How much should a dentist spend on Facebook ads?

Step 1: what a lead is worth to you

Three numbers decide it: what a new patient is worth, the share of that you keep after costs, and how many of your leads become paying work. Multiply them and you get the most you can pay for a lead and still break even.

Pay less than that per lead and your ads make money; pay more and they lose it, however busy the phone is. There’s more on this in what a lead is worth.

Step 2: what leads cost

In the US, the median Facebook cost per lead for dentists businesses is about US$77, against about US$28 across all industries¹. Leads are getting dearer too: the average cost per lead rose about 21% in a year².

Your own cost depends on your area, your offer and your ads. This example uses $75 a lead. Once your ads have run for a few weeks, use your real figure from Ads Manager.

Step 3: budget for the new patients you want

Start from the work you want, not from a number that feels safe. Divide the new patients you want each month by your close rate to get the leads you need, then multiply by what a lead costs.

If the last line comes out small or negative with your own numbers, more ad spend won’t fix it. Lift the value of each new patient, your close rate or your margin first, or aim the ads at the new patients worth more.

Step 4: how much to start with

A brand-new campaign needs enough results to tell a good ad from a bad one. Meta has long described about 50 results in 7 days as the point an ad set leaves its learning phase, though some accounts have been shown lower bars³. Most small businesses can’t afford 50 leads a week, so aim for 10–20 leads across the first two weeks instead.

At $75 a lead, that’s about $54–$107 a day. Run two or three ads, judge them on the new patients they bring, then move budget to the winners a step at a time.

The new patients worth advertising

Dental leads are among the most expensive on Facebook. The US median is about US$77 a lead, nearly three times the all-industry median¹. That only works if a new patient is worth enough over their first year: check-ups, cleans and the treatment that follows.

• New patient check-ups and cleans: the entry point to a long relationship.
• Teeth whitening: a popular, easily advertised service.
• Invisalign and orthodontics: high value, long decisions.
• Implants and cosmetic work: the highest value, with the most research before booking.

Ad ideas for dentists

• A new-patient offer that explains exactly what’s included and the price.
• Short videos of the practice and team, which ease nerves before a first visit.
• Consultation offers for whitening, Invisalign or implants with real price ranges.

When to spend more, and less

Demand rises before the end of the year as people use health fund benefits before they reset, and before weddings and events. Plan budget around those periods.

Mistakes that waste budget

Ignoring advertising rules for health services

Health advertising has its own rules in many countries, including on testimonials and before-and-after images. Check what applies to your practice before you run an ad.

Valuing a patient on one visit

At dental lead prices, a single check-up rarely covers the cost. Value a lead on a patient’s first year, including treatment.

Changing everything every day

Big edits to budgets, audiences or ads send an ad set back into learning, and results wobble while it relearns. Make fewer, bigger changes and give them a few days.

Spreading a small budget over too many ads

Ten ads on $75 a day means none of them gets enough leads to judge. Fewer ads, each with a fair share of the budget, tell you more, faster.

Agency or do it yourself?

Agencies commonly charge $500–5,000 a month, or 10–20% of ad spend, on top of the ads themselves⁴⁵. On a $4,350 budget, that fee can be a big share of what you spend reaching customers. A good agency can earn it; if you mainly need someone watching the numbers and telling you what to change, you may not need one. See the signs your agency isn’t worth it.

Questions