How To Run Instagram Ads For Dentists That Boost Appointments? [2025]

If you are mapping to run Instagram ads for dentists, you should know that many other dentists are already advertising on Instagram. Therefore, to make your ads stand out, you need to have a proper approach and well-crafted content. In this guide, we’ll explore the best strategies to create effective Instagram ads that attract clients and fill your schedule.

Why Instagram Ads For Dentists?

With approximately 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a great place for dentists to boost their clinics, attract prospects, and convert clients.

Visual appeal

As a visual-focus platform, Instagram can help you showcase high-quality photos and videos of your clinic and its activity. 

You can capture modern facilities in the clinic, before-and-after transformations of your clients, or behind-the-scenes footage of your dental treatments. 

Then, use them to run ads on Instagram to boost engagement effectively.

Advanced targeting

Instagram has various ad-targeting features that allow you to reach specific demographics. 

For example, you can target local patients who are interested in cosmetic dental procedures.

Besides, Instagram can distribute personalized ads based on user-tracking data to ensure your ads reach the most relevant audiences.

Social proof

As a crowded and dynamic social media platform, Instagram powerfully caters to social proof. 

You can use user-generated content (UGC), testimonials, and positive patient experiences in your Instagram ads.

This will create trust and credibility for your clinic, encouraging new patients to book appointments.

Best Strategies To Craft Compelling Instagram Ads For Dentists (2025)

The secret to winning Instagram ads all lies in your content. With compelling ad creatives, you can maximize results and optimize your CPL, CPC, etc.

GDT Agency suggests the best strategies you should follow in 2025.

#1: Use patient testimonials to build credibility

You can share UGC stories and videos featuring real patient testimonials to build trust and authenticity for the dentist and the brand. 

Ads should include impressive, contrasting photos of clients before and after treatment. Also, leverage videos shot by phones of them sharing experiences at the clinic. 

#2: Show before-and-after transformations

Showcasing dramatic changes before and after the dental procedure through photos and time-lapse videos can grab attention and encourage engagement.

A big misconception about Instagram ads is that before and after ad type is banned.

No, it used to be, especially for health-related industries like weight loss and cosmetics. However, Meta seems to be less strict about it now. You can run ads with before and after photos, as long as you keep it real.

Some kinds of teeth treatments that attract attention the best include:

• Teeth whitening
• Plaque and tartar removal
• Orthodontic alignments
• Porcelain veneers makeovers

#3: Add interactive elements like polls and quizzes

You can create interactive Instagram ads using the built-in features in Instagram Stories.

For example:

• Polls asking followers about how often they do dental care habits
• Quizzes testing knowledge of oral hygiene
• Question stickers that let audiences submit questions to the dentist

#4: Create informative, educational content

Informative, educational content about dental health care can not only bring value to audiences but also establish authority for the dentist. 

This kind of content is sharable and often gets high engagement, which makes it effective for awareness campaigns.

Examples include:

• Carousel posts explaining how to whiten teeth naturally
• Common myths about teeth whitening
• Care tips to prevent tooth decay

#5: Make limited-time offers to create urgency

Time-sensitive promotions are effective in driving immediate actions such as filling out lead forms or making appointments. 

This strategy works best for campaigns with leads and sales objectives.

For example: 

• Discounts on teeth whitening treatments
• Free consultations for new clients
• Seasonal specials on cosmetic dental procedures

#6: Tell behind-the-scenes stories

Behind-the-scenes content is perfect for Instagram video ads. It peels back the curtain and shows what happens in a dental clinic in a genuine way.

This will make your brand more reliable, improving customer trust effectively.

You can consider some kinds of content as follows:

• A day in the life video of a dentist in the clinic
• Introduction of the clinic’s team members 
• Office tour videos showcasing your culture and values

#7: Focus on local prospects

Dental care is a local service as people usually don’t travel far to have dental checkups or treatments. 

Thus, you should focus on local audiences instead of targeting broad to ensure the effectiveness of ads.

To target local audiences with Instagram ads for dentists, you can:

• When creating ads, use geo-targeting and choose a location radius around your brick-and-mortar clinic.
• Include location-based keywords in your ad copy so that Instagram’s algorithm can recognize and optimize ad delivery properly (e.g.: Dental Implant Specialists in Memphis).
• Optimize your Instagram bio for local search.
• Add local hashtags or location stickers in your ad copies or photos.
• Partner with local Instagram influencers whose followers match your audiences.

#8: Highlight your dental product/service

If you are advertising a product or service, your ads should feature it clearly and prominently.

Here is how to make your product/service the star of your Instagram ads:

• Use close-up shots, strategic positioning, and professional designs.
• Show benefits instead of just listing features. Focus on how it can help clients solve their problems.
• Demonstrate your product or service in use instead of boring stock photos to help clients understand its practical applications.

#9: Drive word-of-mouth with UGC

Do you know that 43% of U.S. adults regularly read online reviews of local businesses? This staggering statistic from Statista explains why local dentists should use UGC for advertising, including Instagram ads.

