Did you know that 77% of your patients go online to check your reviews before they even make an appointment in your office? This was very surprising to me. Now, we have billions of people online with Facebook, Instagram, and Google Reviews—platforms that didn’t exist when I first opened my office back in 1985. In fact, there was no internet at all back then! But today, people are going online, and your online presence makes a big difference.

Why Your Online Presence Matters

A bad online reputation can actually bankrupt your practice. I’ve seen it happen to businesses when people go online to damage their reputation. Those businesses can go downhill quickly. On the other hand, a positive online reputation can help your practice grow, especially if you get an endorsement from someone well-known. Of course, most of us don’t have celebrities as patients; we have regular people. So how do you improve your online presence? It really starts with having a great office and a great team. But one of the best ways to boost your presence is by collecting good reviews.

Asking for Reviews

My suggestion is to use a service that allows patients to review you. We use a company called Birdeye, which sends out a text to new patients asking for reviews. This approach has been effective for us—we now have over 2,700 five-star reviews on Birdeye and over 800 five-star reviews on Google. We built these reviews up over three to four years by simply asking patients for feedback. Birdeye isn’t expensive; it costs a few thousand dollars per year, but it’s highly effective.

For reviews, we don’t incentivize patients with Starbucks cards, gifts, or anything like that. We just ask. Some practices do use incentives, and if you choose that route, you can likely multiply the number of reviews you get. But honestly, after reaching a few hundred reviews, you don’t need more. The average office has between 50 and 100 five-star reviews, which is just okay. Don’t you want to stand out with hundreds of reviews, so that patients looking online say, “I like this office”?

More Than Just Reviews: The Role of Social Media

Every day, we have patients come into our practice who found us online—not because they know us personally or the quality of our care, but because they did their research online. And it’s not just reviews. We also post on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, which we started doing in the past year. One of my passions is our website, which has been a major tool for marketing. It’s not a cookie-cutter site; it includes photos of everyone who works here and showcases our cases in different categories. Since I’m a periodontist, we have cases on single-tooth implants, multiple implants, full-mouth rehabilitations, connective tissue grafting, aesthetic procedures, and more. My creative director, Jose, works daily to put material up there. If you can, create your own content rather than buying it—it works better when it’s authentic.

We also create videos, and about once or twice a week, I’ll ask a patient who had a positive experience if they’d like to record a video testimonial. For their time, I might give a small gift like a free cleaning or an electric toothbrush. About 90% of the patients I ask are happy to participate, and we now have over 200 video testimonials linked to our website. These videos make a big impact, showing new patients what it’s like to come in for the first time. Many patients feel anxious initially, so these testimonials help put them at ease.

In addition to reviews and testimonials, we’re active on Instagram, where my team posts hygiene tips and other useful information. We’re not into dancing or gimmicks; we just share practical information that reflects who we are and what we do. It’s simple and old-school, but it works.

Our online presence is pretty strong, and we don’t spend much money on it—probably less than $1,000 per month, with most of the work done in-house. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, you can hire someone, but make sure it’s real and not cookie-cutter. People can tell the difference between something authentic and something that’s been bought.

This video, for instance, isn’t professionally made. I’m just sitting here in front of my bookcase talking to you. People appreciate that; they understand who you are and what you’re about when you’re authentic. So don’t overdo it; we’re not in the makeup business. Our goal is to provide quality care to those we serve.

Embrace the Digital Age

Most patients find you online, and that’s just the beginning. My suggestion is to start building your online presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok and YouTube if you’re comfortable with them. Let patients review your office, and make sure you’re doing a good job, so those reviews are positive. Take a look at your website and make it something you’re proud of. Many excellent dentists produce beautiful work, but they don’t put it online. Show your work so patients know what to expect.

If you don’t have someone in your office to manage this, consider hiring someone part-time to help with content creation. We’re living in a digital age, and this trend will only accelerate. Embrace it, get digitally involved, and you’ll be an even greater gift to your patients and your community.