16 Social Media Content Ideas for Dentists

We know, we know! As a dentist, the last thing you have time to deal with is coming up with social media content ideas. And for that reason, you’re probably pretty tired of people like us telling you how important it is! ;)

But social media isn’t going anywhere. It has proven a highly effective advertising tool. That is especially true with younger generations. As more and more Millennials and Gen Z-ers age into needing frequent dental care, the dentists who don’t use social media are probably going to miss out on some new patients.

Not to mention, it can build loyalty! Let’s say a patient has visited you once for a cleaning but then starts having a toothache a month later. Maybe there is a practice nearby that is closer to their home. They’re thinking of just going there, but they thought you and your team were quite nice when they went in before and they’ve been following all of your fun content on social media. Guess who might just make the longer drive again, because they feel like they have a real connection with you?

If you want to dive into the benefits of social media further and glean some tips on how to set yours up, check out two of our other recent blog posts:

Social Media for Dentists: Why You Should Invest in It

5 Tips for Your Dental Practice’s Social Media

Once you’ve read through those, jump back here, because we’re about to give you 16 social media content ideas for dentists, organized through four categories.

“Get to Know You” Content

This can often be the best type of social media content to start off with, as it serves to “introduce” your profile/account within each platform. Remember that these posts don’t have to be straightforward info about your practice. Social media invites creativity!

Here are a few ideas:

• Introduce your practice, what it specializes in, how many people are on your team, and who the dentists are. You can do this via a photo of the team with a detailed caption below, a fun video with quick fun facts about team members, etc. There are tons of ways to communicate your team and brand’s personality.
• Share a quick list of the services you offer. If you plan to take a slightly comedic tone with your social media, use quirky descriptions like “We make teeth clean and happy,” “We serve eviction notices to cavities,” etc. This would make a great graphic post with text, but would also be easy to present via a video that shows your team at work on each service/offering.
• Take your audience through a “day in the life.” You can do this with your own routine or ask one of your front office team members, hygienists, or dental assistants to do it. The idea here is to add in the personal touches (“First, I get my latte from Starbucks, because you wouldn’t want me working on your teeth before I did that. Next, I review my list of patients for that day. For lunch, I always try to include some protein, to make sure I’m keeping fueled for those 4 p.m. appointments!”).
• Start a series that spotlights different members of your team with a fun fact about them, related to dentistry or otherwise! You could share one person each week, and they could reveal, for example, their favorite part of the job, their coffee order to get them through the day, etc.

Educational Content

This is an opportunity for you to really shine! You might think people on social wouldn’t be interested in lectures from their dentists, but actually, social media content like this performs well. They give your audience the opportunity to learn about a topic relevant to their health in a comfortable setting: their own home! It can prove valuable for them and you, because it might reduce their nervousness about a problem they’re having and the procedure they think they need, encouraging them to give you a call.

Here are a few ideas:

• For the parents viewing your socials, consider doing a post that explains why early childhood dentistry can have an impact on a person’s lifelong overall health.
• Offer up some of your best maintenance advice, like a quick guide to optimal flossing, X ways to avoid cavities, etc.
• Share “this is what could happen” progressions. For example, “here is how failing to floss creates cavities,” or “what really happens if you eat popcorn with braces on.” And of course, you can give it a more positive spin, too. Think “here’s what whitening can do for your smile” and “look how effective keeping up with regular hygiene is over time.”
• Explain the pros and cons behind different types of treatment. If you’re a cosmetic dentist, you could talk about veneers versus crowns, different types of whitening, etc.

Testimonial Content

This doesn’t only mean literal testimonials from your patients, though those would be great to include! We also mean before and afters, if they’re relevant for your practice’s services.

Here are a few ideas:

• Ask patients who have had a lot of work done (root canal, veneers, etc.) to give you a quote about their experience and/or how the results have improved their confidence, lifestyle, etc. Be sure you also ask for their permission to share on social media. Then, include their before and after X-rays or photos of themselves if they’re willing, and either overlay the quote on the photo or put it in the caption.
• Show steps in the process! This works really well if you want to create video content, like a TikTok video or Instagram Reel. You can show yourself greeting the patient, then prepping them, then getting started, etc. up until you’re finished and your patient is smiling!
• Post some typical side-by-side before and afters. These absolutely still have sway! Anyone who is considering that same procedure is going to feel more confident and hopeful about their outcome when they can see another real, regular person like themselves who got a positive result.
• Share reviews from Google, Yelp, etc. You can take a screenshot of the review to use as a green screen background in a video or as the photo for a post. Then, verbalize in the video or write out a caption about your feelings on the comments that review makes. Let’s say you’re making a video on a review that says “Dr. Smith and his team are great! They made me feel so comfortable, and I’m so glad my cavities are gone! –Jane D.” You could show this and say, “We’re glad to read that, Jane! Yay for happy, healthy teeth!”

Celebration Content

When you post about a holiday or accomplishment, it invites people to give you an easy like. They don’t have to think about whether or not they should like, comment, or support. It is an unquestionably positive thing. It’s simple! This type of social media content can also be a great way to fill out your feed, as it presents timely seasonal opportunities.

Here are a few ideas:

• Offer happy greetings related to the big holidays. We don’t only mean Christmas and Hanukkah (although they are certainly big ones). You can post a fun graphic or team photo for New Year’s Eve or Day, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, etc. Think, company holiday party group photo with you all dressed up and a “wear your costume to work day” shot for Halloween. If you are aligning special discounts or offers with these days, post a graphic of it!
• Don’t forget other happenings too. Big sporting events, like the Super Bowl or Olympics, can be great topical reference points, as can things like back to school. The change of the seasons gives you an opportunity as well. Welcome spring, summer, fall, and winter with fun posts.
• At the beginning of each year, go through (or have your marketing manager/another team member go through) a Google search to find all of the internet-crafted holidays, like Children’s Dental Health Month, Tooth Fairy Day, Dental Hygienist Week, and Root Canal Awareness Week. (Those are only a few of them!) Use these as topics for posts when they’re happening!
• Share accomplishments you and your team experience. Maybe you’ve been certified in a new technique or one of your dental assistants has completed hygiene school—let everyone know!

While the list of ideas for social media are nearly endless, these 16 social media content ideas for dentists are an awesome starting point.

Through these concepts, you can help your online audience get to know you, learn about their oral health, discover other patients’ stories to connect with, and gain the sense that your team is personal, fun, and skilled by viewing your celebrations and accomplishments.

Who wouldn’t want to provide their patients with all of that? And to do so for a bunch of them at once, instead of offering these insights and information one-on-one, over and over. Undeniably, social media is a fantastic tool for the dentist.

We hope these ideas have helped you see the truth in that statement and will assist you as you get the ball rolling!