By Adrian Lefler | Published March 14, 2026 | Updated October 2026
Quick Answer: Social search is when people use TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit like a search engine. They type questions such as “is Invisalign worth it” or “best dentist for nervous patients” into the app instead of Google. Social search for dentists comes down to three things: short videos that answer real patient questions in plain language (with the question said out loud and repeated in on-screen text and captions), complete profiles that name your city and services, and genuine mentions on Reddit. Google and AI tools pull from the same content, so one good video can be found in all three places.
Table of Contents
- Is Google still where patients search?
- Where do patients search on social media?
- Does social content show up in Google and AI answers?
- Why is social search for dentists still a wide-open opportunity?
- How can a dental practice show up in social search?
- Where should a dental practice start with social search?
- Frequently asked questions
Hey dentists, your patients are searching on TikTok, YouTube and Reddit. Are you there?
Meet Laurennifer. (Lauren? Jennifer? We split the difference.) She’s 28, she has a chipped tooth and a touch of dental anxiety, and she doesn’t type “dentist near me” into Google. She searches TikTok for “how to find a dentist you can actually trust,” watches a real patient’s smile makeover on YouTube, then asks Reddit which practices in her city are worth calling. (She also Googles government forms for a legal name change, but that’s on another tab.)
By the time she Googles your practice name, she’s already decided. She’s just confirming you exist. If your practice only shows up on Google, Laurennifer and her chipped tooth and her very unusual name will go somewhere else.
Is Google still where patients search?
Yes. Google is still the biggest search engine by far, but it’s no longer the only place patients search. In a SparkToro and Datos study of US desktop searches in Q4 2025, Google alone handled 73.7% of searches across 41 major websites. Despite what the clickbait headlines say, Google isn’t going anywhere. You still need solid dental SEO and a strong Google Business Profile.
The rest of the pie is where it gets interesting. Here’s how the same study split search activity by type of platform. (The ~80% row is Google plus Bing and the other traditional engines, which is why it’s higher than Google’s 73.7% on its own.)
| Platform type | Share of searches |
|---|---|
| Traditional search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) | ~80% |
| Commerce platforms (Amazon, Walmart, eBay) | ~10% |
| Social networks (TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, etc.) | ~5.5% |
| AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) | ~3.2% |
Source: SparkToro and Datos, US desktop searches, Q4 2025.
Social at 5.5% might sound small. But it’s 5.5% of an enormous number, and it’s desktop only. The study doesn’t count searches typed into the TikTok or Instagram apps on a phone, which is where most social searching happens. So the real social share is almost certainly higher on mobile. Search Engine Land has been tracking the same shift.
For a choice as personal as a dentist, that matters. People want to watch a real human explain what a crown feels like before they trust anyone with their mouth. It’s a whole search universe now. Like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, before it got sad and uncomfortable.
Where do patients search on social media?
Patients use TikTok and Instagram to discover practices, YouTube to get comfortable with a treatment, and Reddit to check whether a practice is actually good. Think of it as a relay. TikTok gets a practice noticed, YouTube answers the “what will this really be like?” questions, and Reddit is the reference check. Not sure where to start? Here’s our ranking of the best social media platforms for dentists.
TikTok and Instagram
TikTok and Instagram are where people find practices they’d never heard of. A fun behind-the-scenes video, a before-and-after (with written consent) or a dentist explaining why your teeth hurt when you eat ice cream can introduce your practice to someone who wasn’t looking for you. Then they start looking for you. Wondering should your practice be on TikTok? Start there, and see our guide to Instagram marketing for dentists.
YouTube
YouTube is where patients go to get comfortable. Someone considering dental implants or Invisalign isn’t going to book a consultation cold. They’re going to watch three to five videos first. If one of those features your doctor explaining the process warmly and clearly, you just became the front-runner before they even called. These dental marketing videos show what to film.
Reddit is where the brutally honest stuff lives. People ask things like “is this dental practice actually good or are the reviews fake?” and get answers from real people. A practice with a strong reputation and genuine recommendations on Reddit becomes the one people suggest on their own. Learn more about Reddit marketing for dentists.
Does social content show up in Google and AI answers?
Yes. Google regularly shows TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts, Reddit threads and Instagram posts in its results, and AI tools pull from the same content. So when someone in your city Googles “best dentist for nervous patients,” they might see your YouTube video, or a Reddit thread praising your front desk, even if your website isn’t ranking.
That means SEO and social aren’t rivals. They feed each other, like Lady and the Tramp sharing spaghetti. Uncomfortable to watch, but who are we to stand in the way of love? Here’s more on how social media helps dental SEO.
AI answers work the same way. ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews lean heavily on what real people say and show online, which is why Reddit threads and YouTube videos turn up in their answers so often. Dental Economics makes the same case for dental practices.
One good video. One honest Reddit mention. One Reel that actually gets shared. Any of them can travel a lot further than you’d expect, all the way to Laurennifer Jessicarla. (Yes, we just learned her middle name. Poor thing.)
Why is social search for dentists still a wide-open opportunity?
Because most practices aren’t doing it yet. In most markets, few practices are answering patient questions on TikTok or YouTube, so there’s room to stand out without outspending anyone. If you’re the competitive type, that should make you a little gleeful.
Most dental marketing budgets go to the same three places: Google rankings, paid ads and the website. Very few practices have an actual plan for getting found in TikTok search, ranking a YouTube video or showing up in Reddit conversations. (For the bigger picture, see our guide to social media marketing for dentists.)
