Unethical ads giving dental association the ache

 

In 2016, the total number of active dental practitioners stood at 7,186 and the number has climbed steadily over the years. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: A dental association has expressed concern about the upward trend of “unethical advertising” by private clinics, which it warns can compromise the quality of the treatment.

The Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association (MPDPA) said some private dentists had been offering promotions and packages on social media.

Its spokesman, Dr Mahendran Ponnudurai, said such tactics went against the code of professional conduct and the Dental Act 2018.

And it had got worse, Mahendran claimed, noting a 50% spike in such advertisements in the past two years.

Some of the promotions on social media which the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association takes issue with.

“In February, there was a Valentine’s Day promo. I have been getting calls from fellow dentists in Singapore ridiculing the dental profession in Malaysia. We are becoming a laughing stock,” Mahendran, a former MPDPA president, told FMT.

He said such promotions, which undercut the fees charged by other private dental clinics, raised questions about the integrity of the clinics and the quality of treatment provided.

Cutting costs would definitely impact the quality of care, he said.

Mahendran said MPDPA had been working with the Malaysian Dental Council to curb unethical advertising. Many complaints had been referred to the council and offenders had been charged.

“Unfortunately, these repeat offenders continue to advertise unethically and turn a deaf ear. We assume that the penalties meted out are not harsh enough to deter them,” he said.

He said one reason some private dentists had resorted to unethical tactics was the stiff competition among the “mushrooming” number of private dental clinics.

In 2016, the total number of active dental practitioners stood at 7,186 and the figure has climbed steadily over the years. In 2021, a total of 12,574 dental practitioners were issued with Annual Practising Certificates (APCs).

Selangor has the largest number of dental practitioners, both in the public and private sectors, followed by Kuala Lumpur. Together they account for 33.1% of dental practitioners in the country.

Mahendran said the health ministry, unfortunately, had a limited capacity to absorb fresh graduates into the public sector and this had resulted in many graduates being forced to embark on their own private practice.

“Overpopulation of dental clinics has led to competition. And this is partly due to mass production of dental graduates every year,” he said.

He said the association was now trying to meet with health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to put an end to such unethical practices.

MPDPA had previously attempted to meet former ministers, such as Dr Adham Baba and Khairy Jamaluddin, but no dialogue materialised, he said. - FMT