How Much Should You Invest in Dental Marketing?

Patients today don’t discover you by chance. They’re actively searching for "dentist near me," reading reviews, comparing websites, and evaluating your presence online before calling your office.

More than 70% of dental patients now research providers online before booking. This makes your digital presence a key factor in patient acquisition. The right dental marketing strategy doesn’t just help you get found, it builds trust, drives awareness, and creates long-term loyalty.

If you want to grow or even maintain your practice in today’s environment, your marketing budget isn’t just an expense. It’s your growth engine.

Tailoring Your Marketing Investment by Practice Size

1. Solo or Startup Dental Practice



If you’re just starting, you’re likely wearing every hat in the office, and filling your schedule is priority number one. At this stage, marketing is not optional.

Focus areas:

• Local SEO for dentists
• Google Business Profile optimization
• Basic dental website
• Entry-level Google Ads

Goals: Build trust quickly and make it easy for new patients to find you. Strategic visibility is more valuable than spreading your budget across every possible channel.

Mindset: Your marketing budget is your launchpad.

2. Small to Mid-Sized Practice (1–2 Dentists)

You’ve got some momentum and want to keep growing without burning out or overspending. This is the stage where consistency beats experimentation.

Focus areas:

• Content marketing
• Reputation management
• Email campaigns
• Regular social media activity

Tools to consider: Dental marketing automation platforms, review request systems, and a strong blog strategy can all help you maintain visibility and trust.

Mindset: Optimize what’s working and stay consistent.

3. Multi-Location or Large Group Practice

Bigger practices need more complex marketing strategies. With multiple providers and locations, your messaging must stay clear and consistent across platforms.

Focus areas:

• Advanced SEO and PPC campaign management
• Video production
• Review response strategy
• Call tracking and reporting

Tools that help: A centralized CRM, HIPAA-compliant email marketing tools, and enterprise-level analytics are essential to manage growth at scale.

Mindset: Marketing should support scalability and a strong, data-driven acquisition funnel.

Using Dental Industry Benchmarks to Inform Budgeting

General benchmarks offer a helpful starting point, even though they aren’t set in stone.

• The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that established practices allocate 4–6% of gross revenue to marketing.
• Newer or growth-focused practices often spend 8–12%.
• Startups may invest up to 20% in the early stages to build traction.
• In Canada, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) advises B2C small businesses (including dental practices) to spend 5–10% of revenue.

Of course, your exact number will depend on factors like your location, your competition, the services you offer, and how aggressively you want to grow.

Building a Dental Marketing Budget with Intention

Rather than starting with a percentage and guessing how to divide it, reverse-engineer your strategy. First, identify your ideal patient and understand how much revenue a new patient typically brings in. Next, calculate how many new patients per month you need to meet your goals. Then, focus on marketing channels that best reach those people. This approach grounds your marketing budget in actual needs and outcomes, rather than guesswork.

Smart Dental Marketing Investment Tips

To get the most from your investment, keep these best practices in mind:

• Plan monthly instead of yearly so you can stay flexible and avoid surprises.
• Measure what matters. Track key metrics like cost per lead (CPL), cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS).
• Run quarterly audits. Use performance data to cut underperforming campaigns and double down on what’s working.
• Don’t overextend in-house. Outsourcing SEO, Google Ads, or content to dental marketing specialists often yields better results than DIY marketing.
• Stay current. The digital landscape is evolving. Platforms like TikTok, short-form video, and voice search are changing how patients engage with practices.

So, How Much Should You Invest?

There’s no universal number, but here’s a useful way to think about it:

• If you're maintaining your current patient load, spending 4–5% of revenue is usually sufficient.
• If you're expanding your team or aiming for 10–15% growth, consider 8–12%.
• If you're launching a new location or brand, expect to invest 15–20% for maximum traction.

More important than the percentage itself is what that investment accomplishes. Is it attracting qualified leads? Generating strong reviews? Supporting patient retention? Building long-term brand equity? If the answer is yes, then your marketing is working.

Treat Marketing Like Production, Not Overhead

In dentistry, you wouldn’t cut corners on materials and expect strong clinical outcomes. The same goes for marketing. Underinvest, and you’ll see weak results.

Marketing is not just an expense; it’s a revenue-generating function. The right strategy doesn’t just keep your schedule full; it increases the long-term value of your practice.

Ready to craft a dental marketing plan that fits your size, stage, and goals? Dr. Marketing helps dental practices across North America build high-ROI strategies that move the needle. Book a free consultation and let’s build your next growth plan together.

Ready to grow your dental practice? Let’s talk.