Why Most Dental TikToks Crash and Burn

Table of Contents

• 1. Create With Emotion
• 2. Ride the Trend, But Make It Dental
• 3. Hook ‘Em in 3 Seconds
• 4. Optimize Like a Pro (Because Yes, TikTok Is Google-Friendly Now)
• Don’t Let Your Dental TikToks Be the 84%
• FAQ

4 Strategies for Dental TikToks That Actually Work

Now that we’ve established what not to do (aka: be boring, confusing, or unintentionally terrifying), let’s talk about how dental practices focusing on social media can actually win on TikTok.

1. Create With Emotion

TikTok isn’t about who has the slickest camera gear or the flashiest graphics. It’s about how you make people feel. That’s what DAIVID’s study drove home. The dental TikToks that perform best aren’t the most polished; they’re the ones that spark joy, laughter, admiration, or a little “awww.”

Here’s what that could look like in your dental office:

• Hope: A time-lapse of a full smile transformation, set to emotional music. (Cue tears.)
• Amusement: Debunking dental myths with sass. (“No, chewing gum is not a substitute for brushing, Chad.”)
• Admiration: Feature your team volunteering at a local event or surprising a loyal patient.
• Trust: A calming behind-the-scenes of how your office handles nervous patients. Maybe even a therapy dog cameo? Instant serotonin.

And if you want to ride a trend while doing it, try the “I Wasn’t Sad, I Just Needed…” format.

Example: “I wasn’t sad. I just needed a good night’s sleep and a custom-fitted night guard from Dr. Jensen.” Emotion, humor, AND product placement.

2. Ride the Trend, But Make It Dental

Trends are the lifeblood of TikTok, but jumping on them without a strategy is how you end up on cringe compilations. Instead, aim for speed + relevance.

Here are a few 2025 trends you can hijack for dental gold:

• Roasting Colleagues (#SuspectChallenge): “The suspect was last seen leaving the break room with the LAST cherry yogurt. Repeat: the last cherry yogurt.” (Bonus if they’re wearing a lab coat.)
• #Yapping (Here’s My Thing): Go off about toothbrush head sizes, floss picks vs. string, or why people who chew ice should be watched.
• Behind-the-Scenes (ASMR-style): Show how you sanitize tools, pack Invisalign kits, or decorate for Dental Assistant Appreciation Week. Add soothing sounds and watch the comments roll in.
• Type A vs. Type B Dental Staff: Type A: “Schedules next hygiene appointment before they leave.” Type B: “Shows up 15 minutes late and forgets their own name.” Just don’t name names, unless you’re roasting Dr. Dave. He knows what he did.

The key? Move fast, keep it real, and make it yours. If a trend doesn’t fit your practice’s vibe, skip it. TikTok punishes inauthenticity with the silent treatment (a.k.a. no views).

3. Hook ’Em in 3 Seconds

TikTok users scroll faster than a hygienist flipping through patient charts on a Friday afternoon. If you don’t grab attention immediately, you’re background noise. The first three seconds are make-or-break.

Think of it like a movie trailer. If the opening shot is a close-up of a toothbrush sitting quietly on the counter, congratulations, you’ve just lost 99% of viewers. Now if that toothbrush exploded into glitter and revealed a perfectly aligned smile? I’d watch that.

Here’s how to stop the scroll:

Use Curiosity Hooks

• “Wait until you see this smile transformation…”
• “This patient thought she had a cavity. She was wrong.”
• “What happens when you DON’T wear your retainer? Let’s talk.”

You’re not giving it all away, just enough to trigger FOMO (fear of missing out) and make them stick around.

Play With Unexpected Visuals

• Start with a close-up of something mysterious: a mold of teeth, a cracked crown, your assistant holding a banana for some reason (yes, context later — confusion now = views).
• Bonus: Add on-screen text right away to frame what’s happening. Think subtitles with attitude.

Lean Into Trends Like “#SubtleForeshadowing”

• Show a bright, smiling patient in the chair. Then cut to: prepping trays, sterilizing tools, making the whitening trays. Then back to the reveal.
• Hint at the ending visually, but make the viewer stick around for the payoff.

Dental TikToks are mini stories. So even if you’re just sharing a quick hygiene tip or showing off your practice’s new massage chairs (jealous), build in a tiny narrative arc.

Start strong. Tease the middle. Pay it off.

Because if you don’t give people a reason to stay, that thumb’s going to keep scrolling straight past your perfectly crafted caption and into someone else’s dance battle with their cat.

4. Optimize Like a Pro (Because Yes, TikTok Is Google-Friendly Now)

Here’s a little-known fact that’s about to make you feel very smart: TikToks show up in Google search results. Yep. Those 15-second videos of dental tips, whitening reveals, or hilarious office moments? They’re not just living inside the app — they can help your dental SEO.

This is where most dental practices drop the ball. They post a video, slap on a trending audio, and pray it performs. But if you’re not SEO optimizing videos, you’re leaving eyeballs on the table, which is both kind of gross in the literal sense and not ideal for getting new patients.

So, here’s how you to make your dental TikToks work harder:

Add Local & Dental Keywords

Yes, keywords — the same ones you use in your dental blogs and website. But bite-sized. Think:

• #AustinDentist
• #VeneersBeforeAfter
• #InvisalignJourney
• #PediatricDentistTips

Put them in your caption, hashtag list, and on-screen text. Help both TikTok and Google figure out what your video is about so they can serve it to the right people.

Use the TikTok Creative Center (Seriously, It’s Free!)

TikTok’s Creative Center is like your backstage pass to what’s trending in your area:

• See what songs, formats, and hashtags are hot right now.
• Filter by industry or location (yes, dental practices, this means you!)
• Spot trends before they peak so you can ride the wave early.

Try the Creative Assistant (But Don’t Trust It Blindly)

It’s an AI tool built into the platform that can:

• Suggest trending topics and formats.
• Generate video script ideas.
• Give you a rough draft of ad copy.

Just don’t expect it to know your brand voice, your unique selling points, or why patients love your practice. Use it as a jumping-off point, not your final answer.

Cross-Post to Boost Reach

Every TikTok you make can also live on:

• Instagram Reels
• YouTube Shorts
• Facebook Reels
• Even Google Business Profile posts (seriously — turn that video into a teaser for your GBP audience!)

This not only expands your reach but sends positive dental SEO signals across platforms and turns one piece of content into a whole week’s worth of visible dental social media advertising.

Don’t Let Your Dental TikToks Be the 84%

TikTok can feel like a wild, unpredictable jungle of dances, memes, and dental professionals getting dangerously close to over-sharing. But you don’t have to be part of the 84% of brands getting ignored (or worse, making people feel confused, bored, or mildly disturbed).

You don’t need to go viral. You don’t need a ring light the size of a hula hoop. What you do need is a strategy that puts your patients first, your brand personality on display, and a little SEO secret sauce in the mix. Use TikTok as part of a dental social media strategy that helps you win.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author: Megan Nielsen is an SEO strategist and the Grand Overlord of copywriting at My Social Practice. My Social Practice is a dental marketing company that offers a full suite of dental marketing services to thousands of dental practices throughout the United States and Canada.