There are a few people who shall remain nameless, but you do know who you are, who I sincerely hope read this. There is a need to blend industry and profession in so many more ways than simply sponsorship funding……and the Internet is the truest catalyst of all for the inevitability of that synergy. In it’s absence we are doomed to simply repeat historic cycles, not endlessly iterate the sophistication of our beloved profession.
Abstract Dental implant manufacturers’ web pages are presenting more links to educative material targeting students, dental practitioners, technicians, and patients.
Aim: This cross-sectional study aims to describe the amount of links to educational and scientific material in comparison with links to information, support services and other web-based material using a standardized methodology.
Material and methods: A convenient sample of dental manufacturers’ web pages was chosen. The ADA lists 39 companies in its dental buying guide “ IMPLANTS AND ACCESSORIES CATEGORY “ in 2010. Icons present in the companies web pages are active links, which linked the surfer to other web pages. The subsequent webpage was categorized according to the material presented in it as: Educational and scientific materials, Information materials, Services and support materials. Target audiences were described.
Results: This study shows that homepages focus on being directories, containing variable numbers of clickable icons. Clicking them lead the reader to other web pages, either containing the actual material of interest, or containing another directory of more clickable icons. Types of material presented by the clickable icons on the homepages of the sample, included a sum of 93 informative, 64 service related or supportive and 85 lead to material described as educational. Three homepages represented a comprehensive directory by including icons leading to all three materials’ categories(one included a sum of 78 links, the second included 57 and the final had 42 links).
Conclusions: Within the limit of this cross sectional study, it is concluded that educational material is considered as a major category of material presented by the homepages of dental implant manufacturers.
Read the entire article – share it with a few unnamed suits in the state between New Mexico, Texas and Arkansas.
