How to Get More Patients in a Dental Office: A Canadian Playbook

Most "get more dental patients" guides are written for US practices and lean on tactics that are restricted in parts of Canada, such as free whitening offers and patient testimonials. This playbook covers what top guides cover (local search, reviews, recall, booking) and adds the Canadian layer: the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), Ontario's advertising rules from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO), and an editable funnel calculator.

Start with the size of the opportunity. In the 2022 Canadian Community Health Survey, 65% of Canadians had seen a dental professional in the previous 12 months, 24% said they had avoided a visit because of cost, and 40% of people without dental insurance said the same. Many of those people now have federal coverage: Health Canada reported in April 2026 that more than 6.5 million Canadians are covered by the CDCP and more than 4 million have received care.

What are the fastest ways to increase dental patient volume?

The table sorts tactics by type. Reactivation tactics bring back people already in your software; new patient tactics bring in people who have never visited. Reactivation is usually cheaper and faster, so do it first.

Checked November 2026. Cost and timing are our general estimates, not measured averages. Rule notes summarise Google's review policy and the RCDSO Professional Advertising advisory for Ontario; other provinces have their own regulators.

Should you focus on new patients or reactivating existing ones?

Both, in that order: reactivation first, then new patients. A patient who is 18 months overdue already trusts you, has records on file and often has coverage you have billed before. A reactivation message costs almost nothing. A new patient from an ad costs a click, a phone call that someone has to answer and a first visit that may not convert to ongoing care.

Run this check this week: pull a list from your practice software of active patients with no future appointment and no visit in 12 months or more. That number is your fastest source of volume. Then look at new patient demand: how many first-time callers you get a week, and how many reach a person.

How can a dental office attract Canadian Dental Care Plan patients?

By being easy to find, easy to understand and easy to book. Health Canada says close to 100% of active dentists, denturists, hygienists and specialists are caring for CDCP patients, so simply accepting the plan is no longer a differentiator. Clarity is.

• Know the two participation routes. Per the CDCP page for oral health professionals, providers can sign up formally through Sun Life or submit claims on a claim-by-claim basis. Either way, submitting a claim means billing Sun Life directly and limiting out-of-pocket costs for CDCP clients.
• Do not ask CDCP patients to pay in full upfront. The same page says there is no option for clients to be reimbursed by Sun Life, so patients should only pay any amount the plan does not cover.
• Write a CDCP page. Explain what to bring, that co-pays may apply depending on family income, that some services need preauthorization, and how to book. The federal CDCP promotional toolkit has a poster, web banners and multilingual factsheets you can use, and the co-payment examples factsheet helps you explain costs. In Ontario, check with the RCDSO before reusing the toolkit's testimonial material in your own ads.
• Be findable. Health Canada points members without a provider to Sun Life's CDCP Provider Search. Ask Sun Life how your clinic appears there, and add "CDCP accepted" to your Google Business Profile description if it is true.
• Train the front desk script. "Yes, we see CDCP patients. Do you have your member ID? We will confirm your coverage before your visit." A clear answer on the first call wins the booking.

Eligibility details for patients are on the CDCP qualify page. Link to it rather than restating rules that change.

What do RCDSO advertising rules allow when marketing a dental office?

Ontario's rules are stricter than most marketing guides assume. The RCDSO's Professional Advertising practice advisory and its 2025 article The dos and don'ts of advertising set out what to avoid. In plain language:

Checked November 2026 against the RCDSO advisory and article. Summary only, not legal advice. The RCDSO says it will review a proposed advertisement; outside Ontario, check your own provincial regulator.

How do recall and reactivation fill the schedule?

Recall works when it is a system, not a task someone gets to on a quiet afternoon:

1. Book the next visit before the patient leaves. The easiest recall is the one already on the calendar.
2. Remind in the patient's preferred channel. Text for most, email for some, a call for patients who ask. Keep health details out of the message.
3. Work the overdue list weekly. Three touches over three weeks, then mark and move on.
4. Chase unscheduled treatment. Patients who accepted a treatment plan but never booked are often waiting for a nudge or a cost estimate.
5. Time it with coverage. