What’s The Average Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) For New Dental Patients?
Are you looking to bring in more patients to your dental office without blowing your marketing budget? In this blog, we’ll discuss the average CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) for dental patients – as well as a few ways you can reduce your patient acquisition costs while still growing your practice.
The Average CPA For A New Patient Is Between $150 And $300
Dental practices can expect to spend $150 to $300 to acquire a single new patient, according to Dataman Group. Another study from RevUp Dental places patient acquisition costs even higher – between $300 and $500 for a single new patient.
You will recoup your investment, of course. A 2013 study by the ADA found that patients spent an average of $706 per year on dental care – adjusted for inflation, that’s around $945 in 2024 dollars.
How Can I Reduce Acquisition Costs For New Dental Patients?
Wondering how you can bring in new patients while reducing acquisition costs at your practice? Here are a few recommendations.
Focus on Digital Marketing Over Traditional Advertising
Traditional ads like billboards, TV spots, radio ads, and flyers/mailers are more expensive than digital marketing, and are often less effective. Digital marketing methods like PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketing, SEO, display ads, and social media are cheaper and often bring in more patients.
Build a Sleek, Fast, and SEO-Optimized Website
If you choose a digital-first marketing approach, rebuilding your website and optimizing it for speed, mobile-friendliness, and SEO is sure to help you bring in more patients.
Understand the Demographics of Your Patient Base
Another benefit of digital marketing is that it helps you learn more about the demographics of your current patients including age, familial status, education, income levels, and more. Then, you can use this information to target similar people – and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Build Strong Referral Partnerships
If you’re a dental specialist like an endodontist or a dental implant surgeon, building referral networks with local general or family dentists can help you get more patients. Referrals shouldn’t be your only way to get new patients – but building a referral network can definitely help you expand your reach in your local area.
Keep Patients Coming Back
According to statistics gathered by DoctorLogic, the average yearly attrition rate (percentage of patients who leave a dental practice) is 17% – and dentists only retain 41% of new patients. Delivering excellent care is one of the best ways to keep new and existing patients coming back to your practice.
Patient engagement is also critical for ensuring that they continue to come to your office. So before a patient leaves after their visit, make sure they schedule their next visit. Then, you can take steps to keep your practice on their mind – by doing things like posting regularly on social media, sending out email newsletters, using automated appointment reminders, and more.
The Value of Optimizing Your Marketing Strategy
Now that we’ve outlined ways to reduce acquisition costs, let’s explore why focusing on your marketing strategy is critical to your practice’s success. Optimizing your marketing efforts not only lowers CPA but also positions your practice for long-term growth. Here’s how:
Tracking and Measuring Success
One of the advantages of digital marketing is its ability to provide precise data about campaign performance. With tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and PPC dashboards, you can track which campaigns deliver the highest ROI. Understanding what works (and what doesn’t) allows you to refine your strategy and allocate your budget effectively.
For example, if a particular PPC campaign drives high traffic but few conversions, you can adjust the messaging, audience targeting, or landing page to improve results. By continuously analyzing and optimizing, you’ll reduce wasted spending and bring in more qualified leads.
Creating Personalized Marketing Campaigns
Patients today expect a personalized experience, even before they walk into your office. Leveraging CRM systems and marketing automation tools, you can create campaigns tailored to different patient demographics. For instance:
New families in the area might respond to campaigns highlighting family-friendly services like pediatric dentistry.
Seniors could be drawn to content about restorative dentistry or dentures.
Young professionals might appreciate messaging about teeth whitening or cosmetic dentistry.
By crafting campaigns that resonate with specific groups, you’ll see better engagement and conversion rates.
Leveraging Reviews and Testimonials
Patient trust is critical in healthcare, and one of the best ways to build trust is through reviews and testimonials. Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive feedback on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, or Healthgrades. Highlight these reviews on your website and social media channels to attract new patients who value peer recommendations.
Additionally, addressing any negative reviews in a professional, empathetic manner demonstrates your commitment to patient care and improvement.
Expanding Into Community Outreach
Don’t underestimate the power of community involvement in reducing CPA. Participating in local events, sponsoring school programs, or offering free dental check-up days can boost your visibility and reputation within the community. These efforts position your practice as a trusted, caring presence, making it easier to attract new patients organically.
Experimenting With New Channels
While tried-and-true methods like SEO and PPC are important, experimenting with newer platforms or techniques can give you an edge. For instance, TikTok and Instagram Reels can showcase behind-the-scenes content of your dental practice, while geofencing ads target prospective patients within a specific geographic area. Staying ahead of trends ensures you’re reaching your audience in fresh, engaging ways.
By combining strategic planning, data analysis, and patient-centric approaches, you’ll not only lower your CPA but also establish a foundation for sustainable growth. Remember, acquiring patients is just the first step – retaining them and turning them into loyal advocates is the key to a thriving dental practice.
Need Help Bringing In More Dental Patients For Less? Turn To Incept Health!
At Incept Health, we work with all types of dental practices to create affordable, effective digital marketing strategies. Wondering how we can reduce your patient acquisition costs and help your practice grow? Find out by scheduling a free, no-commitment consultation with our team today.