Consumers' Preferred Methods of Advertising Orthodontic Services in a Midwestern Canadian City

Changes in orthodontic devices and how they are distributed to patients have created competition in the marketplace of orthodontic services. This study was undertaken to analyze the factors influencing patients' advertising preferences when they are selecting an orthodontic treatment provider. Methods A 2-part questionnaire was distributed to residents of a midwestern Canadian city in the form of physical copies and through an online survey platform. The first part of the survey focused on determining which types of marketing patients found to be most trustworthy, whereas the second part explored the aspects of advertising materials that were considered important by patients when choosing a provider for orthodontic treatment. Participants' age, gender and orthodontic experience, as well as the recruitment source for survey participation, were analyzed as potential contributing factors.

A total of 290 participants responded. Word of mouth, online reviews and official websites of orthodontic practices were the most popular types of marketing. Social media were more popular among younger people, whereas participants recruited from local dental clinics were the least interested in interviews or articles from a newspaper, magazine or community newsletter. Participants recruited from dental clinics or a university orthodontic clinic were not interested in services offered by direct-to-consumer companies. When asked to select the types of information they considered relevant, participants frequently cited before-and-after photographs, flexible payment arrangements, provision of repairs/adjustments at no cost, the option of evening or weekend appointments, the clinician's experience and whether the clinician was knowledgeable about the latest technologies.

Consumers' preferences varied according to different demographic parameters. Although the findings suggest a shift away from some traditional modalities of advertisement, word of mouth and clinicians' expertise remained important to survey participants.