The Client

Zila Inc, a pharmaceutical company based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA

The product

OraScreen is a mouthwash screening tool for the early detection of oral (mouth) cancer.

The problem

There are over 4,400 new cases of mouth cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) each year in the UK. It is increasing faster than any other major cancer. Nearly half those affected will die of the disease. Survivors normally have to live with the results of radical surgery to the face, jaws, tongue and neck. Smokers and heavy drinkers are mainly at-risk.

The solution

If detected early oral cancer can usually be treated.

OraScreen is designed for use by dentists to highlight invisible, asymptomatic early signs of oral cancer. Early referral to hospital for biopsy and treatment will increase survival rates from below 50% to above 90%.

The distributor

Zila contracted with Stafford Miller to market and distribute OraScreen in the UK. For several years previously, Scope Dental Professional Relations had been building academic and KI relationships for Zila and were appointed by Stafford Miller to launch OraScreen to the UK dental market.

The task for Scope

To create awareness and improve understanding of the oral cancer issues among hospital professionals in secondary care and dentists in primary care.

To create awareness and understanding of the disease among the general public.

What we did to educate the dental profession:

• Negotiated with the British Dental Association to publish a new title in their series of advice guideline documents for their member dentists ‘Oral cancer Guidelines for early detection’. Scope wrote (in conjunction with a KI), designed and printed 30,000 of these documents which were freely distributed to each of the 19,000 BDA members and the balance reserved for exhibition, conference and meeting use.
  
  An illustrated explanation of the OraScreen procedure formed part of this document.

• Orchestrated five leading dental journals to simultaneously publish major editorials on five different aspects of oral cancer screening.
  
  
• Organised a launch meeting for OraScreen during the British Dental Association Annual Conference 1999. Attended by 82 dental VIPs, from the four national Chief Dental Officers downwards and included editorial representatives from all 11 major dental publications.
  
  
• Wrote sales and presentation scripts for the Stafford Miller detailing sales force.
  
  
• Trained that sales force to overcome objections and the dentists’ ‘concerns about using the word cancer’.
  

What we did to educate the public:

• Persuaded dental organisations and experts in the disease to release comment and case histories to national and regional press; and gained considerable coverage.

In year 2000 Zila parted from Stafford Miller and decided to open up a Zila Europe operation based in the UK and to employ a contract sales team to sell OraScreen to UK dentists and into Europe. Scope was appointed to supply marketing consultancy and to handle PR and dental press advertising.

The new tasks for Scope

To launch Zila Europe / and re-launch OraScreen to the dental market.

To further increase the level of understanding of oral cancer issues among dental, pharmaceutical and hospital professionals.

To devise a way of influencing government on mouth cancer issues./p>

To devise a major public awareness campaign.

What Scope did to launch Zila Europe and re-launch OraScreen to the UK dental market:

• Renamed the product OraTest
  
  
• Persuaded 10 professional dental associations from the World Dental Federation through the British Dental Association down to dental insurance companies, to issue statements endorsing the dentist’s professional obligation and opportunity to screen all patients in at-risk groups on routine visits to the dental surgery. And to allow us to freely use these statements as we saw fit.
  
  
• Negotiated with the British Dental Association to publish a second document for their member dentists ‘‘Opportunistic oral cancer screening – management strategy for oral cancer’. Scope wrote, designed and printed 25,000 copies for distribution to all BDA member dentists plus a reserve. Further specific advice on the use of OraTest including practice marketing materials was included in the publication.
  
  
• This document is still available to download from the BDA website as a resource for dental teams.
  
  
• A short form OraTest protocol was simultaneously distributed with the BDA News magazine.
  
  
• Created, designed, wrote and produced supporting product and scientific literature.
  
  
• Created a concentrated programme of dental journal product advertising.
  
  
• Created four model letters for dentists to use inviting patients for testing and referring suspicious lesions to hospital.
  

• Created and designed a ‘mouth map’ to promote accurate record keeping and as a practical opportunity to monitor changes or progression of lesions.
  
  
• Wrote and placed 100 press stories on mouth cancer and OraTest in UK dental media during year 2000.
  
  
• Developed a Regional Reference Centre concept to utilise peer pressure.

• Created, designed and wrote two explanatory leaflets on mouth cancer screening aimed at patients in language scientifically validated to maximise comprehension.
  
  
• Created and designed mouth cancer posters and other display material for dental surgery waiting rooms.
  
  
• Created and launched the first ‘Mouth Cancer Awareness Week’ as a public information campaign. Devised the MCAW blue ribbon logo to mark the event. This campaign was launched in year 2001 with the total support of 30 dental, pharmaceutical and other relevant organisations invited by Scope to co-operate and contribute expertise.
  
  
• The first MCAW campaign (2001) was funded by Zila Europe. The second in 2002 was supported by Oasis Dental Care and certain members of the BDTA.
  
  
• In 2003 we granted The British Dental Health Foundation the rights to adopt the campaign which was supported by Scope, Denplan and 3M ESPE. We believed that bringing the campaign under the aegis of the BDHF would add status to the exercise and enable greater co-operation from the wider medical and pharmaceutical community by removing any commercial connection with Zila.

• Created and formed The Scottish Oral Cancer Action Group in August 2001. A group of experts in public health, oral medicine, surgery and dentistry in collaboration (for the first time ever) from all the major teaching hospitals in Scotland, united in a common cause.
  
  
• In May 2002 SOCAG presented the case for greater focus on oral cancer issues to the Scottish Parliament just 9 months after the group’s inception. As a direct result free dental checks are to be re-introduced in Scotland.
  
  
• In 2003 the Scottish government, through ASH Scotland, provided funds of £900,000 for a project to evaluate the success of dental team members in providing their patients with a smoking cessation programme to improve their oral health, and in particular to help prevent patients from developing mouth cancer. Mouth cancer cases have doubled in Scotland since the late 1980s.
  
  
  
• In 2003 Eire banned smoking in public places.
  
  
• In 2004 just prior to the fourth MCAW campaign, the English government announced allocation of £100,00 per year for three years to support mouth cancer awareness.
  
  
• In 2004 just prior to MCAW (7-13 November) Dr Vinod Joshi launched The Mouth Cancer Foundation as a resource for clinicians, patients and the general public.
  
  
• 2006 also saw a complete ban on smoking in public places in Scotland. 2007 for England and Wales.
  
  
• The 2006 MCAW campaign was launched in November by The Chief Dental Officer for England and the House of Commons venue was paid for by David Cameron.
  
  
• In 2007 Scotland will re-introduce free dental checks for all or part of their oral health strategy. This initiative is a result of lobbying presence from SOCAG.

We believe this case history illustrates how deeply involved we are in UK dentistry and how this connection justifies our claim to be a Dental Professional Relations company rather than merely describe our activities as PR.