DCDS Advertising Standards

Advertising Standards For DCDS Connection

As the official magazine for Dallas County Dental Society, DCDS Connection is committed to ethical and honest advertising to:

• Promote the art and science of ethical, contemporary dentistry.
• Improve the benefits and safety of patient care.
• Keep member dentists informed of opportunities and advances in the dental profession.

In keeping with those goals, DCDS adopts the following policies regarding acceptance and publication of advertising in DCDS Connection:

• Advertising space in DCDS Connection should not displace nor interfere with the primary purpose of the publication or prevent timely publication of any professional news or information that is important to the membership.
• Advertising will only be accepted for products whose safety, efficacy and therapeutic value have been reasonably supported by scientific evidence, historical practice and/or have been awarded acceptance by the American Dental Association.
• Advertising for services to members will only be available to firms that have reasonably demonstrated that they are ethical, reputable and honest in dealing with their clients.
• Advertising of questionable taste and/or false, deceptive, undignified or misleading content will not be accepted.
• Public Service advertisements will be accepted on a space-available basis at the discretion of the Editor or Executive Director.
• The managing editor will determine submission guidelines, deadlines, and advertising rates and assure proper payment is made prior to the publication of an advertisement.
• Acceptance of all advertising in DCDS Connection is conditional, and the Editor and Executive Director of DCDS have, at any time, the authority as representatives of the Board of Directors to deny or terminate advertising access to any advertiser whose services or products do not meet the DCDS advertising standards, refunding any unused portion of advance payments.

General Advertisement Standards

1. DCDS will not accept any advertisement that conflicts with the American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics, Code of Professional Conduct, or Constitution and By-Laws, nor similar documents of its component organizations (TDA, DCDS).
2. All advertisements will be clearly identified as such in the publication, so there is no confusion about the item’s true nature as an advertisement.
3. The identity of the advertiser and product(s) or service(s) offered in the advertisement will be clearly identified within the body of the advertisement.
4. When references from the medical, dental, or scientific literature are used in advertisements, supporting any claims made, they should be truthfully cited and be a fair representation of the total body of published scientific evidence.
5. Comparisons to a competitor’s product or service in advertisements should be made in a manner that is not false, misleading, unethical, undignified or inaccurate, and should be supportable by appropriate data or evidence.
6. Educational courses that are advertised must be recognized by certifying agencies, such as the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, or other Texas State Board of Dental Examiners-recognized accreditation agencies. Advertisements for courses that teach or promote products or techniques that are not supported by a reasonable body of published scientific evidence or have been the subject of cautionary announcements by the American Dental Association or any of its components will not be accepted.
7. All advertisements for continuing education courses will state the name of the sponsoring organization and the number and type of dental continuing education credit hours that will be granted upon completion of the course, if any. Any course not eligible for the award of recognized dental continuing education credits will contain a statement attesting to that fact.
8. Acceptance of advertising of nonprofessional products or services, not directly or indirectly related to health care and/or dentistry, will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Director and/or Editor.
9. Advertisements for alcoholic beverages or tobacco products will not be accepted.
10. Advertisements will not contain any offensive or indecent language or materials.
11. Advertisements will not be accepted from or on behalf of any person or company that has been sanctioned for any manner of discrimination, unethical, illegal or unsafe practices.
12. Only classified advertising that pertains to professional equipment, employment opportunities, practice opportunities, professional real estate, or other professionally-related matters will be accepted. Personal advertising (e.g. household property, homes, cars, etc.) generally will not be accepted.
13. Acceptance of advertising by DCDS will not be construed as a guarantee of an advertiser’s compliance with any laws or regulations governing the production, marketing, or sales of its products or services. Acceptance of advertising by the DCDS will not be construed as an endorsement, approval or warranty of the advertised products or services. The Society does not endorse or guarantee any offers or statements made in the Classified Advertising section.