Quick answer: Dentists get featured in the media by answering journalist requests on oral-health stories, contributing to outlets like Dental Economics and Dentistry Today, going on dental podcasts, and earning recognition such as Incisal Edge's 40 Under 40, then making sure that coverage is visible in AI search. Because dentistry is regulated, the claims you make have to satisfy your state dental board and the ADA's advertising rules.
How does a dentist actually get quoted in the news?
The short answer: by being the clear, trustworthy expert a reporter can reach on deadline. Patients research a dentist the way they research any local provider, reading reviews, checking credentials, and increasingly asking an AI assistant for a recommendation. A dentist quoted in a health story or a "top dentist" list earns third-party credibility that no amount of advertising can replicate, and that credibility is often what turns a search into a booked first appointment.
It also compounds. One feature leads to another, plus speaking invitations, study-club leadership, and referrals from physicians and specialists who saw your name attached to good information.
What dentists can and can't say
Dental marketing and public commentary fall under your state dental board and the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct. Clear these first:
- Protect patient privacy (HIPAA). Never share identifiable patient details, and get written authorization before discussing any case or using before-and-after photos.
- No false or misleading claims. Avoid guarantees and unverifiable superlatives. "Painless" and "best" language can draw board scrutiny.
- Be careful with specialty announcements. Don't let coverage describe you as an "orthodontist," "endodontist," or "specialist" unless you hold that recognized specialty credential.
- Disclose paid endorsements (FTC). If a brand compensates you, say so clearly.
- Educate, don't diagnose. Offer general oral-health information and tell readers to see their own dentist for individual care.
These guardrails are an asset. Reporters return to the dentist who is accurate and measured, not the one who overpromises.
Where dentists earn credible coverage
- Journalist requests: reporters needing a dentist to weigh in on an oral-health trend or product.
- Bylines: Dental Economics, Dentistry Today, and the ADA News for professional audiences.
- Podcasts: dental shows for peers, parenting and wellness shows for patients.
- Awards: Incisal Edge 40 Under 40, AACD recognition, and local "top dentist" lists.
- AI visibility: how you appear when someone asks an AI assistant about a dental question.
Step 1: Answer journalist requests
Health and lifestyle reporters regularly need a dentist to make sense of a trend, from charcoal toothpaste to mail-order aligners. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) circulates these requests, and Featured, which runs HARO and Connectively and aggregates queries across the web, surfaces the relevant ones in one feed. A typical query: "Seeking a dentist to explain whether charcoal toothpaste is safe for enamel." A clear, two-sentence answer before deadline often lands the quote.
Step 2: Publish bylines
A contributed article in Dental Economics or Dentistry Today builds standing with peers and referral sources. Write about what you see clinically that the public misunderstands.
Step 3: Go on podcasts
Dental podcasts build your reputation inside the profession, while parenting and wellness shows reach the families who choose a practice.
Step 4: Win recognition
Honors like Incisal Edge's 40 Under 40 and accredited AACD status are credibility markers patients and peers recognize. Track nomination windows in advance.
Step 5: Show up in AI search
When someone asks an AI assistant about a symptom or a procedure, the answer is built from dentists already cited in credible coverage. Every feature you earn becomes a future citation.
Tools dentists use to get featured
- Dental Economics (free to pitch): The trade publication where practice-building commentary runs.
- Dentaltown (free): A large professional community and podcast hub.
- Healthgrades and your Google Business profile (free): The listings patients read when choosing a dentist.
- Incisal Edge / AACD (nomination or accreditation): Recognition that signals credibility.
- Featured (free and paid): An AI co-pilot for PR. Build a workflow that runs as a 24/7 assistant, surfacing the oral-health journalist requests and podcast invitations worth your time.
Frequently asked questions
How do dentists get quoted in the news? By answering journalist requests on oral-health topics with a clear, general explanation, sent quickly enough to beat the reporter's deadline.
Can a dentist use patient photos in the media? Only with written patient authorization, and in a way that doesn't reveal protected health information. When in doubt, leave them out.
What awards help a dentist's reputation? Recognized programs like Incisal Edge's 40 Under 40, AACD accreditation, and credible local "top dentist" lists carry weight with patients and peers.
How do dentists show up in AI search results? By building credible coverage and recognition that AI systems draw on when answering dental questions, alongside strong, accurate listings.
Get started
The dentists who become known are the ones who respond first, explain clearly, and stay visible where patients now look. The simplest way to start is to let an assistant watch for the right stories. Set up a Featured workflow that runs as a 24/7 PR assistant, so a relevant journalist request, podcast, or award never slips past you.
DentistMagazine.co is owned and operated by Featured. This article is general information, not legal, compliance, or dental advice.