Increase Your Practice’s Social Media Presence by Highlighting Your Everyday Dentistry

Ever since attending the Art of Treatment Planning seminar, I’ve been more intentional about using my camera in everyday practice. While a full series of frontal retracted, occlusal, and buccal images is invaluable for comprehensive case presentation, meaningful clinical photography doesn’t have to start there.

Even simple, routine photos can support patient conversations and become effective content for dental social media marketing. This everyday approach reflects a broader shift in how practices are treating marketing as a core business strategy heading into 2026.

How consistent social media posts build patient engagement and trust

Posting photos to an office Instagram account or Facebook page is also a good way to engage with your patients and the community and show the kind of work you do on a daily basis. I find it’s more important to be regular and consistent than to make one post a year with a large case you recently completed.

Overcoming the “not impressive enough” mindset in dental social media marketing

With all the dental social media accounts that have thousands of followers, fancy equipment, and software, it’s easy to get into a mindset that the things we do daily won’t be “cool” or impressive to our patients. But find that those routine things we do can be a great conversation starter, while also boosting your office’s online presence.

Streamlining dental social media marketing with camera-to-phone technology

One feature I love on my Nikon D7500 is that it can sync via Bluetooth straight to my phone or iPad through the SnapBridge app.

This means that I can take a simple photo before and after the procedure and, within minutes, make a spiffy post to our office’s social media accounts via the Instagram or Facebook apps, or discuss with a patient on an iPad in the operatory. No need to take the card out, find the card reader, download the pictures to the computer, then try to edit the photos in a special program before posting, or trying to get it to a computer in the consult room, where you can discuss with the patient and have to move them there.

Sharing dental photos chairside and on social media

Now, this won’t take the place of a proper consult or a Tour of the Mouth for comprehensive exams, but this can definitely streamline the process and make regular posting more convenient.

If you plan on posting photos publicly, make sure you have a photographic consent form signed by the patient, either on the day of the procedure or one on file from a new patient intake packet. Even though most of the photos I post don’t show or reveal any patient identifying features, it’s good to cover your bases.

Best practices for patient consent in dental social media marketing

If you have a Nikon D7500 or other camera with the SnapBridge technology, all you need to do is download the SnapBridge App to your phone or tablet. You can pair the camera and device, then see, select, and download only the photos you want from your camera on your portable device. If you want to show the patient while they are in the chair, you can stop right there.

If you want to create a post on one of your accounts, the photos will be right there in your library and can be uploaded like any other photo post. If you are planning on sharing a before-and-after photo, I’d recommend downloading the Layout app as well. The app integrates with Instagram and allows you to show the two images in a single picture. Within the Instagram app, there will be a Layout button, and it will take you through the process of orienting your photos relative to one another, and allowing you to do some minor rotations, cropping and zooming.

Making dental social media marketing sustainable for busy practices

Dental social media marketing doesn’t require elaborate cases, expensive software, or a full-time content strategy. It starts by sharing the everyday dentistry you already provide — consistently, ethically, and with intention. Simple clinical photos, efficient workflows, and clear patient consent allow practices to build trust, increase visibility, and stay connected to their community without adding stress to the day.

When approached this way, dental social media marketing becomes a natural extension of patient communication and a sustainable way to strengthen your practice’s online presence over time.