Thought Leadership: How Dentists Can Establish Expertise Online


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If you want to stand out from the crowd as a dentistry professional, consider establishing yourself as a thought leader. Thought leadership allows you to contribute added value to the oral healthcare field while raising your profile as a dental health expert among peers and the broader public alike.

The internet offers more opportunities than ever for dental professionals to establish themselves as thought leaders. Here’s how to make yourself a known dentist expert online.
 

The Benefits of Becoming a Dentist Expert Online

So, what makes a thought leader? First, you have to be knowledgeable in your chosen field. A wealth of expertise is the basis of valuable knowledge sharing.

Second, you have to be able to take a stand. Thought leaders are willing to share their opinions. Sometimes, those opinions may cause tension. The more original that opinion is, the more likely it is to stand out (and potentially create friction).

Finally, you have to want to inspire. The most impactful thought leaders are those who genuinely care about their target audience. They are capable of influencing others and driving change through thoughtful and practical information-sharing.

Thought leadership offers numerous advantages for dental professionals. As a dentist expert online, you can:
  • Build your brand
  • Differentiate yourself from your competitors
  • Advance your mission as a healthcare practitioner
  • Strengthen relationships within your professional community
  • Extend your reach to the broader public
  • Boost employee engagement and attract a more talented workforce (if you own a dental practice)
Thought leadership can also open up new opportunities. As a recognized leader in your field, you may be invited to speak at conferences, contribute to academic papers, or participate in online panels or workshops.

Effective thought leadership is thus often cyclical: By sharing essential knowledge, you become recognized as an expert and invited to share further expertise.

But where does that cycle begin? You can’t just expect to be invited to speak on panels or contribute to academic papers if nobody has ever heard of you. That’s where the internet comes into play. The digital space offers ample opportunities to shape your career as a dentist expert online.
 

Roadmap to Digital Thought Leadership for Dentists

The below roadmap outlines actionable steps to practical thought leadership and becoming a dentist expert online.
 

Narrow Your Focus Area

Dentistry is a broad field. Define your focus area, whether it’s orthodontics, endodontics, or pediatric dentistry. Even within general dentistry, you can carve out a niche, such as preventive dental care.

Narrowing your focus area is essential to demonstrating genuine expertise. While it might seem like this will limit your reach, it will ultimately pave the path toward more impactful leadership.
 

Establish a Clear Brand Through Your Digital Presence

Your digital thought leadership journey starts with your platform – your website. Whether you’re an independent practitioner or own a practice, ensure consistency in terms of look (logo, font, colors) and feel (tone of writing – e.g., personalized “you”/”I” versus more formal language).

Your website is your central knowledge hub, where you can publish the thought leadership content you create, from blogs to podcasts (more on possible formats below). You can also create social media accounts in line with your brand and link to them via your website – and include links to your website via your social media profiles (e.g., Twitter and LinkedIn).
 

Create Credible Content that Adds Value and Establishes Trust

Consistency and transparent messaging are the keys to success. Post regularly and always ensure your content has value. Ideally, you will answer a question (consider an FAQ post), share relevant information (try using an infographic), or offer new and relevant insights (consider providing a layperson’s terms breakdown of a recent academic article in your field).

These are just a few ideas. The point is to establish yourself as a trusted source of information. This means backing up any claims with properly cited facts and figures. Include your bio, highlighting your educational credentials, after your blog posts to affirm your expertise.
 

Engage with Others Online

You can use social media platforms to push out the content you’re creating and get eyes on your words. However, you don’t want to just blast people with content, which appears promotional. Look for opportunities to engage with others online, whether it’s participating in Twitter #hashtag discussions (e.g., on World Oral Health Day) or commenting on other dental thought leaders’ articles or blogs.

This is also a great way to find credible collaborators and extend your network. For example, you might exchange guest blog posts with another dental professional, publishing their words on your platform while they publish your words on theirs.
 

Diversify Your Digital Formats

Continue to post value-added content, and you will slowly start to gain traction and grow an audience. You can then begin to look for ways to extend your impact proactively. For example, you might submit yourself to speak or teach at industry conferences or offer yourself up as an expert to the media.

When it comes to your self-generated or collaborative content, start diversifying. There are many opportunities beyond website content, blogs, and social media. For example, you can consider video content or podcasts. Research what other healthcare professionals are doing for inspiration.
 

Keep Creating Informative Content, Always Prioritizing Quality

The path toward becoming a dentist expert online takes time. Don’t expect to establish a big name overnight. Continue to generate informative, quality content, whatever the format. Further, always prioritize credibility. Your role as a healthcare practitioner should come before your position as a thought leader.

Any content you create should always be HIPAA compliant and in line with your state board’s ethics guidelines. For instance, sharing a patient’s picture without their consent would be a severe HIPAA violation and potentially cost you your license.

As mentioned, it’s also essential to back up any claims with relevant facts and figures from reputable sources. For more personalized content types, like social media or blogs, you might consider adding a legal disclaimer emphasizing that the content is your own opinion. A lawyer can help you draft the appropriate legal language as needed.
 

Protection for Dentistry Leaders

Whether you are sharing thought-leader articles online or providing hands-on care for patients, you need to protect yourself as a dental professional. Dentist’s Advantage offers diverse business insurance plans for dentists, from professional liability to business owners’ policies.

Request a personalized quote.