Google and Meta ads for dentists work best when they are split by treatment and measured by attended appointments. Google Search catches urgent and high-value intent such as emergency dentist or implants near me. Meta is better for considered treatments like aligners, where people need time and reassurance.
How Google and Meta work together for dental practices
| Job | Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent demand | Search on emergency terms, scheduled to hours when phones are answered | Not suitable |
| High-value treatment | Search for implants, aligners and cosmetic work, each with its own page | Video and explainers about the treatment, and the dentist behind it |
| Local awareness | Local campaigns and a complete Google Business Profile | Broad local reach for new-patient offers, within your city radius |
What makes this industry different
A cost per lead hides the difference between a check-up enquiry and an implant case. A practice also needs to know whether reception answered and whether the patient turned up, and most ad accounts cannot see either.
What to track
- Track calls separately from forms, and record the outcome of each
- Mark leads as booked, attended and treatment started in your practice system or a simple sheet
- Check tags on booking pages so no treatment or health details are passed to ad platforms
The numbers we report on: Cost per booked appointment, attendance rate, treatment value by campaign and phone answer rate.
Platform and legal rules to plan for
Google treats health as a sensitive category, which rules out advertiser-curated audiences such as Customer Match and your data segments for that content. Meta has its own health and wellness standards. Local dental advertising rules also vary, especially on before-and-after images and claims, so check them for your country.
Common mistakes
- Sending implant searches to a general homepage
- Running ads when nobody can answer the phone
- Counting every call as a lead, including existing patients and suppliers
From our work with dental practices
Common questions
Are Google Ads or Meta ads better for dentists?
Google is usually first, since it reaches people who need a dentist now. Meta suits treatments people consider for weeks, such as aligners, and works better once your Google campaigns and tracking are stable.
Can dentists use remarketing?
Often not on Google. Health is a sensitive interest category, so advertiser-curated audiences are restricted. Plan around search intent and contextual reach, and check current policy before relying on any audience.
How should a practice judge whether ads are working?
By treatment value compared with ad spend. Track cost per attended appointment rather than cost per form, and review the outcomes of calls.