Look, I’ve spent enough time around Paddington and the Valley to know that most dentists are bloody good at what they do, but they're absolutely terrified of marketing.
And I get it. You didn’t spend years at uni to end up feeling like a used car salesman. You’re a healthcare professional. But here’s the reality: if people don't know you exist, or if your website looks like it was built in 2005, they’re going to book in with the flashier clinic down the road.
Marketing a dental practice isn’t about tricking people. It’s about building enough trust so that when someone has a toothache at 2 AM, you’re the first person they think of.
I’m going to walk you through exactly how we do this for our clients. No jargon, no fluff. Just a step-by-step guide to getting more bums in seats.
Why most dental marketing is rubbish
You’ve probably seen those ads on Facebook. "FREE WHITENING!" or "$99 CHECK-UP!"
My honest take? They’re a waste of time for most clinics.
Sure, you might get a few people through the door, but they’re usually "price shoppers." They’ll take your cheap deal and you’ll never see them again. You aren't building a business; you're just subsidising people’s dental hygiene.
Real growth comes from patients who stay for ten years. The ones who bring their kids in. The ones who actually say yes to that crown or the Invisalign treatment you recommended.
To get those patients, you have to stop selling and start helping.
Step 1: Fix your digital "Front Door"
Your website is your front door. If it’s slow, hard to use on a phone, or looks dodgy, people will leave. Fast.
Think about how you use the internet. You’re usually on your phone, probably waiting for a coffee or sitting on the couch. If a site takes more than three seconds to load, you’re gone.
Here is what your website actually needs to do:
1. Work on phones. This is non-negotiable. If I can’t click your phone number to call you with one thumb, you’re losing money. 2. Show your face. People aren't scared of the dentist; they're scared of the unknown. Put a big, high-quality photo of yourself and your team on the home page. Not stock photos of people with impossibly white teeth. Real photos of your actual clinic in Brisbane. 3. Online booking. It’s 2024. If I have to wait until 9 AM on Monday to call your receptionist, I’ll just find a clinic where I can book online right now.
We see this all the time with other health businesses too. Whether we're looking at filling a clinic diary or helping a local GP, the basics are always the same. If the website is a pain to use, people won't use it.
Step 2: Google is your best friend (If you play nice)
When someone’s tooth hurts, they don’t go to Instagram. They go to Google.
They type in "dentist near me" or "emergency dentist Brisbane." If you aren't in those top three results on the map, you don't exist to them.
This isn't about some secret "algorithm" magic. Google just wants to show the best, most relevant business to the user.
How do you prove you’re the best? Reviews.
You need a system to get reviews from your happy patients. Don't just hope they’ll do it. Ask them. Put a QR code at the front desk. Send a text message after their appointment.
But be careful. Don't offer incentives for reviews—it's against the rules and can get you banned. Just ask nicely. Most people are happy to help if they had a good experience.
Step 3: Content that actually builds trust
I hate the word "content." It sounds like something a teenager does on TikTok.
For a dentist, content just means answering the questions your patients are already asking.
"Does a root canal actually hurt?" "How much do veneers cost in Brisbane?" "What should I do if my kid knocks a tooth out?"
If you write a simple 500-word page on your site answering these questions, Google will love you. More importantly, your patients will trust you. You’ve helped them before they’ve even spent a cent with you.
"Stop trying to sound like a medical textbook on your website; your patients just want to know you’re a normal person who won't hurt them."
— Rachel Wong, Marketing Director
This approach works across the board. We’ve used similar strategies to help get more patients for all kinds of clinics without making them feel like they're selling their soul. It's just about being helpful.
Step 4: Stop losing the patients you already have
It’s much cheaper to keep a patient than it is to find a new one.
Most dental practices are sitting on a goldmine of "lost" patients. People who came in once for a clean, forgot to book their six-month check-up, and just... disappeared.
If you aren't regularly emailing or texting your database, you’re leaving money on the table.
And I’m not talking about spamming them. Just a friendly reminder. "Hey, it’s been six months, time for a check-up." It’s a service to them, and it keeps your books full.
We talk about this a lot when helping clinics stop losing money on no-shows. If you don't have a system for following up, you're essentially pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Step 5: Be honest about the money
One of the biggest reasons people avoid the dentist is the fear of a surprise $3,000 bill.
Be the clinic that’s transparent. Put your general pricing on your website. No, you can't give an exact quote for a complex surgery, but you can say "Check-ups usually cost between X and Y."
When you’re open about money, the fear goes away. People appreciate the honesty. It builds more trust than a fancy logo ever will.
How much should this cost?
I’ll be straight with you. If an agency tells you they can do all of this for $500 a month, they’re lying. They’ll probably just set up some dodgy automated posts on your Facebook page that no one will ever see.
For a proper setup—fixing your site, getting your Google profile sorted, and running some basic ads—you’re looking at a few thousand dollars to get started, then a monthly fee to keep the momentum going.
But don't look at it as a cost. Look at the lifetime value of a patient. If one new patient is worth $1,000 over two years, and your marketing brings in five new patients a month, the math is pretty simple.
How long until you see results?
This isn't an overnight thing.
Google Ads: You can get the phone ringing in a week. But it’s expensive. SEO (Google rankings): This takes 3 to 6 months to really kick in. But once it does, those leads are "free." Reviews: You’ll see the impact of this as soon as you start getting them.
My advice? Start with the stuff that works fast to get the cash flowing, then reinvest that money into the long-term stuff like SEO.
What should you do first?
If you’re sitting there wondering where to start, do these three things this week:
1. Check your website on your phone. Try to find your phone number and book an appointment. If it’s hard, call someone to fix it. 2. Google your own business. Look at your reviews. If you have fewer than 20, or if your last review was from 2019, start asking every patient this week to leave one. 3. Look at your database. When was the last time you reached out to people who haven't been in for a year? Send them a friendly email.
The bottom line
Marketing your dental practice doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need to be a "brand." You just need to be the most helpful, trustworthy dentist in your suburb.
Show your face, make it easy for people to book, and answer their questions honestly.
If you do that, you’ll stop worrying about where the next patient is coming from and start focusing on actually doing the work you love.
If you want a hand sorting this out, or you just want someone to take a look at your current setup and tell you if you're being ripped off, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group.
We’re based right here in Brisbane, and we’re always up for a chat about how to get your phone ringing more often.
You can reach us here: https://lmgroup.au/contact