BOS welcomes ASA ruling on misleading claims
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 17 July 2018 07:42
- Written by News Editor
- Hits: 2591
The British Orthodontic Society has responded to an ASA ruling of misleading advertising in relation to claims that the Acceledent device could move teeth faster and reduce pain for brace wearers. Acceledent is a hand-held oscillating device which can be purchased by patients wearing braces or aligners. The theory is that the vibrations of the device help the teeth to move faster.The ASA ruled that the claims cannot be substantiated and the ad can no longer be used.
The British Orthodontic Society has called on manufacturers of orthodontic devices and systems to ensure that all claims can be backed up by high quality research. This follows a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that marketing claims in support of Acceledent, a device designed to speed up treatment, are misleading.
OrthoAccel Technologies Inc., based in Germany, claimed on its website that Acceledent can speed up treatment by up to 50% and that it the device was clinically proven to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with wearing braces by up to 71%.
The ASA examined research and case studies provided by OrthoAccel Technologies and ruled that the claims could not be substantiated and were misleading. The ASA ruling states in its adjudication: “The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told OrthoAccel Technologies Inc not to make claims that their Acceledent device could move teeth faster and reduce pain for brace wearers unless they held adequate evidence to support such claims.”
Richard George, Director of External Relations for the BOS, said: “Orthodontic treatment can take up to two years to complete and so the quest to speed up the process is understandable. However, what matters most is the quality of the treatment so that the best possible results can be achieved. The priority should be to see an orthodontist or a dentist with recognised enhanced skills who can meet your needs.”
This is the third time in the last few years that the ASA has upheld a claim of misleading advertising in relation to an orthodontic product for which marketing claims have been made which cannot be supported by good quality evidence.
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report