20 Genius Orthodontic Marketing Ideas To Get New Patients in 2025

Key Points

• Smart marketing = more patients — modern orthodontic strategies like SEO, paid ads, and video marketing deliver real ROI.
• Build a strong brand — from your logo to your website, every detail should reflect your expertise and connect with your ideal patients.
• Make it easy to say yes — offer online booking, free consultations, and virtual options to remove barriers and boost conversions.
• Leverage reviews and video — authentic testimonials and patient stories build trust faster than any ad can.
• Work smarter, not harder — use AI, automation, and expert partners like :Delmain to save time and grow efficiently.

See strategies that could transform your ortho practice?

How do you market orthodontic practices?

As an orthodontist, marketing is probably not on your list of top things you want to deal with — but you also know it’s not something you can ignore.

Whether you’re a start-up or a well-established practice, your orthodontic marketing plan should include modern, proven strategies that have a high return on investment (ROI).

If you’re wondering where to start, keep reading. We work with orthodontists throughout the US and have curated a list of the top 20 orthodontic marketing strategies for 2025.

What do all these tactics for booking more new patients have in common? They’re focused on:

1. Solidifying your brand
2. Being in the right place at the right time with the right messaging
3. Building a loyal patient base
4. Giving you the best ROI (using your time and marketing dollars wisely!)

The best orthodontic marketing strategies to book more new patients in 2025

1. Know your audience

Ask yourself these questions:

• Who is your perfect patient?
• What are their demographics, background, and financial situation?
• Why does what you offer matter to this audience?
• How can you help solve their problems?

Top orthodontists across the country are already using these questions to help simplify their brand messaging and connect with their audience, and you can, too.

2. Create a memorable logo and tagline

• Logo & Tagline: Quickly highlights what makes your practice unique
• Branding:What makes your practice different from any other in your city? The way you answer this question and communicate this difference (via words, images, video, & design) is called “your brand”.

Remember, your patients are much more likely to choose a brand they connect with over generic alternatives.

3. Redesign your website

Take a look at your site and ask yourself these questions:

• Can a patient easily view and navigate my website on a phone?
• Does the website feature high-quality photos of my office and staff?
• Does my website look modern?
• Is it easy to find a way to contact and book an appointment?
• Is my website bringing in new patients?

If you answered “no” to any one of these questions, you may need a website redesign. Thankfully, creating a modern, effective website is easier than you think. Get inspired by our list of best orthodontic websites of the year!

Want Your Website to Stand Out?

4. Invest in original photography

Take a look at these examples of orthodontic practices using original photography.

• The Family Orthodontist
• St. Albert Braces Orthodontics

Notice how investing in high-quality, authentic images truly transforms the feel of these orthodontic websites. The personal touch they bring could never be matched by generic stock photos.

Bring Your Practice to Life

5. Optimize your website for SEO

Your website can and should be your #1 source of new patients. SEO (search engine optimization) is a critical part of making this happen.

When searching Google for an orthodontist or for teeth straightening solutions, less than 1% of people will scroll past the first page of results.

Optimizing your site for SEO means working to get your practice on that first page of results. The higher your rankings, the more visitors to your site, and the more opportunities you have to convert them to new patients.

Dental SEO Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide

6. Add online booking for patients

Your patients want the ability to book an appointment online. Let the research convince you:

• 46% of all appointments are now booked online.
• Businesses that implemented online booking systems saw a 120% increase in revenue.
• Automated reminders have helped reduce no-show rates by up to 90%.
• 58% of millennials say online booking availability influences their choice of a provider.
• Source​

Offering online scheduling is a win-win:

• You get more patients (and your front desk staff has fewer calls and voicemails to manage)
• Your patients get an added level of convenience

NexHealth is an excellent patient scheduling system. This platform is customizable and integrates with most major practice management and electronic health record systems, including Dentrix, EagleSoft, OpenDental, and Curve Dental.

7. Develop a simple 3-step process for patients

Take a look at these 2 orthodontist websites that do a great job of outlining exactly “how it works” and what a new patient can expect:

• Ballard Orthodontists
• The Smilist

8. Focus on the problem (not just the solution)

Yes, your patient wants straighter teeth…but why?

• She’s embarrassed about her smile
• Misaligned teeth are affecting her life
• She’s in pain
• Her oral health is suffering
• She tried in-home DIY aligners with disastrous results

Center your marketing messaging around these issues and you’ll be much more likely to convince a patient to book an appointment.

9. Incorporate AI and automation

Here’s how AI and automation can boost your practice:

• Smarter marketing decisions: AI tools analyze patient trends and behavior, making it easier to create targeted marketing campaigns that bring in new patients.
• Effortless social media management: Let automation tools handle your posts, track engagement, and suggest content ideas to keep your social pages active.
• A more personal touch: From appointment reminders to tailored emails, AI helps you connect with patients in a way that feels personalized.

