Ask most people in Toronto how they found their dentist and you’ll hear the same thing.
A neighbour or a coworker recommended someone, and then they looked the clinic up.
What they find on your Instagram or Facebook either backs up that recommendation or quietly ends it.
If your last post is from two years ago, a new patient learns almost nothing about what it’s like to sit in your chair.
Here’s what we’d post if we ran your clinic’s accounts, how often we’d post it, and the Ontario advertising rules you need to know first.
Your patients are closer than you think
Dentistry is about as local as a business gets.
Most of your patients live or work a short trip from your office, whether that’s Leslieville, North York or the Financial District.
Social media keeps you in front of those people between cleanings.
It also gives nervous patients a low-pressure way to get to know your team before they ever pick up the phone.
What to post
You don’t need to dance on camera.
You need a steady mix of posts that answer the questions people already have.
- Meet the team. Short introductions to your dentists, hygienists and front desk staff. Familiar faces make booking feel easier.
- Answers to common questions. How often do I need X-rays? What should I do about a chipped tooth? One question per post.
- A look inside the clinic. The waiting room, the equipment, and how a first visit works.
- Oral health education. Brushing technique, a child’s first visit, mouthguards for hockey season.
- Practical updates. New hours, holiday closures, direct billing and new team members.
- Community moments. Local events, school visits and neighbourhood sponsorships.
Read the advertising rules before you post
This is the part a lot of marketers skip.
Ontario dentists are regulated by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), and its advertising rules apply to social media the same way they apply to a flyer or a website.
You’re also responsible for anything posted on your behalf, including by an agency.
These are the areas where clinics most often get caught out:
- Patient testimonials and reviews. Ontario’s rules are restrictive about using these in a dentist’s own promotion, so resharing a glowing review isn’t the safe default it is in other industries.
- Superlatives and comparisons. Wording that suggests you’re better than other dentists, such as “the best” or “state of the art”, is a problem.
- Promises about results. Avoid content that creates an expectation of a particular outcome.
- Contests and giveaways. Incentive-style promotions are restricted.
- General dentist or specialist. Be clear about which you are when you promote specific treatments.
- Patient privacy. Never post anything that identifies a patient without their written consent.
The rules do get updated, so check the RCDSO’s current guidance, or ask the College, before you run anything you’re unsure about.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
How often should you post?
For most dental clinics, Instagram and Facebook do the heavy lifting, and short video matters more on both every year.
Consistency beats volume.
Two or three posts a week, every week, will do more for you than a burst of daily posts followed by a month of silence.
Plan a month at a time so posting doesn’t depend on a quiet afternoon at the front desk.
When to hand it off
Most dentists already know what they should be posting.
The hard part is finding the hours to plan it, write it, design it and schedule it around a full day of patients.
That’s the work we take on.
Wellness Wave Marketing is a Toronto-based team, and we manage social media only for healthcare practitioners.
We’ve worked inside clinics ourselves, so we know how a practice runs.
Have a look at our social media packages, or book a free 15-minute discovery call and tell us about your clinic.