, there are the skeptics who view corporate activities as suspect, calling into question the validity of industry-sponsored research and considering all promotional activities as self-serving. On the other hand, there are those who will evaluate research, whether industry sponsored or not, on its merits and appreciate corporate philanthropy that aims to give something back to the profession, although at times the expectations of the amount of financial support available are markedly in excess of the actual amount based on dental product sales. (Yes--and don't let your young children see this!--the tooth fairy who goes around dispensing endless number of dollars or pounds or euros does not actually exist!) Recognizing that, of necessity, corporations exist to make a profit, I would submit that the relationship of responsible companies to the profession can often be looked at as a partnership in which both sides benefit. Ultimately, all have as a goal the improvement of the oral health of our patients (or consumers) which is facilitated by the availability of effective products. In addition to marketing products, the oral care industry plays a large, though oftentimes unnoticed, role in oral health promotion. For the most part, this involves targeted financial support or contributions of products that serve to enhance patients' understanding of oral diseases and the need for good oral care, and/or provide access to care for underserved groups. In the following sections, I will give some examples of industry-supported health promotion activities, most of which will be activities in the United States with which I am most familiar. These are examples only--the list is not intended to be exhaustive and a company's name will be included in only the few instances in which it is an integral part of the programme title.