The dental industry is more competitive than ever. Patients are searching online before choosing a dentist. Reviews matter more than referrals. And if you’re not showing up in local search results, you’re practically invisible. But here’s the good news:
With the right digital marketing tools, you can still build a thriving practice that attracts quality patients consistently.
Not by chasing every marketing trend, but by focusing on what actually moves the needle: local visibility, patient engagement, and streamlined communication.
The best dental marketing tools help you do exactly that:
- Get found by patients searching for dental services in your area
- Build trust through consistent, professional communication
- Convert website visitors into booked appointments
- Keep existing patients engaged and coming back
These are the tools I’ve used to help dental practices increase their patient bookings by 40-60% in just 6 months.
(And they work whether you’re a solo practitioner or managing multiple locations)
The best part?
These tools are specifically designed for healthcare practices, so they’re HIPAA-compliant and built with dental workflows in mind.
My Top 3 Digital Marketing Tools for Dental Practices
- BirdEye: All-in-one reputation management and local SEO platform
- Swell: Patient communication and review generation system
- RevenueWell: Automated patient engagement and recall system
BirdEye
Best for managing your online reputation and local search presence
Pricing: From $299 per month; custom pricing for multiple locations
I recommend BirdEye to almost every dental practice I work with, and for good reason. It tackles the two biggest challenges dental practices face: getting found online and managing reviews.
But I don’t use BirdEye for everything.
I use the best tool for each specific job. And BirdEye REALLY excels at local SEO and reputation management , two areas that can make or break a dental practice.
Automate Review Collection
BirdEye’s automated review system is my go-to for helping practices build a steady stream of positive reviews.
Here’s how it works:
After a patient’s appointment, BirdEye automatically sends a text message asking for feedback. If the patient rates their experience 4-5 stars, they’re directed to leave a public review on Google or Facebook. If they rate it lower, they’re taken to a private feedback form so you can address issues directly.
This simple automation has helped practices I work with go from 20-30 reviews to 200+ reviews in under a year.
For example, one practice in Austin went from 3.8 stars with 45 reviews to 4.9 stars with 180 reviews in 8 months using this system.
Monitor Your Online Presence
The reputation monitoring feature tracks mentions of your practice across 150+ review sites and social platforms.
You get instant alerts when someone mentions your practice name, so you can respond quickly to both positive and negative feedback.
I particularly love the sentiment analysis. It shows you exactly what patients are saying about specific aspects of your practice:
- “Staff friendliness” mentioned in 89% of positive reviews
- “Wait time” mentioned in 67% of negative reviews
- “Dr. Smith’s expertise” mentioned in 78% of reviews
This data helps you understand what you’re doing well and where to improve.
Optimize for Local Search
BirdEye automatically optimizes your Google Business Profile and other local listings.
It ensures your practice information (hours, phone number, services) is consistent across all platforms. This consistency is crucial for local SEO, Google rewards businesses with accurate, up-to-date information.
The tool also helps you add photos, respond to reviews, and post updates directly from one dashboard.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive reputation management with automated review collection | Can be pricey for smaller practices |
| Strong local SEO features with listing management across 150+ sites | Setup requires some initial configuration time |
| Detailed analytics showing patient sentiment trends |
BirdEye Alternative: Podium
Podium focuses more on messaging and communication, with review management as a secondary feature.
It’s great for practices that want to text with patients throughout their journey, but it doesn’t have the same depth of local SEO features that BirdEye offers.
If your main goal is improving your local search rankings and online reputation, BirdEye is the stronger choice.
Swell
Best for increasing patient reviews and referrals through automated campaigns
Pricing: Custom
Swell is specifically designed for dental practices, and it shows. The platform focuses on the unique challenges dental offices face when trying to get patient feedback and generate referrals.
I use Swell when practices want a simple, dental-focused solution that doesn’t require a lot of setup or training.
Smart Review Routing
Swell’s “smart routing” automatically sends happy patients to public review sites while directing unhappy patients to private feedback forms.
But here’s what makes it special for dental practices:
The system waits to send review requests until after procedures are complete and any post-treatment sensitivity has passed. For example, if someone gets a root canal, Swell waits 7-10 days before asking for a review.
This timing dramatically improves response rates and review quality.
Referral Campaign Automation
One of my favorite features is the automated referral campaigns.
