Social Media for Dentists: What the ADA Code Allows

The American Dental Association's Code of Professional Conduct says no dentist shall advertise or solicit patients in any form of communication, including via social media, in a manner that is false or misleading in any material respect Source [1]. A caption, a reel and a before-and-after photo are all communications under that sentence.

This page is general information, not legal advice. The Code is binding on ADA members, and violations may result in disciplinary action Source [2]. State dental boards and state law have their own rules, which this page does not cover.

Deciding what a practice should say this month means knowing who the posts are for, and part of Autonomah's study of a business is its audience: what it needs and what it values Source [3].

What counts as false or misleading

The Code's advisory opinion lists what to avoid. A statement should not contain a material misrepresentation of fact, omit a fact needed to keep the statement as a whole from misleading, create an unjustified expectation about the results a dentist can achieve, or claim that services are superior in quality to those of other dentists when the claim cannot be reasonably substantiated Source [1].

Opinions are covered too. Statements of opinion may be misleading if they are not honestly held, if they misrepresent the qualifications of the person giving them or the basis of the opinion, or if a patient reasonably reads them as statements of fact Source [1]. The Code says the fundamental question is whether the advertisement, taken as a whole, is false or misleading in a material respect Source [1].

What it says about social media

Section 5.F.7 starts from a duty to present factual information to the public Source [1]. It treats advertising or promotion that promises superior results, or that claims a product or service is safe and efficacious without scientific evidence or research behind the statements, as false or misleading in a material respect, whether it runs in print, on social media or through a dental influencer Source [1].

The Code gives examples. Endorsing a product as superior without supporting scientific evidence is unethical, and so are public statements on social media about the safety and efficacy of fluoride without studies to substantiate them Source [1]. The same goes for unsubstantiated claims about holistic dentistry, or about dental services said to remove toxic substances from the body Source [1].

On influencers, the Code says a social media influencer or anyone endorsing a product or service must disclose any paid partnerships with vendors Source [1]. For the federal rules on that disclosure, see our guide to the FTC endorsement guides.

Paying for marketing

One advisory opinion is easy to miss. Dentists shall not accept or tender rebates or split fees Source [1]. The opinion says a dentist who pays a third-party vendor a specific amount or percentage of the professional fees collected from patients for advertising or marketing services is engaged in fee splitting, and it names "social media coupons" and "social media influencers" as examples Source [1].

It applies to an influencer or a patient who provides advertising and is paid a share of the fees collected Source [1]. It also reaches social coupons when the issuing company collects the fee, keeps a defined percentage and remits the rest to the dentist Source [1]. The opinion adds that the laws of a dentist's jurisdiction may also affect how revenue is divided with a marketing provider Source [1].

Titles and credentials

One more section matters for a bio or a caption. A dentist may use the title Doctor or Dentist, or any additional earned advanced academic degrees in health service areas Source [1]. An unearned academic degree, or a fellowship that signals membership and not attainment, may mislead, and the Code says such designations should generally be limited to scientific papers and curriculum vitae Source [1].

A check before you post

This routine is ours, and the Code does not prescribe it. It turns the Code's list into questions to ask of each draft.

1. Does the post promise or imply a result for the next patient?
2. Does it say or imply that the practice is better than other dentists, and can you substantiate that?
3. If it makes a safety or effectiveness claim, is there research behind it?
4. Does it leave out a fact the reader needs to read the rest fairly?
5. If an influencer or vendor is involved, is the paid partnership stated, and is anyone paid a share of patient fees?

Before claiming to be better than other dentists, it helps to know what rival practices actually say, and the competition is one of the things Autonomah studies, including what it leaves unsaid Source [3].

How Autonomah does it

Autonomah is an artificial creative and advertising brain that thinks, creates and publishes each brand's advertising Source [3]. Before review, every piece goes through automated checks, among them that what it claims is backed up and the advertising rules of the industry Source [3]. Whether a clinical claim has research behind it stays with the practice and its dentist. A practice weighing an agency against a system can read the site's comparison with an agency: diagnosis, strategy and production in one system, for a price per week and per campaign Source [3].

Frequently asked questions

Do dentists have to follow the ADA Code on social media?

For ADA members, the Code of Professional Conduct is binding, and violations may result in disciplinary action Source [2]. Section 5.F names social media directly: no dentist shall advertise or solicit patients in a way that is false or misleading in any material respect, in any form of communication including via social media Source [1].

Can a dentist promise results in a post?

Section 5.F.7 treats advertising that promises superior results, or that claims safety and efficacy without scientific evidence, as false or misleading in a material respect, and section 5.F.2 lists creating an unjustified expectation about results as something to avoid Source [1].

What are some good social media posts for a dental clinic?

The Code does not list post ideas. It sets the limits that apply to whatever a practice posts: facts that can be shown, no unsupported safety or efficacy claims, and a disclosed paid partnership when someone is endorsing a product or service Source [1].