Design Inspiration Blog | Plastic Printers

Unique Marketing Tools for Dentists

Written by Tyler Shanley | May 13, 2020 6:00:00 PM

Oral health is extremely important, and your dental office is doing a great job keeping your patient's mouths healthy and clean. However, do you have all of the dental marketing tools that can help your dental office run efficiently, acquire new patients, educate patients, boost revenue, and foster growth?

From dental business cards to educational tools, there is a wide variety of dental marketing tools available that can help make a difference at your dental office. Let me guide you through the unique and exciting world of dentist marketing tools.

Dental Business Cards

Besides oral health, one of the reasons people visit dentists is to have a beautiful, clean smile. Making a memorable first impression is always important, and 48% of American adults believe a smile is the most memorable feature after first meeting someone. Similarly, for your dental office, a good first impression is vital to gaining new business. While a smile is a great place to start, dental business cards are a great way to make a high-impact first impression that attracts new business.

With dental business cards, you leave potential patients with your contact information so they can reach out and schedule an appointment at a later date. Customizing your dentist business cards to reflect your brand and stand out helps your potential patients remember you and your conversation providing you with a secure foundation for future business. At Plastic Printers, we offer a wide selection of eye-catching design features such as clear cards, custom shapes, foil stamping, and more to help you create a one-of-a-kind impression.

The key to creating an effective business card is to make it unique to your business. In the case of your dental office, teeth are the obvious choice. You could use a tooth shape, or use other design features like clear accents or foil to make a tooth design stand out. No matter what kind of design you choose, be sure that it is easy to read, and is unique.

Dentist Gift Cards

Gift cards are a must-have product for every business, but they are also perfectly suited for your dental office. Here's why, gift cards act as the ultimate referral, it's essentially a recommendation from a loved one with free money. It's a surefire way to gain new patients, and have patients returning to your practice.

Usually, people are encouraged to visit the dentist twice a year. Dentist gift cards can help make patients more likely to schedule that next appointment by using them as a promotional tool or as a way to reward patients. Hand them to patients if they reach a milestone, spend a specific amount of money, have a particular procedure, or just because you appreciate them. It's a great way to incentivize them to return.

Giving away promotional gift cards at events like parades or community gatherings can help put your business in front of new people. With a gift card, the proposition of checking out your dental office doesn't seem like such a risk; using gift cards in this way is a great way to attract people.


To encourage gift card sales, you should place them in a prominent position at your dental office. You'll miss out on gift card sales if your patients don't know they're available, which is why it is extremely important to put them in a place where they are visible and with a lot of traffic, like the front desk. Everyone has to check in or check out at the front desk during their visit, making it the perfect place to advertise your gift cards.

Referral Cards

While one of the benefits of gift cards is acting as a referral, there's a marketing tool specifically designed to do that job: referral cards. Referral cards incentivize your current patients to refer a family member or friend to your dental office. Here's how they work, your current patient gives this card out to someone who hasn't been to your business before, and if that new person goes to your business, they are both rewarded with discounts or other rewards.

To get your referral program working as effectively as possible, make sure to reward your patients with things that they want. If your patients don't have an interest in the rewards you are offering, they have no reason to refer anyone. Before you start your referral program, considering surveying your current patients to find out what would drive them to refer new patients. 

Obviously, bringing in new patients is incredible for your dental office. However, there's a reason why you'll want referred patients; a study conducted by the Geothe University Frankfurt and the University of Pennsylvania found that referred patients are more profitable and loyal than patients who were not referred. Referral programs are a fantastic way to reach new patients while also boosting patient loyalty and revenue; you don't want to miss out on having referral cards at your dental office.

Informational Cards, Brochures, & Educational Tools

One of the biggest problems dentists face in acquiring new patients, promoting growth, and maximizing profits is misguided fear and confusion. Believe it or not, 36% of the population suffers from dental anxiety or dental fear. That's a lot of potential patients who are missing out on regular oral care, but with the help of informational cards, dentist brochures, and educational tools, you can help make a difference and reach them. 

Use these tools to let potential patients know about the importance of visiting the dentist. As you well know, oral health is critical, and if you can explain that in ways that are relatable and easy to understand, that could urge new patients to come in. Another idea is to try to alleviate their fears by going over the services that you provide so that they have an idea of what to expect when they come in for an appointment. With a strong informational and educational campaign, you can potentially reach patients who previously avoided the dentist.

Are you ready to take your dental marketing to the next level with these dental marketing tools? You've come to the right place, the experts at Plastic Printers have the products as well as stunning design ideas to help you out. Whether you're ready to get started or have questions, give us a call today; we're happy to help!