By Dr Nor Azlida Mohd Nor & Dr Yasmin Kamarudin

In today’s digital age, online advertising has become universal, and the realm of aesthetic dental treatments is no exception. Recent research conducted by University Malaya’s team highlighted the concerning reality of consumers being drawn to unethical promotions and advertisements online.

Social media has become a powerful platform for advertising, allowing businesses to reach a vast audience. With the widespread use of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, users are constantly exposed to ads promoting aesthetic dental treatments.

Several factors influence consumers including the desire for self-improvement, the pursuit of beauty ideals, peer pressure, online reviews and the fear of missing out. Social media acts as a double-edged sword as the constant portrayal of the perfect Hollywood Smile in heavily filtered images of influencers and celebrities negatively impact the end user’s self-esteem, increasing their vulnerability to strategic advertising.

A commonly employed strategic approach to advertising is the use of testimonials and endorsements from influencers or celebrities. These elements create a sense of social proof, influencing consumers’ perception of the reliability and effectiveness of aesthetic dental treatments.

The presence of seemingly satisfied customers fosters trust and encourages others to follow suit, perpetuating the cycle of consumer susceptibility. Testimonials and followers, however, can be bought. For a fee, social media fraud firms offer services to generate likes, followers and views to fake popularity and demand on social media.

In some countries such as Australia, testimonials on dental treatment are prohibited under National Law due to the risk of manipulating potential patients with dishonest reviews.

Online presence

Over the years, there has been an increasing expectation from consumers for health care providers to have an online presence. This has led to many dental clinics adopting social media to interact with current and future patients.

Many studies have shown that the dental profession does indeed have an increasing social media presence, but not all posts are ethical or adhere with local regulatory bodies.

In Malaysia, dentists must comply with strict advertising rules set by the Malaysian Dental Council (MDC). These rules exist not only to safeguard the public but to maintain the integrity of the profession. A local study showed that roughly 15 per cent of Facebook and Instagram posts of dental clinics in Malaysia were non-compliant with MDC guidelines, mainly due to displaying elements of patient solicitation.

Example of such posts are advertisements offering promotional packages, discounts, free consultations, or limited time offers over festive seasons. Although such promotions are common practice in retail, dentistry is a healthcare service, and hence clinicians have an obligation to keep the patients’ best interests in mind.

To complicate matters further, unqualified providers often imitate the appearance and language used in legitimate advertisements, making it difficult for consumers to discern the credibility of the promoted services.

While online advertising for aesthetic treatments may seem enticing, exercising caution and critical thinking is crucial.

Thus, it is important for individuals to conduct thorough research from reliable sources, seek professional advice, and understand their oral health needs. In addition, regulatory bodies play a vital role in protecting consumers by enforcing strict regulations that ensure online advertising adheres to ethical standards.

-- BERNAMA

Dr Nor Azlida Mohd Nor & Dr Yasmin Kamarudin are Senior Lecturers with the Faculty of Dentistry at Universiti Malaya.