How to engage with your audience on Dental Awareness Days
As dental professionals, we understand the significance of not only providing excellent oral care but also educating and engaging with our patients beyond the confines of the clinic.
This is where the concept of Dental Awareness Days and the creative utilization of social media come into play.
In this blog article, we’ll embark on a journey through the calendar of dental awareness days, exploring their importance, and uncovering innovative ideas to effectively connect with your audience through the dynamic world of social media.
So, fasten your seatbelts as we dive into a world of smiles, awareness, and community engagement, all within the realm of modern dentistry.
Let’s get started with some of the International Awareness days observed by Dentists all over the world.
Dental Awareness Days
International:
Here is a list of some of the International Awareness days.
World Oral Health Day (WOHD) – March 20: This global awareness day promotes the importance of oral health and hygiene worldwide.
International Day of Dentistry – October 3: Celebrated in honor of the birth of Pierre Fauchard, considered the father of modern dentistry, this day recognizes the contributions of dentists to society.
International Mouthguard Day – August 1: Aimed at promoting the use of mouthguards in sports to prevent dental injuries.
Looking for more Dental Awareness Days to honour your staff and engage with your audience all the year round? Here are some National Dental Holidays celebrated in the US.
International Dental Hygienists Day – October 20: Recognizing the vital role dental hygienists play in maintaining oral health.
World Cavity-Free Future Day (WCFFD) – October 14: Focused on raising awareness about the prevention of dental caries (cavities) in children.
World No Tobacco Day – May 31: This day, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlights the link between tobacco use and oral health problems, among other health issues.
World AIDS Day – December 1: This day often includes discussions about the impact of HIV/AIDS on oral health.
World Water Day – March 22: While not specific to dentistry, it emphasizes the importance of clean water, which is crucial for maintaining oral health.
International Nurses Day – May 12: Acknowledging the contributions of dental nurses to the field of dentistry.
World Cancer Day – February 4: While not solely dedicated to oral cancer, it raises awareness about cancer, including its impact on oral health.
Are you a Self-marketing Dentist looking for Content Ideas to engage with your patients in TikTok. Check out our 11 TikTok Content Ideas for Dentists.
Canadian Dental Awareness Days
Let us explore the calendar of Canadian Dental Awareness Days which observe some special occasions.
National Oral Health Month (Canada) – April: This month-long campaign emphasizes the importance of maintaining good oral health practices in Canada.
National Child’s Dental Health Month (Canada) – February: Focused on promoting children’s dental health awareness and encouraging caregivers to prioritize oral hygiene.
National Seniors Day (Canada) – October 1: While not exclusively dental-focused, it’s a day to recognize the significance of oral health care for seniors, a demographic with specific dental needs.
National Dental Hygienists Week (Canada) – April: Celebrates and recognizes the vital role of dental hygienists in maintaining oral health.
National Dental Assistants Recognition Week (Canada) – 1st week of March: Honours the contributions of dental assistants to the dental profession, emphasizing their crucial role.
National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month (Canada) – July: Highlights awareness and prevention efforts related to cleft and craniofacial conditions, including their impact on oral health.
This is surely a special one giving importance to the challenging oral conditions to create widespread awareness among the people.
Check out the Infographic showing some of the very specific Dental awareness Days observed in the US.
How do Dentists engage with their audience on Awareness Days?
Engaging with dental patients on special awareness days using social media can help build a strong online community and reinforce the importance of oral health.
Here are some creative ideas for social media engagement:
1. Themed Contests: Run contests related to the specific awareness day.
For example, on National Child’s Dental Health Month, you can ask parents to share their child’s creative toothbrushing routine. Offer prizes or giveaways to encourage participation.
2. Oral Health Challenges: Challenge your followers to participate in a daily or weekly oral health challenge during the awareness month.
For instance, you can ask them to post a photo of their smile every day for a week, tagging your clinic and using a designated hashtag.
This approach was used by one of our clients on the World Smile Day, last year (Oct 7).
- Patient Testimonials:
Encourage patients to share their oral health journeys or stories related to the awareness day. Feature these testimonials on your social media accounts to inspire and educate others.
This is a common feature I get to observe during the National Orthodontic Health Month – October.
4. Dental Care Packages: Offer special promotions or dental care packages exclusively for the awareness month. Promote these offers on social media and encourage patients to book appointments or purchase. Many of my clients run promotional offers on Invisalign treatment during the Invisalign week.
5. Story Highlights: Create Instagram or Facebook story highlights dedicated to the awareness month. Regularly update these highlights with informative and engaging content throughout the month.
Below, we share a few examples of social media posts of some of our clients and a few interesting ones that I found in social media.
Daily Oral Health Tip Challenge:
Encourage your followers to share one oral health tip each day for a week. For instance:
Day 1: “Tell us your go-to dental care product.”
Day 2: “Share a healthy recipe for a smile-friendly snack.”
Day 3: “Tell us your biggest dental care myth and debunk it.”
Day 4: “Post a selfie with your dental team or dentist.”
Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, etc.
The following content strategy is recommended only for Dental Clinic with a sizeable number of followers. One of the Dental chains in the US implemented the below challenge that received a huge response from their 8,000 plus followers.
Healthy Smile Photo Challenge:
Encourage followers to post a photo of their smile every day for a week, focusing on a different aspect each day:
Day 1: Share your brightest smile!
Day 2: Show us your healthy gums.
Day 3: Highlight your favourite tooth (quite weird)
Day 4: Snap a pic of your oral hygiene routine.
Day 5: Post a picture with your dentist or dental team.
Oral Health Challenge Quiz:
Create daily or weekly quizzes related to oral health. This kind of Challenge Quiz gets a huge turnout of audience in Instagram stories.
For example:
“True or False: Drinking water after meals helps wash away food particles and prevents cavities.”
“Which food is good for your teeth: apples or gummy candies?”
“How often should you replace your toothbrush?”
“What’s the correct order: brushing before or after breakfast?”
DIY Dental Care Challenge:
Encourage followers to share their creative DIY dental care solutions. For instance:
“Share a homemade toothpaste recipe.”
“Show us your DIY teeth whitening method.”
“Share a natural remedy for soothing a toothache.”
“Create a short video on making an eco-friendly toothbrush holder.”
6. Interactive Infographics: Design interactive infographics that provide information in a visually engaging way. Include interactive elements like clickable links to relevant blog posts or videos.
7. Oral Health Pledges: Ask your followers to make oral health pledges for the month. For example, they can pledge to floss daily or reduce sugary snacks. Share their pledges on your social media accounts.
8. Community Involvement: Showcase your clinic’s involvement in community events or initiatives related to the awareness day. Share photos and stories of your team making a difference.
9. Live Q&A Sessions: Host live question-and-answer sessions with your dental professionals. Let your audience ask oral health questions and provide real-time answers and advice.
At PPC Digital Marketer, we primarily focus on PPC Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Management and WordPress Website Designing exclusively for the Dentists.
