What dentists need to know about Google ads

The success of Google Ads relies on more than budget—it takes smart bidding, strong copy and optimized landing pages. (iStock)

A patient wakes up with a toothache. The first thing they do isn’t flip through a phonebook or wait for a flyer in the mail, they grab their phone, open Google, and type in “dentist near me.” Within seconds, they’re comparing local practices, reading reviews, and deciding who to call.

This is how most patients now search for dental care, whether it’s an emergency, a routine cleaning, or a cosmetic treatment. And if your practice doesn’t appear in those search results, you’re missing out on the exact moment when patients are ready to book.

That’s where pay-per-click (PPC) advertising comes in. With PPC, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, meaning your budget goes toward real traffic to your website or direct calls to your office. For dentists, PPC is often the fastest way to generate patient inquiries.

While there are several PPC platforms including Bing, Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp, the one that matters most is Google Ads.

With about 90% of the search engine market share, Google dominates how patients find local services. That’s why it’s usually the first place dentists turn when they explore PPC.

How Google Ads work

At its core, Google Ads is built on an auction system. But unlike a traditional auction where the highest bidder automatically wins, Google uses several factors to decide which ads appear and in what order.

Here’s how it works step by step:

A patient searches for something.
Let’s say someone types “emergency dentist near me” into Google. Instantly, Google looks at all the advertisers who are bidding on that keyword.
An auction begins.
Every advertiser who wants their ad to show up for that keyword enters the auction automatically.
Google scores the ads.
To decide whose ad shows up at the top, Google considers three major things:
- Bid amount – This is how much you’re willing to pay if someone clicks on your ad. For example, you might set a maximum bid of $12 per click for “emergency dentist.”
- Ad relevance – Google checks whether your ad actually matches what the patient is searching for. If your ad headline says “24/7 Emergency Dentist in [City],” that’s highly relevant.
- Landing page quality – Once the patient clicks, do they land on a page that gives them exactly what they’re looking for? If your page is fast, easy to use, and clearly explains your emergency dental services, Google considers it a strong landing page.
Google assigns an “Ad Rank.”
Google combines these factors into a score called Ad Rank. Even if you don’t have the highest bid, you can still outrank competitors if your ads and landing pages are more relevant and useful to patients.
The ad appears (and you pay if clicked).
If your ad wins a spot, it shows up on the search results page. You don’t pay for impressions (just showing the ad). You only pay when a patient actually clicks on it.

Why this matters for dentists

This system means dentists can’t just throw money at Google Ads and expect results. Success depends on a mix of:

Smart bidding – Setting the right budgets for the right keywords.
Strong ad copy – Writing ads that directly match what patients are searching.
Optimized landing pages – Making sure your website is fast, trustworthy, and easy to use so patients actually call or book.

The advantages of Google ads

Google Ads can be one of the most effective ways to attract new patients. Here are the biggest pros:

Immediate visibility
Unlike dental SEO, which can take months to show results, Google Ads can put your practice at the top of search results within hours of launching a campaign.
Targeted reach
You can target by location, specific services, and even the time of day. That means your ad dollars are spent reaching people who are most likely to become patients.
Pay only for clicks
You don’t pay just to show your ad. You only pay when someone actually clicks on it, making it more cost-efficient than traditional advertising.
Local control
Google Ads allows you to set geographic limits, like a 5 or 10-mile radius around your practice. This ensures you’re only paying for clicks from people who could realistically book an appointment and show up.

