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All Dots Connected · Ep. 5
Dental patients buy transactionally now: Ryan Torresan on marketing the full patient journey
Ryan Torresan, Chief Marketing Officer, Peak Dental Services
In this episode
Ryan Torresan, CMO of Peak Dental Services, explains how changing patient behavior and the rise of multi-location DSOs are reshaping dental marketing. He covers the metrics that track the full patient journey, a retail redesign that lifted sales, and how AI and new platforms are changing patient acquisition.
Key takeaways
01
Patients treat dentists transactionally, so availability wins
After more than 14 years in dental marketing, Torresan sees patients choosing a dentist the way they choose any service. If a practice can't see them today, they move down the list until someone can. That shift forces practices to get more sophisticated in both marketing and operations.
02
Measure the full patient journey, not impressions
Torresan argues marketing and operations have to be run together, which he calls MOPs. Impressions may look important, but the metrics that matter track the whole journey: cost per lead, cost per schedule, cost per shown patient, and ultimately patient value.
03
A dental office runs on retail flow, like a grocery store
After visiting hundreds of dental offices, Torresan saw that practices follow a retail flow similar to grocery stores. That led to a complete redesign of patient education and product placement. In the first year, retail sales rose 25% and cosmetic care acceptance rose 18%.
04
Automate the missed call before it becomes a missed patient
Peak Dental uses AI across SEO, social media management, and patient communication. One example is a system that automatically replies to missed calls with a text message. The result is far fewer missed patient opportunities, while keeping a personal touch.
05
Prepare now for live social selling and AI search
Torresan predicts live social selling will become significant in the next few years, following trends in other industries. He also expects Gen Z to rely on TikTok and AI search tools to find healthcare providers. Practices will need to adapt their marketing to match.
“People see their dentists more transactionally now. If you can't get them in today, they're just going to go down to the list until somebody can get them in.”
What operators can apply
- Report cost per lead, cost per schedule, cost per shown patient, and patient value side by side instead of impressions.
- Walk your locations as a patient would and redesign education and product placement around the physical flow.
- Set up automatic text replies to missed calls so no inbound patient goes unanswered.
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