Endodontists The Root Canal Specialists

The AAE public awareness campaign, Endodontists: the root canal specialists, is quickly becoming a media success. In fact, print coverage of endodontics has increased 20 percent as compared to data from 2005, and a staggering 115 percent as compared to baseline data from 2004. Print coverage only tells part of the story. The overall results attributable to the campaign in 2006 included 1,542 placements reaching more than 730 million consumers worldwide. These results encompass all placements from 2006, such as print, prewritten news articles, audio news releases , radio media tours, television, online and news wire outlets.

The Public and Professional Affairs Committee, in establishing campaign metrics, aimed for a conservative five percent increase in the number of consumers reached by print media outreach from 2005 to 2006. The AAE has leaped beyond that goal by 15 percent, demonstrating a clear achievement in targeting consumers with positive messages about endodontists and root canal treatment.

Much of that success can be attributed to timely outreach opportunities by the AAE. Be it consumer health angles using studies from the Journal of Endodontics or original initiatives, such as Demystifying the Root Canal or Root Canal Awareness Week, the campaign’s media outreach strives to be relevant to the majority of American consumers with great results. View many of the key placements attained during the course of the campaign.

The AAE’s public awareness campaign, Endodontists: the root canal specialists, has seen some impressive results since its launch in February 2005. Leading media outlets including the Chicago Tribune, WCBS-AM in New York City, and online health news giant WebMD have each covered important endodontic topics in great detail as a result of the campaign’s outreach. However, those media hits only provide a small glimpse into the success of the campaign thus far.

The AAE researched print, wire, audio and online media coverage of the specialty in 2004 to establish a baseline. Media coverage obtained in 2005 was compared against the baseline to assess the impact of the campaign’s outreach during its first twelve months of activity.

Based on the research, from 2004 to 2005, there was an overall increase in print media coverage by 262 placements (a 79 percent increase) and a total estimated audience of 76,143,762 (a 50 percent increase). Placements are actual published articles, while the estimated audience is calculated by taking into account the number of people likely to read a single physical copy of a newspaper or magazine.

Perhaps the campaign’s greatest success is that the additional coverage was, for the first time to this extent, on the Association’s and the specialty’s terms. Since most of the media messaging generated by the campaign in 2005 was printed or aired exactly as presented, the AAE retained control of the communicated information verbatim. As a result, consumers now have more accurate and timely information that will help them make informed decisions about endodontic care.

Further, the campaign success demonstrates the appropriateness and viability of its approach and messages, and lays the groundwork for media outreach and other activities in 2006 and beyond. The AAE will examine more specific metrics regarding the campaign’s progress this summer, in order to determine whether it is achieving its primary goals:

• increases in the segment of the population that has heard of a type of dentist that specializes in root canal treatment;
• increases in the segment of the population, if given a choice, that would prefer to have root canal treatment performed by a specialist versus a general practitioner, or an extraction;
• improvements in attitudes toward endodontists among general dentists; and
• improvements in attitudes toward endodontics and endodontists among dental educators and senior dental students.
  

Consumer Media Activities
The AAE initiated a number of media outreach activities in Year Three to elicit continuous press coverage of the specialty and the campaign.

Tooth Atlas
A media outreach program was developed to promote the Tooth Atlas, an educational tool developed by AAE members Drs. W. Paul Brown and Eric Herbranson of the University of the Pacific Dental School. Two press releases about the tool were distributed to consumer and dental professional publications, gaining coverage on HealthNewsDigest.com, and the Web sites of Dental Economics and RDH.

In addition, the AAE filmed footage for use by television stations when covering the Tooth Atlas story. The footage was distributed to national broadcast affiliates via the FOX Network. Ten affiliates broadcast coverage of the Tooth Atlas and incorporated the AAE footage, reaching 348,975 viewers nationwide.

Demystifying the Root Canal
In October 2006, media outreach was conducted in an effort to dispel the negative stereotypes that surround root canals. Using the results of a special survey that asked respondents to name the most feared medical and dental procedure, the AAE developed a press release that corrected misinformation and provided facts about root canals. The release generated 10,780,122 media impressions (total number of people reached). Placements of note were secured on the United Press International wire and in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The AAE also developed a prewritten article titled “Endodontists Demystify the Feared Root Canal – One Tooth at a Time” to generate coverage in smaller, local papers. To date, this article has generated 648 newspaper articles in 23 different states with an estimated readership of 18,293,648.

