The new-patient math most dental practices get wrong.
A $300 acquisition cost is either fine or fatal, and one untracked number decides which.
· 6 min read
Practices judge marketing on cost per lead. The number that pays the lease is cost per new patient who shows up and accepts a treatment plan.
Between the form fill and the chair there are leaks: how fast someone calls back, how confusing the insurance answer is, how many days out the first opening sits. Fix those before you raise ad spend. Ads amplify the front desk you already have, in whichever direction it is pointed.
Once the funnel holds, high-intent paid search on emergency, implant and same-day terms usually beats social for new patients. Social earns its keep on reactivation and treatment education, where the audience already knows you.
Run the numbers on accepted treatment, not appointments booked. A practice with a 70 percent acceptance rate can pay twice what a 35 percent practice can for the same lead and still come out ahead.
The short version
- Measure cost per accepted treatment plan.
- Fix response time and scheduling before raising budget.
- Use paid search for new patients, social for reactivation.
Sources and further reading
- Health Policy Institute dental practice research, American Dental Association
- Advertising and marketing basics for health services, Federal Trade Commission
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