KIEN NGUYEN
DIRECT TO CONSUMER
ADVERTISING
If you have turned on a TV in the last 24 hours , you have seen a direct-to-consumer ( DTC ) advertisement . Overseen by the Food & Drug Administration , these ads are typically targeted at the public with the goal of getting people to ask their doctor for a specific drug , joint implant or even a surgical procedure . Direct to patient advertising on television , radio , in magazines , and more recently online , has largely had a positive impact on increasing the general population ’ s awareness of specific therapies that may be right for them .
Historically , the majority of DTC advertising has been aimed at patients who are seeing a physician for a medical condition and , in a 500-physician survey conducted by the FDA in 2004 , most physicians thought that DTC ads made their patients more involved in their health care and felt that they had better conversations with their patients , who were more aware of treatment options when they arrived for their visit .
Sleep dentists across the country have also been advertising their practices to patients , both current and potential , for several years .
With the number of obstructive
sleep apnea ( OSA ) patients in the US not in treatment being between 10 and 15 million , there is a significant opportunity to improve awareness and access to care for those desperately seeking treatment other than CPAP . Because of this unmet need in the market relative to treatment options and locations for patients , dental sleep specialists have begun trying to reach the masses via radio , TV and internet advertising .
In the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area , where SomnoMed
– the global leader in COAT
( Continuous Open Airway Therapy ) has their North American headquarters , there has been a noticeable increase in patients receiving a SomnoDent oral device in the last three years . We caught up with Dr . Kien Nguyen , the President of SomnoMed North America how DTC advertising and how it has contributed to increased market acceptance of oral device therapy .
As more patients with OSA become aware of convenient , high-quality and comfortable oral devices through effective DTC advertising , sleep dentists in the US are well-poised to become a part of the treatment team that helps them return to restful nights and refreshing days .