So how to encourage user-generated content for your clinic? Here are some useful suggestions:

• Display your social media account handles throughout your clinic so that your clients can find you easily online.
• Offer discounts or giveaways for clients who share posts or check in at your clinic.
• Create a branded hashtag and encourage your clients to use it when sharing their experiences at your clinic.
• Use these testimonials for organic posts (in your Instagram stories, feed posts, etc.) and ads, and actively ask viewers to share their own thoughts about your clinic.

#10: Feature your staff in ads

You can feature your clinic staff with their real personalities in your advertisements to build trust and personal connection with potential clients. 

This will create a welcoming atmosphere and friendly feelings for audiences. This makes them like they already know your people, which builds customer loyalty.

Also, when you introduce your dentists and specialists with their qualifications and experience, you can reinforce your clinic’s credibility. 

Some video concepts where you can feature your staff in Instagram ads for dentists:

• Meet the team
• Ask the expert
• Day in the life
• Staff education/training

#11: Make dental ads fun with memes

If you want to grab more attention and engagement with your Instagram dental ads, use memes. They are funny, shareable, and easy to go viral. 

So, if you have a larger budget and want to boost your brand awareness for younger demographics, use meme ads. 

However, if your ad objective is just for leads or sales, you may need a different approach. Integrate your humor carefully into your sales message while maintaining professionalism. 

#12: Ensure consistent branding 

While running your Instagram ads for dentists, make sure to maintain consistent branding through campaigns.

This will help increase brand recognition, recall, and credibility.

Here’s how to achieve consistent branding in ads:

• Develop a brand kit and use it consistently in ads. You can use Canva Pro, which has a built-in brand kit feature where you can save color palettes, fonts, logos, icons, graphics, and templates for your brand.
• Use consistent language, tone, and voice in your ad copy. 
• Beyond ads, maintain consistency on your organic content, website, and other social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok. 

#13: Collaborate with relevant influencers

According to Statista, the global influencer marketing market size is expected to reach around 33 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. It is considered one of the most effective online marketing forms for several reasons:

• Partnering with influencers can increase your ad reach to their dedicated follower bases.
• Influencer reviews can enhance the credibility of your clinic. 
• Influencer marketing often feels more authentic than brand content. 

Here are some types of influencers that can be suitable for dental clinic ads:

• Health coaches
• Nutritionists/Dietitians
• Beauty bloggers
• Mom/Dad bloggers
• Local lifestyle bloggers

Now that you have the strategies to create compelling Instagram ads for dentists. Let’s continue with ad optimization to maximize your results.

How To Optimize Instagram Ads For Dentists?

Even when you have crafted creative and compelling ad content, you may still not receive the desired results from ads if you lack proper techniques.

Here are some considerations to maximize the impact of your campaigns:

Choose the right ad formats

Instagram caters to many ad formats, such as photos, videos, carousels, reels, stories, and more.

Here’s a breakdown of which formats work best for different content and advertising objectives:

• Photo ads: Best for before-and-after photos, testimonials, and new product introductions.
• Video ads: Best for demonstrating dental treatment procedures, educational content, and behind-the-scenes videos.
• Carousel ads: Best for storytelling content or a range of before-and-after transformations.
• Reel ads: Best for short, entertaining, funny, educational content. 
• Story ads: Best for limited-time promotions, interactive ads with polls and quizzes, etc.

You can refer to our previous article about types of Instagram ads for details about their specs and usages.

Leverage Instagram’s CTA buttons

Don’t forget the call to action (CTA) button! It is really crucial for converting ad viewers into clients. 

Make sure the CTA matches your ad content and your objective. 

For example: 

• To drive appointments, use Book Now.
• To introduce new services, use Learn More.
• To generate leads or inquiries, use Contact Us or Send Message.

Perform A/B testing

Ad optimization is about testing and analyzing the results to find out the best option. 

Run multiple variations of an ad with a slight difference (e.g., CTA button, ad copy) and analyze which performs best in terms of reach, engagement, and conversions.

Monitor ad metrics

To analyze the results of ads, you need to monitor some key metrics including:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Engagement rate (likes, shares, comments)
• Conversion rate (appointments booked)
• Cost per click (CPC)
• Cost per mille (CPM)
• Cost per landing page view (CPLPV)

So how to use these metrics? First, you need to set benchmarks for each metric based on the industry average and your past projects. 

Track ad metrics regularly to identify poor-performing ad variants and pause them after testing. 

For ads that perform well, you can scale their budget or create similar ads following the same concepts to maximize results.

Tip: Rent Facebook agency accounts to lower CPC and CPM for Instagram ads. 

>>> Previous post: Easy Updated Guide To Adding Links To Instagram Stories

Conclusion

Instagram ads for dentists can help dental clinics connect with potential clients, build brand awareness, and nurture customer trust effectively. 

Remember, success only comes to those who dare to attempt. Start experimenting with the outlined strategies to craft really engaging ads for your clinic. Don’t stop testing and optimizing your campaigns. With the proper approach and enough effort, you will see results.

Need more help with your dental Instagram ads? Contact us immediately for a free consultation!

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