Instagram Names for Dentists: How to + Examples

Just like in real life, you want to be remembered by your name and known for the good work you do on social media. That means you will need a well-crafted Instagram username for dentists that is memorable and a content strategy that shows patients what makes your practice different in order to perfect your dental social media marketing plan and see more patients. In this article, we will walk you through the important aspects of Instagram for dentists in 2023, like:

• Why marketing for dentists should include an Instagram Strategy
• How to format your dentist Instagram name
• How to choose the best dental Instagram name
• 5 dental Instagram username ideas
• Automatically generate a name with an Instagram name generator
• ‍How dentists are using Instagram to see more patients

Why marketing for dentists should include an Instagram Strategy

It’s a visual medium to show off your practice

Instagram is different from Facebook or Twitter because it focuses on visuals rather than text and, according to HubSpot, an authority on all things marketing, businesses that focus on end results with their product or service are primed to be successful on Instagram because it is a visual showcase. That visual focus makes Instagram an ideal place for dentists to show off their work and their practice. A popular trend among dentists is to show before and after photos of teeth x-rays to highlight the quality of their work (more on this later).

Your patients already spend time there

Instagram is the second most used social platform, after Facebook. Its user demographic skews young, with 45% of users between the ages 18 and 44. Other notable facts include:

Most importantly, patients spend time on the app every single day

How to format your own dentist Instagram name

Your Instagram username is your first chance to impress your audience. Whether you keep it simple with your name or come up with a creative handle that educates your user about what your page might be about, it has to be clear and easy to understand.

Here are some formatting tips that you can keep in mind when thinking about the best Instagram names for dentists.

1. Mention your Instagram name in the bio

Since your handle name will appear as one word, all in lowercase, it is important to rewrite it as separate words in your bio so that it is clear to your visitors that they have arrived at the right profile. Some users may also type your (practice) name as separate words in the search bar, since they may not know your handle name. So when they see that your handle name matches the name in your bio, they know it’s your profile. Aside from stylistic reasons, you should try to use proper case for easy readability as well.

2. Leave punctuation between words

Instagram allows you to use only periods (“.”) and underscores (“_”) for your Instagram name. Even though there is no right or wrong way to come up with a name for your Instagram handle, users find it easier to read a name if it’s broken up with punctuation. If your handle name is just your first name and last name or contains three or four words, make sure you add punctuation between each word to make it easier to read quickly.

3. Don’t make it too long

Instagram puts a 30 character limit on your name. You’ll need to do your best to come up with a creative name that fits within that character count. While you don’t have to use up all the space, you want to come up with something that speaks to your profession and is easy to remember. The longer your name is, the harder it will be to remember, so keep it short, simple, and to the point.

4. Keep it consistent throughout all platforms

Before you go ahead and finalize a name for your Instagram handle, make sure you check its availability on other social media platforms as well. Not only does it look professional having the same username consistent across platforms, but it is a great way to cross-promote your social channels. While you may feel overwhelmed thinking about creating content for all platforms, using the ‘Share to’ feature, you can create a 360-degree marketing strategy from day one.

How to choose the best dental Instagram name

When it comes to choosing the best dental Instagram name that will help you showcase your practice to potential patients even before they enter your office, there are some cardinal sins that you must avoid. To make sure you don’t make these errors, we’ll take you through the key points to keep in mind when coming up with a username.

1. Easy to spell

Even though you can use letters, numbers, and punctuation to craft your Instagram name, you don’t want to stuff it with overly complicated combinations. Your audience is not going to spend more than a minute searching for you on Instagram as they have numerous alternatives to choose from. By making sure your name is easy to read, comprehend, and recognize, you’ll make sure they choose you – and remember you and return later.

2. Speaks to your brand

You can keep it simple by just using your practice name so that your current patients and page visitors know who you are. Assuming that your practice name indicates what type of dental practice you are, even before your audience looks at your content, your handle name gives it away to your audience. Do your best to capture your brand’s tone and style with your name as well; if you are strictly business professional, you will likely want to use a similarly styled name, but if you are a bit more casual and laid-back, you can let your name reflect that.

3. Don’t hesitate to use the word ‘dentist’ or ‘dental’

Whether you are creating a professional account for yourself as a dentist or for your practice, the word ‘dentist’ or ‘dental’ is a great way to show up on the search results page. This takes the guesswork out of what your page is all about, giving your visitors an immediate impression to decide whether or not to follow you.

