A Decade of Dental Marketing

This article originally appeared in the October/2025 issue of the Academy of General Dentistry’s AGD Impact magazine.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of My Dental Agency, and, naturally, a significant milestone like this has prompted me to reflect on the changes I’ve witnessed since starting my company. Dental marketing has evolved over the last decade, but, for those of us who have been in the industry longer, we know it goes far beyond that.

When I first started my career, marketing in dentistry was considered taboo. Back then, word-of-mouth referrals were standard. The prevailing attitude in the industry was that marketing did not rise to the level of professionalism dentistry demands. Fast forward to today, and that mindset has all but vanished. Now, with the internet and social media, marketing has become essential for survival in dentistry.

Breaking into the Digital Age

Ten years ago, digital marketing was still gaining acceptance in dentistry and in general. A simple website and a basic knowledge of search engine optimization could get a practice noticed. Patients at that time were just starting to rely on websites, social media and online reviews to choose their dental practice.

In 2025, a polished digital presence is the bare minimum if a dental practice wants to compete for high-quality patients. With endless information and choices at their fingertips, today’s patients are discerning, digitally fluent consumers accustomed to researching every purchase they make. And now that reviews are available for nearly everything under the sun, patients expect the same level of transparency and attention from their dentist as they would from a fine dining experience.

Throughout my career — and especially during the last decade — I have witnessed a significant shift toward local search visibility, mobile-first website design, and, most notably, online reviews and social media. These digital portals are the new baseline, replacing the proverbial “shingle.” If a patient goes online and does not like what they see, they will simply move on to the next practice in the search results.

Speaking of Reviews

Online reviews have gone from “nice to have” to an essential part of a practice’s marketing strategy. For patients, Google reviews hold as much weight as referrals from close friends or family members. Therefore, the number, quality and recency of online reviews are big factors in determining if a practice will earn a patient’s business. In response, dental practices have learned the art of reputation management. They know better than to attempt to game the system by curating their reviews. Instead, they focus on delivering a consistently positive experience and making it easy for patients to leave reviews.

Trust Before the First Appointment

One steadily growing trend that continues to impress me is the amount of work patients will do before even requesting an appointment. Before making contact, a patient will research a practice extensively by looking at its website, social media channels and online reviews and, of course, asking around, because word of mouth still counts. They want to know what services a practice provides, the dentist’s philosophy and approach to care, the practice’s personality, and what type of experience to expect.

As a consequence of this extra research, a practice’s marketing needs to do a lot more than simply get its name out there. Over the last 10 years, marketing has taken on the additional duties of educating patients, building trust and establishing rapport. The most successful practices are using authentic, educational content, including patient testimonials, behind-the-scenes videos, and blogs featuring popular treatments to speak directly to their patients and make a connection.

In addition to understanding that marketing must resonate with patients, dentists have come to realize that cookie-cutter websites and generic ad campaigns will no longer work if they want to raise the quality of their patient base. While templates may have been acceptable at one time, in today’s crowded digital landscape, authenticity is the name of the game. The most effective dental practices are tailoring their marketing strategies to highlight their uniqueness. Practices that showcase their patient experience and clinical excellence instead of focusing on insurance networks attract high-quality patients who remain loyal.

Tracking What Matters

As more dental practices have begun to understand the power of marketing over the last decade, I have seen dentists’ reactions go from “don’t waste my time” when I mention performance-tracking to “absolutely.” Digital marketing — and marketing in general — is no longer just about clicks and impressions. Dentists are seeking engagement, like phone conversations, online form submissions, email, text messages or appointments in the schedule — activities that lead to revenue. Tracking these metrics and taking a data-driven approach to marketing allows practices to make smarter decisions, refine their strategies and ensure that their investment is yielding measurable results.

The Big Picture

Looking back, I believe the most important lesson of the last 10 years is that every touchpoint matters. From a Google Ad to a website visit, review response or follow-up email, each interaction with a patient should demonstrate the same attention to detail as the most intricate clinical work. Patients notice consistency, and that builds trust. Marketing is no longer a side effort. It’s an extension of a practice’s culture and patient care philosophy. When done right, it doesn’t just attract patients; it attracts the right patients.

As we look ahead to the next 10 years, one thing is clear: Authentic, patient-centered marketing will remain at the heart of practice growth and success. And for those of us who’ve watched the evolution firsthand, from taboo to essential, it’s exciting to think about what comes next.