The Journal of the American Dental Association
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J Am Dent Assoc, Vol 134, No 8, 1038.
© 2003 American Dental Association
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LETTERS

ARTICLE QUESTIONED

I have been a reader of JADA since entering dental school in 1972, and can remember from the 1970s a frequently run ad for Ceramco porcelain. The ad featured a photo of a young female model with a beautiful smile. At the bottom of the ad was the fine print that said, "Ceramco porcelain crowns can match the appearance of this model’s natural teeth," or words to that effect. We weren’t even looking at the product! For a young, idealistic dental student, this ad seemed to be the opposite of what a professional journal should be about.

Unfortunately, I was reminded of this by an article in April JADA, "Intraosseous Anesthesia: Implications, Instrumentation and Techniques," by Dr. Christopher H. Kleber. This article was run under the journal heading, "Advances in Dental Products." The article discusses several anesthesia systems, among them the IntraFlow, a new system "that was developed to make IOI [intraosseous injection] an easier technique for dentists to use." So far, so good.

But wait! Dr. Kleber, we later learn, is the clinical director of IntraVantage, the manufacturer of the IntraFlow dental anesthesia system! It’s his system. If I buy it, he makes money! To my cynical mind, this raises several questions. How much does the ADA charge a manufacturer to publish a four-page advertisement? Is there an extra charge for the subjective positive heading, "Advances in Dental Products"?

This article is not a scientific study. There are no data to indicate that the author’s system is in any way superior to previous methods. Who decided that this is an "advance?" Is this supposed to be an example of journalistic integrity?

I believe that, years ago, JADA had an old-fashioned policy of only accepting ads from products that had earned the ADA Seal; you know, products that had been shown to be safe and effective in actual studies. How far we have come or, more accurately, how far we have slid!

It is my hope that this will be just one of many letters you receive complaining about using our journal to hype unproved products for the financial benefit of the dental supply industry. Who’s minding the store?



Douglas Weidman, D.D.S.
Skokie, Ill.



This Article
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