Attitudes of dentists and dental patients toward advertising.

Twenty years ago, Hite, Bellizzi, and Andrus (1988) examined the attitudes of dentists and consumers toward advertising. This study re-examines those attitudes to see if significant differences still exist. Based on a sample of dentists and consumers, significant differences were found. While attitude of dentists toward advertising is not as negative as it was 20 years ago, their views still tend to lag behind that of consumers. Further, the marketing tools used by dentists today are not consistent with what is seen by consumers and what consumers view as effective. Implications of these findings are discussed.