10. Outline safety procedures

Patients are more cautious than ever when it comes to safety. Patient safety is a core part of every orthodontic practice. However, highlighting your safety procedures and adherence to CDC and OSHA guidelines will build trust and may help you stand out from practices that don’t talk about safety on their website or marketing materials.

11. Offer free consultations

Getting braces or clear aligners is a big step. Patients often have questions like:

• Am I a candidate for orthodontic treatment?
• Should I get braces or clear aligners?
• How long will treatment take?
• How much will it cost?
• What will it feel like?
• Will it change my day-to-day life?
• Why shouldn’t I just do direct-mail aligners instead?

It’s difficult to overcome all these questions and fears on your website alone. That’s why so many orthodontists today are offering free consultations as a compelling call-to-action. This type of offer is meant to get new patients through the door — and it works! This is one of the best orthodontic marketing strategies to try for your practice.

12. Consider virtual options

In the last 5 years, we’ve seen a surge of practitioners adopt telehealth options — particularly virtual consults. Are you one of them? If you have the ability, we recommend it!

Done well, virtual consults are more efficient and cost-effective than their in-person counterparts. Best of all, offering virtual consult options gives you a competitive advantage over orthodontic practices that don’t offer this service.

13. Offer quick virtual smile designs

Holy City Orthodontics is a great example of how this can be incorporated into your website and marketing – take a look here.

14. Include pricing on your website

By showing pricing (even if it’s a “starting at” number) you’re setting yourself apart from the competition. Additionally, pricing and finances are major patient concerns. Being upfront about the investment someone can expect will help build trust.

15. Add a live chat option on your website

If you decide to test out this orthodontic marketing strategy, make sure you choose a chat software that’s HIPAA compliant.

16. Gather more patient reviews

Good reviews (and lots of them) will give your practice a major competitive advantage:

• 92% of patients say a great patient experience is important when choosing a healthcare provider.
• 44% of people who had positive healthcare experiences said they would share them, while 52% of those with negative experiences said they would do the same.
• 49% of people believe that a good patient experience directly impacts their health outcomes.
• Source

It’s not enough to hope a satisfied patient will leave you a review. You need to be actively soliciting reviews to maintain a steady flow of feedback.

We recommend using a reputation management system to automate this process and help keep an eye on what patients are saying about you online.

17. Discover the power of video testimonials

• 4x as many people would rather watch a video than read about it.
• 95% retention rate (people only remember 12% of textual information).
• 40x more likely to get shared on social. Plus, videos lead to a visitor staying on your site an average of 2 minutes longer.

Video reviews can be created on any budget. Produce a professional video, shoot the testimonial yourself, or ask your patients to record a video on their phone.

Take a look at some excellent examples of video testimonials from orthodontists around the US:

• Dunn Orthodontics
• Rucker Orthodontics

18. Optimize your Google Business Profile

Here are 5 tips:

• Add as much info about your practice as possible. The more information your listing provides, the higher it will rank in results. Most importantly, keep it updated! If hours change, update them immediately.
• Maximize your GBP categories. Choose the primary category that best represents the core focus of your practice (for example, orthodontist). If any other categories apply, choose them as secondary categories.
• Focus on getting more positive reviews than other local orthodontists. Google gives ranking favor to business listings with positive reviews.
• Add photos to your profile & update them regularly. Google loves it when you upload photos to your profile. And so do your patients!
• Always take advantage of new GBP features. For example, the ability to include a list of accepted insurances, respond to patient reviews, and post regular updates.

19. Invest in paid advertising

Your marketing strategy should include a paid advertising campaign. You have so many options, but we recommend focusing on a digital strategy that includes both Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Google Ads will get your practice in front of patients who are ready to schedule an appointment now. And for Facebook, we recommend creating a Facebook Ads Funnel. This strategy offers three campaign objective options: awareness, consideration, and conversion. You’ll create unique ads for each stage with the goal of moving someone through the funnel.

Dental Ad Ideas Guaranteed to Attract Patients

20. Use social media to get involved in your community

Tap into the power of organic social media to connect with a wider audience (and build your brand). Use your accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to create a space where anyone curious about orthodontic care can learn, engage, and feel part of your practice. Share success stories, run promotions, or host live Q&A sessions. It’s your platform to showcase your expertise, share your passion for orthodontics, and build relationships, one post at a time.

Master Social Media Like a Pro

Pro tip: Find a partner to manage it all

If you want the freedom to continue doing what you do best (providing excellent care), an orthodontic marketing strategy is a must — but it does take a lot of time and expertise to do it right. We recommend partnering with an orthodontic marketing company. Doing so offers many benefits:

• Frees up your time
• Gives you a team of marketing experts on your side
• Ensures you’re spending your marketing and advertising dollars wisely

If you’re wondering how to promote your orthodontic practice and get more patients, working with a marketing company is a great place to start.

Let us help you create an orthodontic marketing strategy that works

We’d love to hear from you, answer your questions, and help you succeed. That’s what :Delmain does for dozens of practices around the nation every day.