An Emoji for Dentists: The Proposal Seeking to Fill a Digital Gap

On the occasion of the International Dentist Day, celebrated on February 9, a campaign has emerged. There is a proposal about the inclusion of an emoji representing the dental profession through the hashtag in Spanish #EmojiDentista. The initiative seeks to unite thousands of dentists and citizens to highlight the work of a sector that promotes oral health care as a channel for general health, well-being, and happiness.

In Spain, there are more than 42,000 registered dentists, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, and nearly two million worldwide, states the World Health Organization. Such a figure increased by 2.7% in 2024 and represents up to 4.3% of the total registered healthcare professionals in Spain. Despite the importance of these professionals in the lives of millions of people, they don't have a symbol representing them in the digital environment. This has reinforced the need for this initiative.

"An emoji is something current, approachable, very social and friendly that simplifies concepts and connects people. That fits perfectly with what every dentist wants, which is nothing more than bringing people closer to the benefits of oral health and the immense power that a healthy and beautiful smile has in life," says Dr. Primitivo Roig, dentist, entrepreneur, and trainer.

A Universal Symbol

 Emojis have revolutionized digital communication and have become powerful and universal icons. They allow for the representation of hundreds of professions and everyday situations, being used by up to 92% of internet users, according to Unicode Consortium. The latter is an organization dedicated to ensuring the standardization of emojis across different devices. In fact, more than ten billion emojis are sent daily on social media like Instagram or WhatsApp.

Recent studies show that both millennials and Generation Z use emojis regularly, while adults incorporate them more frequently when interacting in groups. According to an analysis by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, 23% of text messages are composed solely of emojis, and 14% combine text and icons.

"Dentistry includes millions of professionals and even more patients, and all these people deserve the dentist emoji," states Primitivo Roig. The creation and inclusion of this emoticon would also be a powerful tool to promote education about oral health and normalize regular check-ups from an early age to encourage prevention.

How to Join the Initiative

 The campaign invites the entire population to join through social media using the hashtag #EmojiDentista. The platform www.emojidentista.com has also been set up to unite those interested.

The W Clinics network is a promoter of this proposal and a reference in the dental sector for its innovation, prevention awareness, and disruptive vision. They hope that other professionals and organizations sharing this vision will join in. The idea is to give visibility to professionals in the sector and also promote healthy habits in the population.