Opening a new dental practice is brave. Growing it fast is a science.
Imagine opening the doors to your brand-new squat dental practice. The lights are on, the chairs are ready, the smell of fresh paint still lingers in the air. But there’s one problem, the diary is empty.
Every dentist who’s ever launched a squat practice knows that feeling. You’ve invested everything into building your dream clinic, but without patients walking through the door, it’s hard to make that dream sustainable.
This is where strategy matters more than anything else. Because the truth is, no amount of clinical excellence can fill an empty diary on its own.
That’s exactly where FDGP Consultancy steps in.
When Gibside Dental partnered with FDGP and it’s partners in 2025 one month before opening, they didn’t just want visibility, they wanted bookings. Within weeks, their online calendar was filling up. By the time they opened their doors, their first three months were already fully booked. Four months later, they were investing in a third surgery room to keep up with patient demand.
This is the story of how they did it and how you can too.
1. Laying the Groundwork: Your Website Is the Foundation of Growth
Your website is not a brochure. It’s your digital practice manager, working 24/7 to turn strangers into patients.
Building a conversion-driven website before launch, fast, mobile-friendly, and designed to convert every visit into an enquiry is important. Patients could browse treatments, meet the team, and book an appointment instantly.
A great dental website should:
- Load in seconds and work perfectly on mobile.
- Guide visitors clearly to what they need and to your booking form.
- Include trust-building content such as photos, team introductions, and reviews.
- Be structured for SEO from day one so Google can find and rank it quickly.
Your website is the first impression most patients will ever have of your brand. Make it count.
2. Look the Part: Invest in Quality Photo and Video Content
Perception shapes trust, especially in dentistry. Before anyone books an appointment, they need to feel your practice is professional, safe, and worth their time.
That’s why FDGP always advises new squat practices to invest in professional photo and video content before launch. It’s not vanity, it’s credibility.
Show your space, your team, and your story. Capture the atmosphere of care and confidence that defines your clinic.
When done right, this content feeds your website, Google Ads, and social media, creating a consistent and premium image that attracts high-value patients.
3. Be Found: The Power of SEO
The next challenge? Making sure people can find you.
When someone searches “dentist near me” or “emergency dentist in [your town],” your clinic needs to appear, ideally at the top.
FDGP’s SEO strategy focuses on local authority.
That means optimising your Google Business Profile, creating geo-targeted landing pages, writing educational blogs, and encouraging genuine patient reviews that help you rank higher.
SEO isn’t instant, but it’s powerful. For Gibside Dental, it was the engine that kept enquiries flowing long after the initial launch buzz.
4. Get Results Fast: Google Ads That Pay for Themselves
When you’re opening a new practice, you don’t have time to wait months for results. That’s why Google Ads are essential in the early stages.
FDGP’s approach focuses on intent-based advertising, showing ads only to people actively looking for treatments you offer. Every click is purposeful. Every pound is accountable.
The results?
For Gibside Dental, Google Ads campaigns targeting “private dentist Gateshead,” “Invisalign consultations,” and “emergency dentist near me” filled their diary before the official opening day.
By combining intelligent keyword targeting with compelling ad copy and conversion-ready landing pages, the campaign delivered a measurable return on investment from the very first month.
5. Build Relationships: Social Media as a Trust Channel
Social media isn’t about pretty pictures, it’s about building familiarity. Patients rarely book after one ad. They book after they’ve seen you enough times to feel they know you.
That’s why FDGP integrates social media management into every growth plan. It’s not just posting for the sake of it; it’s about storytelling.
Introduce your team, share your patient success stories, talk about dental myths, and post short videos explaining treatments in simple language.
This is how you turn a local audience into loyal patients.
At Gibside Dental, local Facebook and Instagram campaigns built genuine community engagement, while retargeting ads gently reminded potential patients to take action.
6. Systemise Everything: CRM and Chatbot Integration
A lead that isn’t followed up is a lost opportunity.
That’s why every modern dental practice should invest in a CRM system and FDGP recommends solutions like Boxly that are built specifically for dentistry.
Integrating your CRM with a chatbot on your website ensures enquiries are never missed. Patients get immediate answers, and your team receives instant alerts to follow up.
Gibside Dental saw a noticeable boost in conversions after connecting their chatbot to their CRM. Leads were tracked, nurtured, and converted faster, without the administrative chaos that often plagues new practices.
7. Add a Treatment Coordinator to the Team
A Treatment Coordinator (TCO) might be one of the smartest early hires you’ll ever make.
This role bridges the gap between marketing and patient care, ensuring every enquiry receives personal attention. A skilled TCO can walk patients through treatment options, handle follow-ups, and manage communication with consistency and warmth.
For Gibside Dental, the TCO became a cornerstone of the patient journey, ensuring no lead went cold and every patient felt valued from the very first call.
8. Don’t Forget the Real World: Offline Marketing Still Works
Digital dominates the conversation, but offline marketing still holds real power, especially for new practices trying to establish roots in their community.
Leaflets, local sponsorships, banners, and community partnerships still matter. They build recognition, drive local searches, and make your clinic feel familiar before anyone even visits your website.
In fact, FDGP often uses offline marketing to strengthen local SEO, ensuring your practice shows up more prominently in nearby searches.
9. Partner with Experience: From Launch to Growth
Launching a squat dental practice isn’t just about tactics; it’s about timing, systems, and guidance.
Working with an experienced dental growth partner like FDGP gives you the clarity and structure to scale faster, without wasting time or money on guesswork.
Starting with a free discovery call, FDGP helps new practices map out a complete growth plan, covering branding, marketing, patient experience, and team structure. From launch to long-term success, they stay with you through every stage.
Gibside Dental is living proof that this approach works. What started as a brand-new practice with no patient base quickly evolved into a thriving clinic now planning its next phase of expansion.
Final Thoughts
Opening a squat dental practice is not for the faint-hearted but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right mix of digital systems, offline visibility, and expert support, you can skip the slow start and move straight into growth.
If you’re preparing to launch your own dental practice, or if you’ve opened recently and want to accelerate your results, talk to Foxstern Dental Growth Partners.
Your next success story could start with one simple step, a free discovery call to plan your launch and growth strategy.
