Dental marketing that counts new patients who show up

Where it leaks. One “dentist near me” campaign covers cleanings, emergencies and implants, even though an implant case and a cleaning are worth very different amounts and an emergency caller needs someone on the phone now. Headlines like “implant specialist” can also break specialty rules, since implant dentistry isn’t a recognized dental specialty.

What we change. Separate campaigns for new patients, emergencies and high-value treatment such as implants or clear aligners, each with its own budget and page. Emergency ads run as call ads only during hours someone answers, and copy describes services without claiming a specialty the dentist doesn’t hold.

Where it leaks. The page doesn’t say which insurance plans the practice takes, so the patient calls to ask or goes back to the results. Implant pages skip cost and financing, and older patients aren’t told that Original Medicare doesn’t cover implants or dentures.

What we change. The plans you’re in network with near the top, with what a first visit costs without insurance. Implant and denture pages explain the consult, the price range and financing, and say plainly what Original Medicare doesn’t cover. Real photos of the dentists and the office, with their names.

Where it leaks. The “Book now” button opens a form that asks for an insurance ID, date of birth and medical history before the patient has picked a time, or a request form that someone answers the next business day.

What we change. Booking that shows real open times for new patients and asks only for name, phone, plan and reason for the visit. Medical history and insurance details come after booking, in the practice’s own patient forms, which also keeps them away from ad tracking.

Where it leaks. New patients book and don’t come. The insurance check happens the morning of the visit, the patient learns their share at the front desk, and nobody follows up on the treatment plan they didn’t schedule.

What we change. Text and email reminders, insurance verified before the day with the patient’s expected cost sent ahead, and a follow-up list for unscheduled treatment, so an implant consult doesn’t end as a one-time visit.

Where it leaks. The Meta pixel or Google Analytics sits on booking pages and the patient portal, sending data HHS treats as protected health information to ad platforms whose own terms say not to send it. The opposite mistake is tracking nothing and judging ads by how busy the phones feel.

What we change. No ad tags on the portal, the booking flow or patient forms. Ads count a booking start on public pages without health details, and new patients who showed up come from your practice software as monthly totals by source, never as patient lists uploaded to Google or Meta.

Where it leaks. A single Business Profile for a practice with four dentists, few recent reviews, and replies to bad reviews that confirm the reviewer was a patient or mention their treatment.

What we change. A Business Profile for each public-facing dentist under the practice’s real name, a review request after every visit with no incentive attached, and replies that never confirm someone is a patient. HHS has fined dental practices, including one in Dallas in 2019, for answering reviews with patient details.