The disadvantages of Google ads

While Google Ads can bring in new patients quickly, it’s not without its challenges. Here are the main drawbacks dentists should be aware of:

High cost
Google Ads has become more expensive over time. A few years ago, many practices could get solid results with $1,000 per month. Today, it often takes $3,000 or more to stay competitive, especially in large cities. The more dentists bid on the same keywords, the higher the cost per click climbs.
Pay-to-play system
Google Ads only works as long as you’re spending. The moment you stop your campaigns, your ads disappear from search results and so do the patients calling your practice.
Growing competition
More dental practices are advertising on Google every year. This drives up costs and makes it harder for smaller practices with limited budgets to compete.
Complex and technical
Running Google Ads is not a “set it and forget it” tool. To get results, you need to constantly manage campaigns: adjusting keywords, rewriting ad copy, refining targeting, and analyzing performance. Without this ongoing optimization, campaigns quickly lose effectiveness and waste money.
Requires a strong website
Even if your ads are excellent, they won’t work if patients click through to a slow or poorly designed website. Google favors advertisers with high-quality landing pages, and patients are unlikely to book if they don’t trust what they see.

Common pitfalls dentists face with Google ads

Many practices jump into Google Ads only to be disappointed. Here are the mistakes that cost dentists money:

Broad targeting – Bidding on generic keywords like “dentist” drives unqualified clicks. Narrowing in on “emergency dentist [city]” or “teeth whitening near me” ensures you reach the right audience.
Weak geographic filters – Ads showing outside your service area waste budget on patients unlikely to drive to your office.
Generic ad copy – Ads without strong calls-to-action (like “Same-Day Appointments Available”) fail to convert.
Poor landing pages – Even the best ads can’t overcome a slow or confusing website. Patients won’t book if they don’t trust what they see.
Underfunding campaigns – A $500 test budget rarely provides enough clicks to generate reliable data. This leads to false conclusions that “Google Ads don’t work.”

The rising cost of Google ads in dentistry

One of the biggest challenges with dental PPC is cost. Just a few years ago, many practices could see results with $1,000 per month. Today, in most competitive markets, that’s no longer realistic.

In mid-sized cities, practices often need $1,500–$3,000 per month just to stay visible.
In large urban areas, budgets of $5,000 or more per month are common for competitive services like “cosmetic dentist near me” or “emergency dental care.”

Why the increase? Because Google Ads is a marketplace. As more dental practices enter the auction and bid for the same keywords, the cost per click goes up. A keyword that once cost $5 might now cost $12 or more. And this trend will likely continue as competition grows.

For dentists, this means Google Ads can still be profitable but only if campaigns are carefully managed, targeted, and paired with a realistic budget.

Short-term gains vs. long-term growth

Google Ads is excellent for quick wins. A startup practice can use ads to get patients in the door fast. An established clinic can run emergency-focused ads to fill last-minute gaps. A cosmetic dentist can promote high-value cases like veneers or Invisalign and see a strong return.

But ads alone aren’t sustainable. The moment you stop spending, your visibility vanishes. That’s why dentists should view PPC as part of a broader marketing system not the whole strategy.

Long-term growth comes from dental SEO, content marketing, patient referrals, and reputation management. These strategies take longer to develop but build lasting visibility and reduce dependency on paid ads.

The smartest approach is a balanced strategy:

Use Google Ads to drive immediate patient flow.
Invest in SEO to gradually show up organically, without spending a dime on ads.
Train your front-desk staff to handle new patient inquiries efficiently and increase the chances of booking appointments.

Final thoughts

Dental PPC, and especially Google Ads, remains one of the most powerful tools for attracting new patients. It offers immediate visibility, precise targeting, and measurable results. But it’s also getting more competitive and more expensive each year.

If you decide to invest, avoid the common pitfalls that drain budgets. Set a realistic monthly spend, build strong landing pages, and track your results closely. Use Google Ads as a way to kickstart growth or fill urgent needs, while planning long-term with SEO and other organic strategies.

That way, instead of chasing clicks forever, you’ll build a foundation that keeps your chairs full.

About the author:

Adrian Clocusneanu is the Marketing Manager at RevUp Dental, where he leads the company’s marketing department. RevUp Dental is a dental marketing agency that brings proven systems from top-performing practices across North America and helps dental offices stand out online with marketing that actually works.