Orthodontic marketing has to speak to two quite different people: a parent deciding about a child’s first evaluation, and an adult thinking about straightening their own teeth. The work is a clear website, a complete Google listing for the practice and each orthodontist, honest ads for braces and aligners, and good relationships with the general dentists in town.
Marketing for Dental is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
Two audiences, two kinds of message
| Who | What they want to know | Where they look |
|---|---|---|
| Parents | When to bring a child in, what the first visit covers, how scheduling works around school | Google Maps, the practice website, other parents, the family dentist |
| Adults | Whether braces or aligners fit their routine, how many visits, how private it is | Search, social feeds, the practice website |
| General dentists | Who they can send patients to with confidence, and how the practice keeps them informed | Personal contact, the practice’s own materials |
Orthodontist marketing that tries to say everything to everyone usually says little to anyone. A practice does better with a page for parents and a page for adult treatment, each with its own pictures, questions and request button.
The specialty, and how to describe it
Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics is one of the specialties recognized in the ADA Code. Section 5.H says a dentist may announce a specialty only in a recognized one and when meeting the educational requirements, and dentists who announce a specialty should use the words the Code sets out. In practice that means the practice confirms every title on its website, ads and Google profile before anything goes live, and a general dentist who offers aligners describes the service without a specialty title.
A quick title check
Before any page or ad is published, list every title and credential it uses and have the dentist named confirm each one in writing.
Google profiles for the practice and each orthodontist
Google treats dentists as individual practitioners. A public-facing orthodontist can have a Business Profile of their own, alongside the practice’s profile, and the profile may include a title or degree. Where several orthodontists work at one location, the practice has its own profile too, and each practitioner’s profile carries only the practitioner’s name. A practitioner should not have several profiles to cover different services.
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity, and there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. A complete, accurate listing with the real address, the right categories and genuine reviews is what the practice controls. The local SEO for dentists page goes through it step by step.
Want a plan that reaches parents and adults with the right message for each? Get a proposal.
Ads for braces and aligners
Search ads catch people who are already looking, such as a parent searching for an orthodontist near the school or an adult searching for aligners in town. Social ads reach adults who have been meaning to do something about their smile. In both, the ADA Code applies: ads should not be false or misleading, should avoid creating an unjustified expectation about results, and on social media should not promise superior results. Leave out before-and-after pictures and claims about how quickly teeth move.
Health-related ads face extra limits on audience targeting, so orthodontic campaigns are built on search terms, place and broad interests. The Google Ads for dentists and Facebook ads for dentists pages cover set-up for each platform, and dental advertising shows how they fit together.
Children on camera
A smiling teenager at the end of treatment is the picture many practices want to post. It is also a patient’s image used for marketing. Under HIPAA, using patient information for marketing generally needs written authorization, and for a minor that means the parent. Plan any patient photo or video with the practice’s privacy officer or compliance advisor, keep the signed form on file, and keep names and treatment details out of captions.
Working with general dentists
Many orthodontic patients arrive because their family dentist suggested an evaluation. That relationship is built on good care and clear communication, not payment. The ADA Code generally does not allow a dentist to pay another person or entity for referring a patient. Marketing to general dentists is therefore about being easy to work with: a simple referral form on the website, prompt letters back after a consultation, and a practice that is easy to reach.
What good orthodontic marketing includes
- A website with separate, clear pages for children’s and adult treatment, fast on a phone. See dental website design.
- A complete Google profile for the practice and for each public-facing orthodontist.
- Search pages and articles that answer the questions parents and adults ask. See dental SEO.
- Ads that describe the consultation without promising results.
- A review routine that asks every patient and parent the same way. See dental reputation management.
- A consistent name, look and voice everywhere. See dental branding.
Questions to ask before you hire help
- How will you speak to parents and adults differently?
- Who checks every title and credential before it is published?
- How do you handle photos of minors?
- Will each orthodontist’s Google profile follow Google’s practitioner guidelines?
- How will requests from parents and adults be counted and reported?
Tell us about your orthodontic practice and an independent agency can propose a plan. Get a proposal.
Questions practices ask
Should an orthodontist have their own Google profile?
A public-facing orthodontist can, alongside the practice’s profile. Google says the practitioner’s profile should carry only the practitioner’s name, and one practitioner should not have several profiles for different services.
Can a general dentist advertise as an orthodontist?
The ADA Code allows a specialty announcement only in a recognized specialty and when the educational requirements are met. A general dentist can describe the services offered without a specialty title. Check your state dental board’s rules too.
Can we post photos of teenage patients?
Only with written authorization from a parent, planned with your privacy officer or compliance advisor.
Can we pay general dentists for referrals?
The ADA Code generally does not allow a dentist to pay another person or entity for referring a patient. Build referrals on care and communication instead.
Are aligner ads treated differently by Google?
Google follows healthcare advertising rules, and health-related ads face extra limits on audience targeting. Ordinary dental practice ads are not named among the restricted categories.
Is Marketing for Dental an orthodontic marketing agency?
No. Marketing for Dental is an independent referral service. An independent marketing agency prepares any proposal and does any work.