4. Embody an emotion

If you want to get a little more creative, you can tap into an emotion, a thing, or a feeling that your audience can relate to when they think of visiting the dentist or choosing to follow you. For example, someone who is looking for a cosmetic dentist may resonate with names like ‘Beautiful Smiles’ or ‘Perfect White Teeth’.

5 ideas for Instagram names for dentists

Coming up with Instagram names for dentists can be quite a daunting task, especially if you are new to the platform and are trying to build a following. The following broad themes represent the direction that you can choose to take to craft a username for your dental Instagram page.

Catchy dental Instagram name ideas

To be able to stand out in the crowd, starting with a creative and catchy handle name is not a bad idea at all! You could think of a play on words that are related to the dental profession, or a pun or phrase that can be modified. Let us look at some examples below:

• Tooth or Dare: tooth.or.dare | tooth_or_dare | toothordare | Check out toothordare.podcast!
• Flossopher: your.flossopher | the.flossogram | Check out flossophy_ as well!
• Just Floss It: dr.flossit | just.floss.it | Check out justflossit for a real example!
• Word of Mouth: word.of.mouthdentistry | word_of_mouth | Check out wordofmouthdentistry to see it yourself!
• Blonde and Toothy: blonde.and.teethco | blondetooth.company | Go see blondeandtoothy’s Instagram!

Instagram names for your professional dentist account

Using your name as it is or adding a word or a phrase to it to sell you as an expert in your field is also a very popular technique. Check out the following templates and examples of approaches taken by famous dental influencers:

• Using your title and name: dr.name | doctor.name | Check out dryazdan and drbrianharris to see how it’s done!
• Building your personal brand: smile.with.name | teeth_by_name | See smilewithcallie, flossinwithlauren, and teethbylottie for leading examples!
• Using an alias: queen_of_floss | floss.boss | Check out drfloss or drteethboutique to see it in practice (pun intended)!

Instagram names that speak to your dental specialization

Many dental professionals have seen tremendous value in reflecting their specialty in their Instagram name. This could be something as simple as your practice name, which may already have your specialization in its name, or something more creative to embody what you do.

• Pediatric dental clinic: tooth_fairy | tooth.fairy.dental | toothfairy.dental | Check out toothfairyofwindsor!
• Cosmetic dental clinic: sparkly.smiles | smiles_that_sparkle | Also note how drbilldorfman includes this distinction in his bio instead!
• Root canals and surgical specialists: root_canal_pal | crown.specialist | Check out root.canal.gal and rootcanalspecialist for examples!
• Orthodontist services: boss.braces | ortho.dr.name | Check out thebracesguy, preroorthodontics, and dr.courtney.ortho for great examples!

Instagram names that mention your dental qualification

Instead of just using your name as you would do for your personal Instagram profile, most dental professionals prefer adding their title or qualification to stand out as a professional account. By doing this, the users already know that they’ll find less personal content and posts that are meant to support the dental practitioner’s business.

• Showcase your actual qualifications: name.dds | dmd_name | See connellydds, charlotte.etesse.dds, dr.ritadds to see how others have done it!
• Distinguish your profession: name_hygienist | name.the.dentist | Check out hygienist_tiff, joycethedentist, thedentalassistantlife for examples!
• Leverage your industry: name.family.dentistry | ortho.name | See brittanyindentistry, kriegerortho, familydentalcaregroup to see it in use!

Instagram names for dentists that highlight your personality

To create a perfect blend of personal and professional content for your dental Instagram profile, you can create a username that showcases one aspect of your personality along with your profession. This works more for your professional profile rather than your business account, which may well just be your practice’s name.

Your patients may like to get to know a little bit more about you outside of your profession, giving you the opportunity to break the monotony from posting just dental content. Below are some great examples to learn from, based on their different interests:

• Parenting: the.dentistmom | dental.school.mom
• Health: the.zen.dentist | fitlittlehygienist | dentalyogis
• Humor: dentistry_humor | rockstar_dentist | singingdentist
• Food & drink: thefoodie_dentist | thedentalwinegenist | sugarfixdentalloft

Automatically generate a dental handle name with an Instagram name generator

If you are struggling to come up with a creative name for your Instagram handle, there are name-generating tools that can help you with this. You are automatically presented with a wide variety of options to help you get thinking in the right direction and find a name that represents your brand.