Regenerative Endodontics
In December 2006, the Journal of Endodontics published a research study that described the use of stem cells to regenerate root tissue in children’s teeth. The AAE developed a media alert based on the published study results that positioned endodontists as being committed to saving natural teeth, especially in children. The alert generated a major wire story on Reuters Health that included an interview with Dr. John S. Olmsted. In addition, Dr. Olmsted was interviewed by Consumers Digest (placement pending). To date, this media alert has generated 29,317,481 media impressions.

Root Canal Awareness Week
To raise awareness and drive media coverage of endodontics, the AAE sponsored and promoted the first annual Root Canal Awareness Week from April 1 - 7, 2007. A press release announcing the launch of the first-ever RCAW included relevant statistics from consumer surveys, general information on root canals and quotes from the AAE and consumer spokespeople. This outreach generated 7,243,051 media impressions and included placements in the Denver Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

A prewritten article also promoted the concept of RCAW. To date, “Endodontists Battle Tooth Pain – and Misconceptions” has generated 116 newspaper articles in 13 different states with an estimated readership of 45,148,144.

In addition, an audio news release, a prepackaged radio news story, supplemented the Root Canal Awareness Week media outreach. This ANR was well-received, reaching approximately 4.7 million listeners. (On average, ANRs usually reach four to six million radio listeners.) The Root Canal Awareness Week ANR was broadcast a total of 796 times by 731 stations across the nation. A radio media tour was also conducted in conjunction with the RCAW ANR. Radio media tours allow for multiple radio interviews with several different stations in a short period of time. Dr. Olmsted served as the AAE spokesman in 34 interviews, which reached 352,000 listeners.

Information on Root Canal Awareness Week was included on the calendar listings of several sources including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site.

To bolster member involvement in RCAW activities, staff developed a “Member Planning Guide” with ideas and the necessary tools to conduct outreach in members’ communities. The Guide was posted to the campaign Web site, along with all related RCAW media materials. Staff additionally sent a list of proposed AAE affiliate outreach ideas to all affiliate presidents for their consideration.

Implant Position Statement
Also in April, the AAE released a position statement on the use of dental implants versus root canal treatment. A press release announcing the creation of the statement included information from a systematic literature review published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, which found no statistical difference in the efficacy rates between root canals and implants, and promoted the fact that root canals save the natural tooth. The release also included a reference to a consensus statement published by the Academy of Osseointegration that discussed the study findings. The release reached an audience of 4,017,244, with placements appearing on the United Press International newswire, as well as on the Web sites of important trade publications including Dental Economics and Dental Compare.

Baby Boomers
A prewritten article and media alert on the importance of Baby Boomers preserving their natural teeth was developed in June. It was distributed to national consumer publications including the AARP Bulletin, Redbook and Good Housekeeping. An audio news release and radio media tour supported this initiative on July 12, 2007, with AAE President Shepard S. Goldstein serving as the AAE spokesman for this opportunity. Preliminary results at the time of printing indicate the ANR has been broadcast a total of 893 times by 831 stations across the nation, reaching 4,939,000 listeners. Dr. Goldstein’s 18 radio interviews reached an additional audience of 5,785,000 listeners.

Additional Consumer Outreach
A Spanish translation of the prewritten article titled “What Is an Endodontist?,” was submitted to Spanish language newspapers nationwide in February 2007. To date, the release has generated 24 articles in three different states with an estimated readership of 5,628,000.

Although distributed in year two of the campaign, the following articles generated coverage in Year Three:

• “Something for Seniors to Smile About” generated 44 articles with an estimated readership of 3,244,336 in Year Three. To date, this MAT release has generated a total of 344 articles with a total readership of 18,799,456.
• “Digital Radiography Improves the Picture for Root Canal Treatment” generated all of its measurable coverage in Year Three. To date, this MAT release generated 100 newspaper articles with a readership of 4,656,864.

