Ad puts dentist in bad company.

Byline: Kevin Miller The Register-Guard

A veteran Eugene-Springfield area dentist had to give up his day off Thursday to patiently explain to patients that no, he is not the escaped criminal named in the news story that was next to his advertisement in that morning's Register-Guard.

A small advertisement on Page D7 featured a photograph of Dr. Doyle Van Buren and contained basic information about the Springfield practice where he works.

The ad runs three times a week and has drawn good attention and customers, Van Buren said. It features the slogan, "Your comfort is our priority." But on Thursday, it ran next to a news story about fugitive sex offender and former Springfield resident James Edward Anderson, who had escaped from jail in The Dalles. That drew some bad attention.

Phones at the dentist's office rang with calls from patients and strangers alike. Some were simply offended on Van Buren's behalf that his ad and photograph appeared next to the sex offender story. But many were confused by the placement and assumed the article referred to Van Buren.

Patty Haley, one of the receptionists at the office, said it was quite a day.

"I personally spoke with about 20 people," she said. "I'd say about 75 percent of them thought it meant Dr. Van Buren was a sex offender."

She did her best to convince them otherwise.

"No pedophiles here," she said. "We are a no-pedophile zone."

Van Buren started the morning expecting to spend the day enjoying the sun on his bicycle or motorcycle. He hadn't seen that morning's paper when his associate, Dr. Misun Kang, called to tell him of the juxtaposition and the reaction it was causing.

`She said, `Why don't you get in here and fix this thing,' ' Van Buren said. He went to the office to field calls, assuring patients and strangers that he is indeed the 12-year-veteran dentist, not the fugitive sex offender. Most accepted his explanation, he said.

"But it would seem to me that we've had a few people who, well, their minds were made up," he said.

Van Buren accepted the newspaper's apology; he said he understands that the placement of his ad next to the sex offender story was just a coincidence.

In The Register-Guard Advertising Department, layout clerks place ads on empty pages at least two days before editors decide where news stories will run.

Ad clerks have only a general idea of what types of stories might run. Copy editors, who place stories on the pages, see only boxes designating space for ads.

Van Buren said he couldn't imagine how it would be possible to weigh all possible misconceptions while placing news stories and advertisements in the newspaper.

"The permutations are endless," Van Buren said. "To try to hopscotch through every possibility that might be considered to be off-color, you'd never be able to assemble a product."

He also said he expects his buddies in the local dental community to get some mileage out of the incident.

"I could see how some of my colleagues might be humored," he said. "I'm sure I'll hear about it. They never miss an opportunity for some ribbing."