People like feeling a part of a social community, and reading stories of struggles and successes make us feel like we are not alone in the challenges we face in the dental world.
Written by: Sarah Poteet, D.D.S. (Dallas County Dental Society Member)
We are seeing an increasing trend of using of social media channels for dentists to share information, interesting cases, ask questions and to socialize with colleagues. Dentist are becoming social media influencers by showing interesting photos, being active on Instagram and Facebook, making videos about their day and finding ways to provide benefits or discounts to their followers.
With today’s need for instant information in the palm of our hand, social media sites fulfill this need. I find myself listening to podcasts while driving on topics about dentistry, leadership, running a business, raising children and health. I am guilty of loosing track of time reading Facebook posts on some of my favorite groups. People like feeling a part of a social community, and reading stories of struggles and successes make us feel like we are not alone in the challenges we face in the dental world.
We do have to be cautious about believing everything we read. Some of the information may not be completely accurate, and we can’t treat all of what we read on the internet as factual. Be careful and find evidence-based research and science to support claims made before implementing in your practice or buying a product. The ADA Center for Evidence Based Dentistry is a good resource to cross reference information. Another nice resource for practice management questions is the ADA Center for Professional Success.
Long gone are the days of the yellow pages being the way patients find their dentists. Now patients often check your practice out online before they decide to make an appointment. One tip to being found online easier is to be sure your online profile listing is up to date on the ADA’s Find a Dentist public directory. Social media pages for your dental practice are good ways to stay connected to your patients and community. People like to see your practice, your team and the fun things that you are doing. Instagram now has easy ways to show quick videos, pictures and stories. Facebook is better for sharing articles or written content you want people to read. It does require time and creativity to keep growing your social media, but it doesn’t require a large cost to do. For tips and resources on marketing your practice online, check out the ADA’s Starter Pack.
Don’t forget to unplug from time to time from phones, computers and technology. We need to build time in for our minds to reset. Take a walk, meditate, pray and spend time with family and friends. But when you do go online, here are some dental groups on Facebook you may want to check out: