The TikTok Dental Craze: Should You Take Part + Tips

The TikTok Dental Craze: Should You Take Part + Tips

Yes, there is a “TikTok Dental Craze.” Videos about veneers and fluoride are going viral. And the results are no small boon.

While modern technology has brought us wonderful benefits, it also demands that we “keep up with” ever-evolving modes of communication and advertising. We won’t sugarcoat it … it can be exhausting. For many of us, TikTok has perfectly embodied this sentiment.

Video is more difficult to produce. Add to that the speed with which trends sweep through the platform, and the niche humor and lingo Gen Z has built TikTok’s community on, and you might think, how and why would I even bother investing the time in this? But some dentists across the country have done just that. Let’s take a closer look.

Should You Take Part in the TikTok Dental Craze?

If you have a younger regional demographic or focus on cosmetic procedures, TikTok could prove a highly effective marketing tool. Besides attention-focused marketing, dentists are also sharing getting through to younger audiences with important dental advice and warnings.

For example, should a 20-year-old with perfectly healthy teeth get a full set of crowns for cheap in a foreign country so they can look like one of the Kardashians? Yikes. In response, dentists on TikTok are explaining the lifelong maintenance and other implications. And those young people often express in the comments that they are listening.

  • Taking part in the TikTok Dental Craze could offer a number of benefits for your practice:
  • You can position yourself and your practice as topical experts with a new audience.
    The platform provides more opportunities to educate on oral health from beyond the dental chair.
  • TikTok’s strong algorithm might make it easier for your posts to reach new local, potential patients, particularly those most in need of dental care.

So, should you take part in the TikTok Dental Craze? The answer is yes.

But where do you start? Here’s our advice…

Tip #1: Hire the Experts

You are busy doing what you do best: taking care of your patients’ teeth and gums. So why not put content creation in the hands of those who do that best?

If you’ve decided that producing TikTok content will be worth the investment, then dive into making the investment by outsourcing content production to an expert.

The good news is that you don’t have to exclusively pay someone to create TikTok videos (unless you want A LOT of them). If you want to have a strong presence on multiple social media platforms, consider hiring a social media manager. Or, if you are okay with sticking to a lighter posting schedule, you could discuss this as an added role for your marketing team.

Tip #2: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

What types of content perform well on TikTok? Videos of people. If you look at posts that seem to be a part of the TikTok Dental Craze, you’ll see this for yourself.

Most if not all of the top-performing dental videos on TikTok feature the doctor or hygienists and dental assistants explaining things, dancing, acting out funny skits, etc.

We know this might be frustrating for those who don’t wish to be in the spotlight. But again, you can hire social media experts who can produce much of the content for you (even if they’re acting as a microphone for your insights on oral health).

You can also talk to your entire team and get a feel for who might enjoy being in front of the camera. Do you have a hygienist who feels comfortable speaking in front of people and loves social media? Pair him or her up with a marketing coordinator and you just might have a dream team!

Tip #3: Communicate the Brand Vibe with Your Team

When social media is most successful, it’s often because the account has built a consistent presence on that platform. Think of this like a part of your branding strategy.

In terms of the TikTok Dental Craze, we see this in creators like @thebentist. He has become known (and loved, at 12 million followers on our last count) for his high-energy reaction videos. He stitches content from other users focused on teeth and then responds with plenty of facial expressions and an animated voice.

This dental content creator is someone who clearly loves the camera, but you don’t have to produce videos the same way he does. The idea to remember is that you should establish the overall branding-influenced vibe of your content (educational and calm; quirky and energetic; humorous and light-hearted) and stick with it.

That is how creators get to a point where their content identifies them instantly. And that is branding magic!

Tip #4: Use the Free Tools TikTok Offers

A mistake often made by novice TikTok users is trying to find other applications and editing programs to prep content with. TikTok actually offers tons of fantastic features already built into the platform. Let’s discuss some of them. You can also use this as a glossary!

Duet: This function allows you to make a video alongside another user’s existing video. Duet is usually used to record reactions to content.

Stitch: Yes, we weren’t going to leave you hanging after mentioning this above! This is also a way to react and/or add onto another user’s video. The distinction is that this will play your video after showing all or part (you can adjust the clip length) of the other user’s video, instead of playing them side by side.

Auto Syncing: This feature is a huge boon! Add a bunch of photos or a video clip or two, select a song or sound, and TikTok will sync them up for you.

Filters: You might think these are reserved for teens sending Snapchats back and forth. But on TikTok, there are so many fun filters—and they get swooped into trends. Let’s say you see a few videos using a filter that widens your smile. You could totally make content surrounding that filter!

Tip #5: Try to Play to the Trends

Speaking of trending, join in! We know this can be challenging. But TikTok operates entirely on the ebb and flow of trending sounds, filters, and skit concepts. Another way a social media manager proves their value is being in the know on trends. When their passion and career is social, they are steeped in the latest everything.

If you do need help with some ideas, try a quick Google search of “latest TikTok trends.” Social media-related brands like Hootsuite and Later will often post roundups of the latest trends.

While social media can be a daunting prospect in general, the TikTok Dental Craze is probably here to stay awhile—so you’d be smart to jump in! Just remember, posting doesn’t have to be a scary, insurmountable task. Take it one step at a time, trust your team, and have fun!

And of course, don’t forget our TikTok tips:

  • Tip #1: Hire the Experts
  • Tip #2: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
  • Tip #3: Communicate the Vibe with Your Team
  • Tip #4: Use the Free Tools TikTok Offers
  • Tip #5: Try to Play to the Trends

For a little more light reading, check out our list of content ideas for your socials.

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