Video as a Patient Education & Engagement Tool

When was the last time a patient remembered every instruction, you gave them in the clinic? Most forget at least half of those and miss instructions can lead to avoidable complications.  

What if there were a way to make your guidance stick?  

Here comes the power of visual learning. Not many realize, but it can be a game changer in dentistry¹.   

Why Videos Are a Game-Changer for Dentists 

Videos are effective because  

• Grabs Attention Instantly: In comparison to text or images, videos are more engaging, keeping patients interested. 

• Boosts Patient Understanding: Visual representation allows complex treatments to become easy to grasp. 

• Build Trust and Credibility: Sharing real patient testimonials and procedures helps to create trust and confidence. 

• Increases Engagement and Retention: Patients remember what they watch far better than what they read. 

• Improves Online Visibility: Videos enhance SEO, social media reach, and website traffic, the most crucial requirement to reach maximum patients in and around your locality.   

Tips to Make Engaging Videos 

• Keep it short and snappy. 30–60 seconds is ideal and best for social media platforms. 

• Use visuals over text 

• Add the subtitles. This will help people to watch anywhere and anytime. 

• Don’t forget to include call-to-action 

• Leverage real-life scenarios, not just theory 

Quick Wins: Video Examples That Really Work 

• Daily oral hygiene hacks for kids 

• What to expect during a root canal 

• How to care for your braces 

• Tips for managing post-extraction care 

Even a short clip of 30–60 seconds can make a significant difference in patient understanding and compliance. Interestingly, studies have also shown that 65% of individuals are visual learners².   

Practical Uses: Beyond Education 

Do you know videos can boost your practice too? Here’s how and the right way to use them. 
 

Final Thought 

Video creation is not just a trend but a bridge between information and engagement, fear and trust and more importantly between your practice and patient community. So, when are you going to shoot you first clip?  

Because in dentistry, trust is everything, and video builds it faster than words ever could! 

Reference 

1. Jawed S, Amin HU, Malik AS, Faye I. Classification of visual and non-visual learners using electroencephalographic alpha and gamma activities. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience. 2019 May 7;13:86. 

2. McNab M, Skapetis T. Why video health education messages should be considered for all dental waiting rooms. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 16;14(7):e0219506. 

3. Gazal G, Tola AW, Fareed WM, Alnazzawi AA, Zafar MS. A randomized control trial comparing the visual and verbal communication methods for reducing fear and anxiety during tooth extraction. The Saudi Dental Journal. 2016 Apr 1;28(2):80-5.