Can Your Dentist Post That? What Regulated Industries Need to Know About Marketing Online

Photo: Pexels Scroll through any local dentist s Instagram and you ll usually find one of two things. Some practices post a steady stream of smiling patients and glowing quotes. Others post almost nothing, worried that one wrong photo could land them in trouble. Neither approach does much to bring in new patients. Dentistry makes a useful case study because the work is visual and shareable, yet the rules on patient privacy and advertising claims are strict. The lessons carry over to anyone in a licensed field, from the family law firm on Main Street to the financial advisor in Briarcliff Manor to the senior living community along Route 9. So, what can your dentist post in social media? The patient photo problem The most common misstep is the before-and-after photo posted because a patient said sure, go ahead at checkout. Under HIPAA, that isn t enough. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains that the Privacy Rule requires a patient s authorization before their healt