Rebranding a Dental Practice: A Tale of Transition and Transformation

What happens when a new dentist takes the reins of an existing practice? Can the practice maintain its patient base while going through a brand transformation? When Dr. Sartor partnered with us, these were the complex challenges we had to solve.

The Client: Dr. Ronnetta Sartor at Lugoff Smiles

Dr. Sartor acquired her practice in August 2022, taking over a legacy left by a long-standing practitioner. Located in Lugoff, South Carolina, the practice’s demographic was family dentistry in a rural, small community. She was on a dual mission: not only did she need to transition the patient base, but she also planned to go out-of-network with insurance.

Pain-Free implemented a multi-step strategy to boost the practice’s performance. 

Performance Before: 

  • Insurance: PPO Driven
  • Production: About $35,000/month
  • New Patients: 11/month

Performance After: 

  • Insurance: FFS
  • Production: Skyrocketed to about $57,000/month (ATH of $84,000/month in 2024)
  • New Patients: 27/month

Our Approach: Creating a Seamless Transition and Introducing Dr. Sartor’s Vision

Our first course of action was a complete rebrand, starting with a fresh logo and color palette to kickstart the new website. Custom social media graphics followed, effectively introducing Dr. Sartor’s brand to the digital world. You can view the new dental website here!

We knew the importance of online visibility, so SEO took a front seat in our strategy from day 1. And to give this new brand the spotlight it deserved, we launched targeted advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Here’s a look at her keyword rankings and how it has improved since joining our dental marketing agency:

Community engagement was also a cornerstone of our approach. Dr. Sartor made her presence felt by sponsoring local events despite not living in the same town. She even rolled up her sleeves and became an active participant in community happenings. After all, what’s a hometown dental practice without a local touch?

Dr. Sartor’s vision wasn’t just skin deep; it extended to the look and feel of the practice itself. We flew out to her location to capture this transformation through a professional photo shoot, giving new and existing patients a true sense of the revamped space.

The Pivot: Adapting to New Goals

Once Dr. Sartor was comfortably settled and we had started to see the growth we expected under the new brand, we revisited our strategy. She had invested in training and technology to offer clear aligners, and it was time for her marketing to reflect that. 

With the growth of her practice, she was also able to open additional days to offer more scheduling flexibility to her patients, so we made sure to advertise that to her existing patients and potential new patients who were looking for flexible scheduling. 

Additionally, to ensure a consistently excellent patient experience, we monitor calls monthly to provide actionable feedback to her team. This allowed Dr. Sartor to focus on the clinical side of the business and patient care while we assisted the team with new patient conversion. Dr. Sartor and her team have raving reviews that specifically mention how welcoming the entire team is, the amazing dentistry approach, and how the patients felt they had found their new dental home. 

The Results [Updated 2024]

With the implementation of Dr. Sartor’s new brand, additional technology, and treatment options, her production soared, and overall patient volume increased month over month in 2023. The enhanced focus on the patient experience and consistent brand voice across all digital channels within the community allows Dr. Sartor to do what she does best – focus on dentistry.

2024 Update: In the past 6 months, we have been working with Dr. Sartor to expand marketing efforts to new up-and-coming channels like Bing & Radio, getting more Google reviews, and improving treatment acceptance. This, along with the compounding results of existing efforts, has pushed the office to new heights. In April 2024, Dr. Sartor achieved the highest collection month in the history of the practice.

Dr. Sartor didn’t just change the name on the door; she redefined what her practice stands for while improving its profitability. That’s a win in any playbook!

Ready for your own practice transformation story? Let’s chat.