Older dentists might scoff, but in the future you’ll barely even be considered a professional clinician without an active social media presence. These 10 student influencers are already making their mark—and churning out dental content to ravenous audiences— on platforms galore. Here are their rules for engagement.

Lexis Bouza

New York University College of Dentistry
@theflossydentista (17,400 followers)
@theflossydentista (2,225 followers)

“I think people like to see the real aspects of dental school and what it truly entails. I try to show typical days of a dental student and that there’s more to it than just studying all day. I also try to share information on the military scholarship I received and the different opportunities there are to get your schooling funded.”

David Cohen

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California
@davidcohensmiles (2 million followers)
@davidcohen (271,000 subscribers)
@davidcohensmiles (92,200 followers)

“The best-performing content is what I like to call ‘edutainment,’ whether that’s a relatable skit portraying someone at the dental office or a reaction video that simply makes someone smile. People have heard their dentist tell them to floss and brush their teeth enough times, but they might receive that advice better if it’s packaged in an entertaining way.”

Alyssa Garcia

Texas A&M College of Dentistry
@sweettoothdiariess (10,300 followers)

“I find that my followers enjoy when I’m learning something new for the first time in lab or a clinical setting. I love to express my excitement and joy on social media because a lot of my followers are either current dentists or dental students and can relate to my experience. It’s nice to have people who can relate to what you’re experiencing, whether other medical students or anyone who understands the difficulty and perseverance dental school requires.”

Sarah Gilmore

OU College of Dentistry at the University of Oklahoma
@sarahschief (35,800 followers)
@saraheschief (9,835 followers)

“The content my followers seem to enjoy most is videos of actual dental ‘things’: what a practical would look like in lab, a tooth ID exam, how to place a rubber dam, the grade I received—as well as showing my errors and where I can improve. Real things do the best because people are curious about what dental school is really like.”

Sasha Iraniha

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California
@urlocaltoothfairyy (20,200 followers)
@sashairaniha (3,458 followers)

“My most popular videos that have gained a strong audience include ‘day in the life’ clips, videos that showcase my clinical work and tips on how to get into dental school. I’ve received many messages from my followers expressing how they love to see what the curriculum includes and the path I took to get into dental school at a young age.”

Nellie Manoukian

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California
@nelliemanoukian (15,200 followers)
@nelliemanoukian (1,697 followers)
Nellie Manoukian (215 subscribers)

“I get the most engagement from the dental quizzes I post every Monday. I get good feedback on Reels. I’ve seen some increase in YouTube as well. I spend six hours a week creating content. I think the public has a negative view of dental professionals, and I’d like to change that and make people more knowledgeable.”

Stephen P. Ray

University of Tennessee College of Dentistry
Stephen P. Ray (7,160 subscribers)
@stephen.p.ray.dentistry (1,795 followers)

“Life is busy. Between dental school, my job with Bootcamp.com as an educator, my content and friends and family, I’m stretched thin. Creating videos is my hobby. I’m fulfilled by it. Videography, photography and design are my second passion, behind dentistry, and I look forward to displaying these passions to my followers in the years to come.”

Connie Wang

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
@drconniewang (10,200 followers)

“Everyone is different and has different interests, but at the core people just want to see something real and enjoy authentic content. Anyone can pose in scrubs, write an inspirational caption about how hard they work and share their best tips for XYZ. But what the secret sauce is, and where the magic happens, is in being vulnerable and true to yourself.”

Omid Khaksarfard

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
@dr.waitbaby (3,674 followers)

“I try to update my followers weekly on what I’m doing at Tufts. I have great passion for what I do, and I enjoy releasing content about it. This brings me joy because it allows me to connect with students and professionals from across the United States and the world. My content also allows for students to contact me and ask for guidance, and I do my best to give them advice to help them get into dental school.”

Haley Schultz

University of Michigan School of Dentistry
@haleyschultzdental (4,630 followers)
Haley Schultz Dental Student (4,430 subscribers)

“I spend several hours a week creating content across Instagram, YouTube and my podcast. Although YouTube was my first form of dental content,
I enjoy creating Reels the most because of the high engagement and [the fact that it’s easy] to reach new people. My favorite part is the direct relationships I’ve formed with hundreds of passionate predental students, as well as [with] several dentist mentors.”