Swell identifies your happiest patients (those who left 5-star reviews) and automatically sends them referral requests with personalized messaging.
For example: “Hi Sarah! We noticed you loved your recent cleaning with Dr. Johnson. Would you mind sharing our practice with friends who might benefit from the same great care?”
The system tracks referral success rates and adjusts messaging based on what works best for your specific patient base.
Integration with Dental Software
Swell integrates directly with most practice management systems (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, etc.).
This means patient data flows automatically, no manual exports or uploads required.
When a patient completes treatment, Swell automatically knows to start the review request sequence. When someone books an appointment from a referral, it tracks that back to the original referring patient.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Built specifically for dental practices with industry-specific workflows | Limited customization compared to broader platforms |
| Integrates seamlessly with major dental practice management systems | Focuses primarily on reviews and referrals (not broader marketing) |
| Smart timing for post-treatment review requests |
Swell Alternative: Weave
Weave offers similar functionality but includes additional features like appointment reminders and patient communication tools.
However, Weave is more expensive (starting around $400/month) and can be overwhelming for practices that just want to focus on reviews and referrals.
Swell’s simplicity and dental-specific design make it easier to implement and get results quickly.
RevenueWell
Best for automated patient engagement and practice growth
Pricing: Custom planning
RevenueWell is an all-in-one patient engagement platform designed specifically for dental practices.
I recommend it to practices that want to automate their patient communication while maintaining a personal touch.
Automated Recall and Reactivation
The recall system automatically identifies patients who are due for cleanings, checkups, or follow-up treatments.
Instead of your team manually calling through lists, RevenueWell sends personalized emails and texts based on each patient’s treatment history and preferences.
For example:
- “Hi Mike! It’s been 6 months since your last cleaning with Dr. Anderson. Ready to schedule your next appointment?”
- “Sarah, Dr. Johnson wanted us to follow up on your crown prep. How are you feeling? Ready to schedule the final appointment?”
The system tracks response rates and automatically adjusts messaging frequency and timing for each patient.
Treatment Acceptance Campaigns
One of RevenueWell’s strongest features is helping practices increase treatment acceptance rates.
When a patient doesn’t schedule recommended treatment, the system sends educational content explaining the procedure, financing options, and gentle reminders.
I’ve seen practices increase treatment acceptance by 25-30% using these automated follow-up sequences.
Patient Journey Mapping
RevenueWell maps out each patient’s journey from first contact to long-term maintenance.
You can see exactly where patients drop off in your process and set up automated interventions:
- New patient welcome sequences
- Pre-appointment reminders and preparation
- Post-treatment care instructions
- Recare scheduling automation
This visibility helps practices identify bottlenecks and optimize their patient experience.
Analytics
The reporting dashboard shows you exactly which communications are driving results:
- Email open rates by patient segment
- Text response rates for different message types
- Appointment booking rates from automated campaigns
- Patient lifetime value trends
This data helps you understand what resonates with your patients and refine your approach over time.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive patient journey automation designed for dental practices | Higher price point than simpler solutions |
| Strong analytics showing ROI of communication campaigns | Requires initial setup time to configure properly |
| Integrates with most practice management systems | Can be overwhelming for very small practices |
RevenueWell Alternative: Lighthouse 360
Lighthouse 360 offers similar patient engagement features with a focus on automated campaigns.
It’s slightly less expensive than RevenueWell but doesn’t have the same depth of analytics and journey mapping features.
For practices that want detailed insights into their patient communication performance, RevenueWell provides more actionable data.
Other Tools That Support Our Dental Marketing Workflow
Managing digital marketing for dental practices requires more than just the main platforms.
Here are the supporting tools we use to keep everything running smoothly:
- Canva Pro for creating social media graphics and patient education materials. The templates are perfect for dental content.
- Google Analytics 4 to track website performance and understand how patients find your practice online.
- Calendly for streamlined consultation booking, especially for cosmetic or specialty procedures.
- Mailchimp for monthly newsletters and patient education email campaigns.
Ready to Grow Your Dental Practice?
Digital marketing for dental practices doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start with one tool that addresses your biggest challenge:
- If you need more online reviews and better local visibility → BirdEye
- If you want simple, effective review collection → Swell
- If you need comprehensive patient engagement automation → RevenueWell
The key is choosing tools that work together and actually fit into your practice’s workflow.
Your patients are already searching online. Make sure they find you first.
