AAE Advertising Guidelines and Acceptance Policy

The American Association of Endodontists is dedicated to excellence in the art and science of endodontics and to the highest standard of patient care. The Association inspires its members to pursue professional advancement and personal fulfillment through education, research, advocacy, leadership, communication and service.

The Association offers advertising opportunities in its publications when the inclusion of advertising material does not interfere with the purpose of those publications. While the Association acknowledges that advertisements concerning products or services related to the practice of endodontics are beneficial in keeping its members apprised of developments in the field, the Association also reserves the right to accept or reject advertising at its discretion for any product or service submitted for publication. The Association will not be bound by any condition appearing in the Advertising Agreement or other communication submitted by or on behalf of an advertiser, when such condition conflicts with any AAE policy.

The inclusion of an advertisement in AAE publications shall not constitute an endorsement or approval by the AAE of such product or service, unless an endorsement or approval is authorized by the AAE in writing. The fact that an advertisement appears in an AAE publication may not be referred to in any collateral advertising.

The following guidelines apply to all AAE publications in which advertising space is sold. Advertisers who submit material for publication agree to be bound by these guidelines and to ensure that all information in their advertisement is truthful and beneficial to those viewing it.

Eligibility

1. Products and services eligible for advertising in AAE publications must be intrinsically related to, effective and useful in the practice of endodontics.
2. Products or services that may be of interest to endodontists will be given consideration, with the exception of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and investment opportunities.
3. It is the policy of AAE to present advertising that is truthful, tasteful, and not misleading or deceptive. This policy is mandated by our obligation to operate in the public interest and by state and federal laws, but also as a matter of good corporate citizenship.
4. Advertisements will not be acceptable if they are indecent, offensive or otherwise inappropriate in either text or artwork, if they contain attacks of a personal, racial or religious nature, or if they conflict with or appear to violate AAE policy, the AAE’s Constitution and Bylaws or the American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.
5. An AAE publication will accept advertisements from a university or college-affiliated dental education course, either on a graduate level or on a continuing education level, if the institution is accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation or the institution has a reciprocal agreement with the Commission. All such advertisements must clearly state the course sponsor and credit hours if applicable.

Advertising Copy

1. The advertiser and the product or service being offered should be clearly identified in the advertisement. In the case of pharmaceutical products, the full generic name of each ingredient shall be listed.
2. The AAE reserves the right to review all advertising copy and to refuse to accept any copy that does not conform to AAE policy, mission, core values, brand or its philosophy.
3. Artwork, format and layout should be such as to avoid confusion with editorial content of AAE publications. In some cases, the words “advertisement” or “paid advertisement” may be required.
4. Advertisements should not be deceptive or misleading.
5. Disparagement of competitors’ products are prohibited. Advertisements may include the use of a competitor’s name, product or competitive price if comparison is supported by acceptable references from dental, scientific or professional literature, and is done in a dignified manner as determined by the AAE.
6. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to comply with all governmental laws and regulations applicable to the marketing and sale of advertised products and services, including, but not limited to, any applicable laws and regulations of the Food and Drug Administration. Acceptance of advertising by the AAE should not be construed as a guarantee of such compliance.
7. All claims of fact are to be fully supportable and should be meaningful in terms of performance or any other benefit. Evidence such as scientific and technical data concerning the product’s safety, operation and usefulness may be required.
8. Guarantees may be used in advertisements provided the statements that are “guaranteed” are considered to be truthful, supportable and could be used whether or not they are guaranteed. No guarantee may be used without stating its conditions and limitations.
9. Advertisements containing testimonials or those that quote the names, statements or writings of any individual, public official, government agency, testing group or other organization may not be used without the written consent of such individual or entity, which must accompany the advertisement.
10. AAE reserves the right to reject or remove any ad that negatively affects our relationship with members, the profession or that goes against our interests. AAE may also remove ads or categories of ads that receive negative feedback.

Advertising Procedures

All advertisements must be submitted to the appropriate party by the published deadline. Advertisements will then be reviewed by AAE for compliance with advertising guidelines. The AAE reserves the right to place context with each ad (example: using “Advertisement” above any ad).

Conclusion

The AAE periodically reviews its advertising standards with the objective of staying abreast of changes in the field of endodontics. This practice ensures the continued relevance, timeliness and quality of the advertising content in AAE publications.