Corn dog mints or cupcake floss?

Feb 24, 2010

A survey of more than 250 Chicago Dental Society members has yielded some interesting findings about dental trends, oral healthcare tips, and more. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2009, and its findings released as part of this week's annual Midwinter Meeting.

Among the results:

Corn dog mints or cupcake floss? Interesting food flavors continue to make their way into dental products. The most intriguing for dentists? Mango toothpaste, according to almost 40% of those surveyed. More than a quarter of dentists wouldn't mind trying chocolate toothpaste.
To brush or floss first? That is the question, but there is no definitive answer. Dentists were split right down the middle on how the daily oral health regimen should begin.
The effects of the recession on the Chicago dental scene have worsened since last year. More than 90% of dentists surveyed said their clients are putting off cosmetic procedures, up from 60% last year, and 75% say their patients are delaying needed dental work. Visits for preventive dental care are also on the decline, according to more than half of the dentists surveyed.
Word of mouth advertising is tried and true. More than 80% of dentists say that word of mouth is still the most popular way new patients learn about their practice.
Dentist reviews on Yelp? While Web sites Yelp and Angie's List report dentistry as their most searched health category, 55% of dentists surveyed don't believe review Web sites impact their practices, while 12% of dentists think such online review sites have helped their practices. Nearly 40% say their practices have been reviewed online.
One-quarter of dentists surveyed admit to having vanity license plates, and 10% of those say their plates are dentistry-related.