The AAE’s ongoing media monitoring identified several published media stories that warranted a formal response from the AAE in order to clarify or reiterate messages in the published article.

In October 2006, the AAE drafted a letter to the editor of the Chicago Sun-Times in response to an article on spa dentistry that misrepresented root canals as painful. Titled “To the root of the problem,” the letter was signed by Dr. Olmsted and mentioned how root canals are virtually painless and help to relieve tooth pain. The letter was published on October 11 and reached 1,167,021 readers.

Also in October 2006, the Raleigh, N.C., News & Observer printed an editorial on the AAE’s “Demystifying the Root Canal” outreach. The editorial perpetuated the myth that root canals are uncomfortable and fear-inducing. A response from the AAE was printed on November 11 and included information on the importance of saving natural teeth through root canal treatment. This placement garnered 443,594 media impressions.

Dental Professional Outreach
In order to encourage a positive partnership between general dentists and endodontists, the AAE has continued outreach to secondary campaign audiences including general dentists, dental educators and dental students. The goals of this outreach are to improve perceptions of endodontists and endodontics (as assessed by baseline and follow-up surveys).

A baseline survey of general dentists in the U.S. was first completed in 2005, and will be repeated in fall 2007. Specific metrics that are set for this audience are as follows:

• In 2007, a 10 percentage point increase (from 58 percent to 68 percent) in the perception of endodontist as partner.
• In 2007, a nine percentage point increase (from 61 percent to 70 percent) in the characterization of relationship with endodontists as excellent.
• In 2007, an eight percentage point increase (from 72 percent to 80 percent) in the belief that endodontists are willing to teach generalists more about endodontics.

A baseline survey of dental educators and students was completed this past spring, and will be repeated in 2009. Specific metrics that capture an improvement in perceptions about the specialty will be identified this winter.

Ongoing Member Communications
AAE members continue to receive regular campaign updates through all of the Association’s various communications vehicles, including this newsletter, the PULP e-newsletter, the Journal of Endodontics and campaign-branded mass e-mails. Additionally, campaign “flash reports” delivered by e-mail update members about campaign activities and successful media hits throughout the year.

All campaign resources, including copies of each prewritten article, press release, a downloadable campaign logo, customizable advertisements and much more, are currently posted on the AAE Web site for member use throughout the year.

If you are one of the nearly 4,000 members paying a special assessment to fund the AAE's public awareness campaign, you may be interested in knowing what the project has accomplished since its launch in February 2005.

The Public and Professional Affairs Committee is overseeing the campaign with great sensitivity to member needs, and with a keen eye towards ensuring results. To that end, the committee has identified specific metrics to objectively assess campaign progress.

Consumer Metrics
In 2003, the AAE conducted a consumer opinion survey to establish a pre-campaign baseline of consumer awareness. The survey will be repeated in the spring of 2007 to ascertain the effectiveness of the campaign. Current activities are now focused on the following two primary goals and associated metrics:

1. Increasing the number of people who have heard of a root canal specialist from 46 percent in 2003 to 49 percent in 2007
2. Increasing the number of peopl who would prefer root canal treatment performed by a specialist versus a general practitioner or an extraction, from 77 percent in 2003 to 79 percent in 2007

General Dentist Metrics
A baseline survey was conducted in late 2005 to assess general dentists' perceptions of endodontists. The survey will be repeated in fall 2007 to determine changes in perceptions. Campaign activities targeted to general dentists will be focused on the following goals and associated metrics:

1. Increasing the perception of endodontists as partners from 58 percent in 2005 to 68 percent in 2007.
2. Increasing the characterization of relationships with endodontists as excellent from 61 percent in 2005 to 70 percent in 2007
3. Increasing the belief that endodontists are willing to teach general dentists more about endodontics from 72 percent in 2005 to 80 percent in 2007

Dental Educators and Student Metrics
A baseline survey is currently being developed to assess dental educators' and senior dental students' perceptions of endodontists and endodontics. The surveys will be conducted early next year and will be repeated in 2008. The main goal of outreach to this audience is:

1. Improving attitudes towards endodontists among dental educators and senior dental students.

In the spring of 2004, the American Association of Endodontists engaged Edelman Public Relations to develop and implement a public and professional awareness campaign for the specialty of endodontics with two main objectives:

• Educate the public about endodontists and endodontic services to increase public awareness of endodontists and their role in dental health, as well as dispel myths about endodontic treatment.
• Educate other members of the dental team (i.e., educators, students and general practitioners) about the role of endodontists as vital members of the dental team, and the advantages of referring root canal patients to these specialists.