• SpinXO: To generate multiple unique username ideas on SpinXO, all you have to do is answer six simple questions about yourself and hit the spin button until you find a name that you like.
• Nickfinder: This broad nickname generator lets you cycle through a wide variety of dentist names that can be used for Instagram. Simply generate new lists to see them five at a time.
• BizNameWiz: Meant for finding a business name, this automatic generator can be a useful tool when searching for potential names to use for your Instagram account. Once searching a name, you can easily view available domains.
• Lingojam: With a simple interface, Lingojam users just have to start typing words in the first box that represent their brand to see multiple username ideas appear in the second box.
• Instagram Username Generator: Using artificial intelligence, Instagram Username Generator suggests names based on your input, after checking their availability on Instagram.
• Weshare: Weshare is a free Instagram name-generator tool for your business that you can simply use by entering words and phrases that speak to your brand and clicking on the Generate button to reveal all your options.

‍How dentists are using Instagram to see more patients

Creating a brand that patients recognize to gain more online visibility

Giving your account some personality, whether through humor or honesty, is key to connecting with your audience. If people just wanted information, like the office phone number or hours of operation, they would turn to your website. Instagram is a place where you can establish a personal connection with your audience.‍

Let’s look at Dr. Amanda Seay, located in South Carolina. She has nearly 16,000 followers and over 350 posts. While her practice is featured in her bio section, the focus of the account is on her. Many of her posts detail her work, but some dive into her extracurricular activities outside dentistry.

Image Credit: doctorseay on Instagram

You also have the option of creating a page that focuses on the practice rather than the practitioner. Central Ohio Oral Pathology does this with its account, which focuses on educational content. Most of its posts feature photos of issues inside people’s mouths. It’s not for those who get a little queasy looking at tongue burns and gum sores, but their page has 37,500 followers and gets 800-1,000 likes on a majority of its posts. By establishing themselves as experts through their account, they are earning credibility with their audience as go-to sources of information on dentistry.

Image Credit: central_ohio_oral_pathology on Instagram

Pages do not have to follow a certain mold to be successful. Just focus on content that shows off your practice’s brand, whether that’s silly or serious.‍‍‍

Converting Instagram views into new patients 

With an online booking solution like NexHealth, patients can view open appointments in real time and book from any device. On the practice’s end, it’s a fully customizable tool that lets your office build a schedule based on your needs. You can personalize everything from appointment length to patient room. 

You can link to NexHealth directly in your Instagram bio, so patients go straight from looking at content to booking an appointment, and you capture them before they get distracted. There are a few ways you can do this, including putting the link to online scheduling directly in your bio or using a service called Linktree to offer multiple links. Some dentists also link to their practice website, where the scheduling link is readily available.

An Instagram success story

Current and potential patients want the ease of booking where they are, on social media. Dr. Jennifer Plotnick of Grand Street Dental, built up her Instagram following over 11,000 followers. Her page consists of many before and after teeth photos as well as pots that show what her life is like outside of work, at birthday parties, and enjoying the winter snow. These photos all help her establish a personality and brand and are designed to get patients interested in visiting her clinic.

The most important feature she has is a link in her bio section of the profile that allows visitors to book appointments directly at her practice. Since using Instagram with a direct booking option, the practice has seen a 22% increase in patient volume in addition to a 157% increase in online appointments, generated from NexHealth’s one-click online booking. Instagram has been an invaluable tool in expanding her reach and patient base.

Leverage Instagram for Dentists in 2023 & Take Your Practice to New Audiences

Leveraging Instagram as part of your dental practice's digital marketing strategy can significantly enhance your visibility, connect you with potential patients, and provide a platform to showcase your expertise and services. Be sure to pick a great name, be consistent, and find ways to convert Instagram post views into new patients. 

NexHealth supports your practice by offering a suite of digital tools like Online Scheduling that can seamlessly integrate with your Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok social media efforts enabling your dental practice to improve your brand visibility, patient engagement, and growth. Embrace the modern patient experience and let NexHealth assist you in creating an engaging, patient-centered online presence.