So practices keep fighting tooth and nail (pun absolutely intended) over the same Google keywords, the same paid search slots and the same Google Maps rankings. That competition is real, and it’s expensive.
Social search optimization flips that. Patients are already typing their questions into TikTok and YouTube. The practices that start answering now get to be the answer before the space gets crowded.
How can a dental practice show up in social search?
Answer the questions patients already ask, in short videos and posts the platforms can read, on profiles that make it obvious who you are and where you are. Social search doesn’t mean dancing on TikTok (though if you want to, go for it, no judgment. Unless it’s really embarrassing). It means six practical steps:
- Find the questions patients actually search. Type a treatment such as “Invisalign” or “dental implants” into TikTok’s search bar and YouTube’s search box, and write down the autocomplete suggestions. Those are real searches. Check what people ask about dentists on your city’s subreddit, too. And ask your front desk: the questions they answer ten times a week are your content calendar. For a head start, borrow from these dental social media post ideas.
- Say the question out loud, on screen and in the caption. Platforms read what’s said in a video, the text on screen and the caption, so put the patient’s question in all three. Open with “What actually happens during a root canal?” and then answer it. Same goes for “What’s the difference between veneers, Lumineers and that band called The Lumineers?” These get searched. A lot. [VERIFY: confirm against current TikTok and YouTube help pages that spoken words and on-screen text feed search; widely reported, but the brief asks for a check before publishing.]
- Fill out every profile. Put your practice name, city and main services in each bio, plus a link to your website or online booking page. Use exactly the same practice name and address on every platform. A bio like “Family & Cosmetic Dentist in Boise” tells searchers, and the platform, who you are and where.
- Treat YouTube like a library. Title each video with the patient’s question (“How long do dental implants last?”), write a real two- or three-sentence description and group videos into playlists by treatment. Built this way, your channel works like a 24/7 consultation that screens and warms up patients before they ever call.
- Show up on Reddit honestly. Answer questions openly as the practice or as the doctor, and say who you are. Never post fake reviews, use alt accounts or have staff pose as patients. Redditors spot it fast, and it can follow your practice for years. Here’s why fake AI Reddit posts backfire.
- Post once, publish everywhere. Cross-post each video to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook and your Google Business Profile. One filming session can feed five platforms. For formats that work, see these dental TikTok and Reels ideas and dental Facebook post ideas.
Authentic patient stories are search gold on every platform, as long as you have the patient’s written consent. A friendly dental contest is an easy way to find patients who are happy to be featured.
And keep posting consistently between the search-focused videos. These dental social media strategies show your practice’s personality, because patients choose practices they feel connected to, not only the ones with the most reviews.
Where should a dental practice start with social search?
Start small: pick one platform, answer five patient questions in five short videos, and check your analytics after a month. That’s enough to learn what your patients search for and which videos they find. (The FAQ below explains how to measure it.)
The patients of 2026 don’t have one search behavior. They have about five, plus the attention spans of caffeinated toddlers. Each person heads wherever they expect the most helpful answer in the format they like best, whether that’s a 30-second video, a 10-minute explainer or a thread full of strangers’ opinions.
Some will find you on Google Maps. Some will find you because a friend shared your TikTok. Some will watch your YouTube explainer on dental implants at 11pm, then text their spouse about finally getting it done. Some will read a Reddit thread where a stranger in your city said your hygienists are really nice.
Every one of those touchpoints is a chance to be not only found, but chosen. That’s what social search for dentists is really about, and most of your competition hasn’t figured it out yet. Our social media guide for dentists covers the rest of the playbook. Running several locations? See DSO social media marketing.
Want help? Every three business days, some new piece of dental marketing becomes mission critical, and you’re busy doing teeth stuff. Our dental social media marketing service handles content creation and branded posting for you, so your team can stay focused on patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dental practices need to be on TikTok and YouTube to get new patients?
Not on every platform, but showing up on at least one helps. More patients now research local services and healthcare providers on TikTok and YouTube before they call. A practice with an active, helpful YouTube channel or a steady social presence has an edge over one that relies on Google alone. You don’t need to go viral. You just need to show up consistently with helpful content.
How can a practice tell if social search is working?
Check each platform’s analytics for search traffic, then ask new patients how they found you. YouTube Studio shows how many views came from YouTube search and which search terms viewers used. TikTok’s video analytics show how much traffic came from search. Add “How did you hear about us?” to new-patient forms and compare. For the bigger picture, see how to measure dental social media ROI.
What kind of social media content works best for dental practices trying to attract new patients?
Content that answers real patient questions works best. Think short explainers on common procedures, behind-the-scenes looks at your team and office, patient transformation stories (with written consent) and candid answers to common dental fears. Authenticity matters more than production value. A doctor talking straight to the camera about a first visit will beat a polished promo almost every time. AI can help with ideas, but keep your own voice.
Is it too late for a dental practice to start building a social media presence?
No, it’s a good time to start. Most local businesses, dental practices included, still don’t have a plan for social search. Competition for dental questions on TikTok and YouTube is much lighter than on Google, where practices have fought over keywords for years. Starting now means real visibility is within reach without a massive budget. Hear more in our Byte Sized episode on social media.
Should dentists post on Reddit?
Yes, carefully. Join your city’s subreddit as the practice, answer questions honestly and say who you are. Follow each subreddit’s rules on self-promotion, which are often strict, and never post fake recommendations or use alt accounts. Helpful answers build trust over time, and Reddit threads often turn up in Google results and AI answers, too.
Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.