Phase I: Campaign Identity and Messaging

The AAE’s Public and Professional Affairs Committee worked with Edelman to create a series of core messages organized by key audience and theme. These serve as the backbone of the initiative, ensuring focus and consistency throughout the campaign. Additionally, the PPAC approved the campaign logo and design to be used on all materials and communications, which will serve as a visual symbol for the program.

Phase II: Campaign Materials and Communications

Campaign Launch
Pursuant to the recommendations of Edelman, the PPAC approved a series of materials to announce the launch of Endodontists: the root canal specialists and stimulate interest in the campaign among endodontists, dental professionals and consumers.

• The AAE mailed postcards to all Active, Educator and Life members in January to provide advance notice of the arrival of the Community Outreach Tool Kit and introduce members to the campaign Web site.
• A full-page announcement appeared in the February issue of the Journal of Endodontics.
• On March 14, Edelman distributed consumer and professional press releases regarding the launch of the campaign to the 400 publications and Web sites on the AAE media list and contacted key media outlets by phone to pitch the story. This resulted in the following coverage:
  • Dental Economics Internet Magazine (23,000 subscribers);
  • Dental Products Report (circulation: 170,000);
  • DentalTown (circulation: 130,627); and
  • HealthNewsDigest.com (10 million subscribers).
• Subsequently, Edelman and AAE staff sent campaign space-available advertisements to dental professional publications to promote awareness of the campaign among dental professionals.

Community Outreach Tool Kit
A key asset for the success of the campaign, the AAE prepared a Community Outreach Tool Kit for use by AAE members at the local level. The kit was designed to help members identify and capitalize on local opportunities to promote their practices and the endodontic specialty. It was shipped to all Active, Educator and Life members in March; additional copies were distributed at the 2005 Annual Session in Dallas.

Campaign Web Site
A new Web site was developed specifically for the campaign, www.rootcanalspecialists.org. The site contains a members-only section, which houses a free electronic version of the Community Outreach Tool Kit, regular campaign updates and a discussion board so members can share campaign information, questions and successes with each other and the AAE. General dentists, students, patients and media are directed to publicly accessible portions of the Web site to learn more about the specialty and the campaign.

Ongoing Member Communications
To maintain campaign momentum, Edelman and the AAE updated members on the status of the initiative throughout the first year.

• Members routinely received e-mails alerting them to campaign successes and media opportunities involving AAE members, including The Newlyweds and The Late Show with David Letterman.
• AAE staff added print and broadcast media updates to the campaign Web site, allowing members to listen to radio news features and read print coverage of the campaign and specialty.
• Campaign updates also appeared on the main AAE Web site and in newsletters.

Phase III: Consumer Outreach

The organization initiated a number of media outreach activities to elicit continuous press coverage of the specialty and the campaign. Edelman distributed a series of four audio news releases (ANR)—prepackaged radio news stories—on topics related to the campaign to 2,800 radio stations nationwide. The ANRs were well-received, exceeding typical ANR audience share (ANRs usually reach four to six million radio listeners).

• ANR #1, “What is an Endodontist,” reached 6,673,905 radio listeners.
• ANR #2, “Root Canals Are Virtually Painless,” reached 9,796,020 listeners.
• ANR #3, “Saving Your Natural Teeth,” reached 9,504,085 listeners.
• ANR #4, “New Endodontic Technologies,” reached 7,793,055 listeners.

In addition, Edelman created and distributed four MAT releases to 10,000 community newspapers across the country. A MAT release is a prewritten news story that is frequently printed by smaller, local publications, up to a year after distribution. Topics included, “Saving Your Natural Teeth,” “When to Request a Referral to an Endodontist,” “New Technologies Used by Endodontists” and “Saving Avulsed Teeth.” As of June 30, 2005, the articles had appeared in a total of 164 newspapers for a combined circulation of 11,637,104. Continued placements through 2005 are expected.

