Opinions seem to vary greatly, even among health care professionals in the dental industry. Each often has his own favorite product or set of products.
If you take a simple device such as the perio-aid, you will find that different hygienists and even different dentists will give you slightly different and conflicting directions on how to use this tool.
Some attack the products that others recommend. That happened to me lately on twitter. I was quite shocked to see a dental hygienist attack products that she probably knew nothing about. Yet, when going to her profile, I found that she actually promoted a very specific product.
The majority of her tweets were about this product. I questioned her about whether she was working for the particular company that made this product. She said she did not. However, I find it very hard to believe that someone would spend so much of their personal time to promote a product if they were not being compensated for doing so.
This is the problem with marketing, you never know who is behind a particular marketing strategy or ploy. We live in such a commercialized era that it is a bit scary to think about sometimes. With many social media, you never know which profiles are real and which are made up - complete with convincing pictures!
We often hope that the professionals we trust are honest and forthright and perhaps we even assume that they are. I don’t want to say too much more about this issue. It is not limited to any profession or field. It spans the spectrum of industries and professionals. That is too bad for the consumer.
When I was a child I often dreamed of a world without commerce. It would really alter everything. For example, if the question of money were taken out of the equation, would your dental health be better protected and preserved.
As you might imagine, that was just an example, the same question could apply to any industry or profession. It would be nice if the professionals all agreed. When they don’t, whom does the consumer turn to for quality information that is not confusing?
Disclaimer: This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not intend to render advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, visit your periodontist or physician for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.