Revealing Your Practice’s Personality Through Digital Marketing: Adapting to Changing Patient Attitudes Toward Dental Care

This article originally appeared in the October/2024 issue of the Academy of General Dentistry’s AGD Impact magazine.

In the modern world, consumers have enough options to refuse to settle for anything less than the best service. We’re more educated than ever and have copious reliable resources at our fingertips. What’s more, in some practices, you might have noticed patients are not afraid to advocate for themselves and feel no obligation to return somewhere they believe provides an unsatisfactory experience. If the doctor refuses to listen to them, the support staff is unfriendly, or the atmosphere is cold, they have no problem moving on. Today’s dental patients want more than a dentist who will work on their teeth. They want a dentist with whom they can build a relationship. Consequently, the more traditional, exclusively clinical approach dentists have historically taken no longer works. With this new consumer attitude toward optimum experience, dental practices must adapt their clinical approach and foster a different kind of reputation to attract and keep their patients. The best way to do this is through marketing.

The Problem:

Patients do not make decisions based solely on facts and needs but also feelings. Historically speaking, dental practices have not had to prioritize patients’ feelings to keep growing. As information has become more widely available and patients more educated about their health, the criteria for choosing a dentist have changed, with non-clinical factors like customer service and overall patient experience becoming increasingly important.

The Solution:

Digital marketing offers a unique opportunity to reveal the personal side of dentistry. Your practice’s online presence can play a huge role in making an emotional connection with prospective and existing patients. For example, if your practice’s website is filled with generic images, stock photos, technical descriptions, and a list of the doctor’s qualifications, it will seem cold and impersonal. In contrast, a website featuring descriptions that emphasize the benefits of your services, pictures of the doctors and team, patient before-and-afters, testimonials, and reviews feels warm and inviting. Likewise, having an active blog, social media, and YouTube channel and a complete Google Business Profile, in addition to the practice website, presents a more engaging and approachable image than simply having a website that links to third-party resources.

What kind of image do you want your digital marketing to project?

When presented with two comparable dental practices offering equivalent services, a patient will choose the one that resonates with them emotionally. Taking advantage of your current digital marketing channels, you can easily tip the scales in your favor by following three key principles:

1. Humanize the doctors at the practice. Patients assume a dentist will be qualified, but that’s not all they need. They want to get a sense of the person behind the expertise. Sharing stories, videos, and images that show the dentist engaging with patients and doing activities other than dental procedures breaks down barriers and builds trust. There is no need to reveal details about anyone’s personal life. It can be as simple as a social media post sharing what you and your team are having for lunch – it may not seem impactful, but on a sociological level it reinforces that you are human just like everyone else. Another example, a video tour of the dental office, including candid moments with the team and lighthearted interactions with patients, can make the practice seem more inviting. Small things like a photo of the doctor shaking hands with a patient make them more relatable. Highlighting community events and charity work, or even sharing facts about the dentist’s professional journey, adds value that clinical imagery and research simply cannot.
2. Build relationships outside the practice. You know there’s more to dentistry than performing procedures, but your patients may need a reminder. Making this side of the practice public encourages patients to engage with it on a more personal level. Regularly sending education emails, social media posts, and videos create a connection that extends beyond the office. Sharing patient success stories, community involvement, and the occasional light-hearted moment shows the different sides of the dental field. For instance, a blog post featuring a patient’s journey from consultation to smile transformation and linking to their video testimonial is incredibly compelling. The practice can also use social media to celebrate team member anniversaries, feature five-star patient reviews, and share some dental humor to foster a sense of community and keep the practice in patients’ thoughts. Efforts like these demonstrate that the practice is active, caring, and approachable.
3. Be real and vulnerable. It’s no longer enough to post a picture of the dentist in their crisp, white coat alongside their list credentials. Today’s patients want a dentist to be empathetic and genuinely interested in their well-being. They appreciate authenticity and transparency. In response, the practice, and especially the dentist, needs to show its sensitive side. Sharing challenges, triumphs, and even the occasional silly picture signals that your practice’s doctors and team members are like everyone else. A story about a challenging case and how the entire team worked together to give the patient their dream smile or a humorous anecdote about life as a dental professional gives patients a glimpse into the practice’s reality. Highlighting patient testimonials that speak to the compassionate care and personal attention they received reinforces the “patient first” image.

Dental practices are beginning to understand that patients want more than quality dental care from their dentist. They also want familiarity and trust. Using digital marketing to showcase your practice’s personality by humanizing the doctor, building relationships outside the practice through engaging content, and being authentic, you create an inviting and relatable image that will resonate with more patients. A personal approach to marketing your practice will not only set it apart from others but also foster a loyal patient base that feels genuinely connected to your team.