The AAE also worked with Edelman to identify, evaluate and respond to appropriate media opportunities. As a result of media outreach, the organization received coverage in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune and WCBS-AM (a prominent news radio station in New York).

This year represents the second major metrics milestone for the campaign. The metrics for general dentist outreach are based on benchmarking survey data collected in 2005, and are compared to results from a follow-up survey conducted in fall 2007.

The metrics for campaign outreach to general dentists approved by the Board of Directors are listed in the table below, along with the corresponding survey results:

Topic	2005 Baseline Metric	Anticipated 2007 Result	Actual 2007 Result
1. Characterization of relationship with community endodontists as excellent	61%	70%	59%
2. Belief that endodontists are willing to teach you about endodontics	72%	80%	75%
3. Perception of endodontist as partner (response of 0 on a scale 0=partner to 100=competitor)	58%	68%	51%

 

General dentists are one of four groups approved by the Board as key audiences for the campaign. While the 2007 results outlined above did not meet their projected goals, the Association's public relations consultant believes that the initial targets may have been overly aggressive given that a small percentage of campaign funds are designated to educating general dentists. The majority of campaign resources and funding is devoted to consumer awareness, whereas general dentists are a secondary audience.

Additionally, it is important to note that campaigns such as these often take time to make a significant impact on audience perceptions; the survey results indicate we are on the right track. Overall, the data showed that general dentists have a very positive perception of endodontists.

In the fall, the AAE received results of an awareness survey targeted to dental educators and predoctoral students that showed what both groups thought of endodontists. Among the key findings, more than 90 percent of both groups view the AAE as one of the most credible sources for endodontic information. Furthermore, both groups see individual endodontists as key resources in supplying the latest in endodontic education and information.

The results from these surveys will help activities to these groups as outlined in the Association’s strategic plan and public awareness campaign plans. A full report has been disseminated to all AAE leadership and committees for their consideration and use. Summary for the survey findings

In May 2007, the AAE received the results of a nationwide consumer awareness survey that was conducted by an independent survey firm. The survey was a repetition of an identical study conducted by the AAE in 2003, prior to the launch of the campaign. A comparison between the 2003 and 2007 results represents the first objective measurement of campaign progress in meeting the AAE’s identified consumer goals, which were approved by the AAE Board of Directors as follows:

• In 2007, a three percentage point increase (from 46 percent to 49 percent) in the segment of the population that has heard of a type of dentist who specializes in performing root canal treatment.
• In 2007, a two percentage point increase in the number of survey respondents who would prefer root canal treatment performed by a specialist, versus a general practitioner or an extraction (from 47 percent to 49 percent).

Based on survey analysis, the Public and Professional Affairs Committee is pleased to announce that the AAE has successfully met its first set of campaign metrics! Consumer awareness of a type of dentist who specializes in root canals has increased as projected (from 46 percent in 2003 to 49 percent in 2007), and there has also been a projected two percent increase in the number of consumers who would prefer a root canal performed by a specialist versus a general dentist (from 47 percent in 2003 to 49 percent in 2007). Complete survey results and implications will be shared with members in an upcoming issue of the Communiqué newsletter and in other outlets.

Fully 95 percent of general dentists regard their endodontic relationships as “good” or “excellent,” and also are more likely to view endodontists as partners rather than competitors on the dental team. In fact, endodontists have a great opportunity to establish and cultivate relationships with their referrers; two- thirds of dentists would be open to having an endodontist teach them more about the specialty, and nearly 75 percent of respondents believe that endodontists are willing to do so. Endodontic topics of most interest to general dentists include:

• rotary instrumentation systems;
• obturation techniques; and
• endodontic diagnosis and troubleshooting.

While general dentists vary in their handling of root canal work, 56 percent of the general dentists surveyed indicated that they refer at least half of their root canal treatments to specialists; the average generalist performed only two root canal treatments per month. These responses and others signify that general dentists appreciate the expertise and knowledge that endodontists contribute to the dental team.

The results of this survey will serve as a baseline against which to measure the future impact of campaign activities targeted to general dentists, in an effort to improve their perceptions of endodontists and the specialty.

View the full general dentist survey report.