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Dental marketing is changing faster than ever. What worked even two years ago is no longer enough to keep your practice visible, competitive, or top of mind for today’s patients.
In a recent webinar hosted by My Dental SOP, Dr. Anissa Broussard, co-founder of Digital Floss, walked through the biggest shifts happening in dental marketing and what practices must do now to stay relevant in 2025 and beyond.
From AI search to social media indexing, this session broke down what dentists and practice leaders need to understand to attract the right patients without relying solely on expensive ads.
The Biggest Shift: How Patients Search Has Changed
Patients are no longer relying on Google alone.
Today, people are searching for dentists using AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Siri, and voice search. These platforms do not work like traditional search engines. They make recommendations based on authority, consistency, and content across multiple platforms.
This means your website alone is no longer enough. AI tools scan your social media content, Google business profile, reviews, videos, and even captions to determine whether your practice should be recommended.
Practices that understand this shift are already seeing a major advantage.
Why Social Media Is No Longer Optional
One of the most important takeaways from the webinar was this simple truth. Social media is no longer just about engagement. It is now a core part of SEO and AI visibility.
Google now indexes Instagram posts. This means the words you write in captions, the locations you tag, and even the images you post are searchable outside the platform.
Short-form video has become one of the most powerful tools for discovery. Reels and videos posted consistently help practices rise in Google Maps, AI Overviews, and local search results without increasing ad spend.
Social media is no longer just a branding tool. It is fueling search visibility across the entire internet.
AI Is Not Replacing Marketing. It Is Rewarding Better Marketing.
There is a lot of fear around AI, but Dr. Broussard made one thing very clear. AI rewards practices that show up consistently and authentically.
AI platforms learn from your content. Every post, video, article, and update helps train these systems to understand who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
Practices that regularly create helpful, human-centered content are far more likely to be recommended than those relying on stock photos, outdated websites, or inconsistent posting.
AI is not about shortcuts. It is about clarity, authority, and trust.
Branding vs Marketing: Why You Need Both
Another major theme of the webinar was understanding the difference between branding and marketing.
Branding is about trust. It shows patients that you know what you are doing and that you genuinely care. This comes through in videos, stories, team culture, and how you communicate.
Marketing is about visibility. It gets your message in front of the right people at the right time.
When branding and marketing work together, patients often make a decision before they ever call your office. They come in already confident that you are the right fit.
The Power of Video and Authority Content
Video continues to outperform every other type of content.
Practices that use short videos to explain procedures, address patient concerns, and showcase their team consistently attract higher-quality patients. These patients are more likely to accept treatment and less likely to shop based on price alone.
Video builds emotional connection and demonstrates expertise at the same time. It also plays a major role in how AI platforms assess authority.
What This Means for Dental Practices in 2025
The practices that will dominate local markets in 2025 are not necessarily the biggest or the oldest. They are the ones that adapt.
They understand that marketing is no longer about one channel. It is about being visible everywhere patients and AI tools are looking.
They invest in consistent content, clear messaging, and systems that support both patient experience and growth.
Those who ignore these changes risk becoming invisible, even if they provide excellent care.
Watch the Full Webinar Replay
This blog only scratches the surface of what was covered in this powerful session.
If you want a deeper understanding of how AI search works, why social media drives SEO, and how to position your practice for long-term visibility, you will want to watch the full replay.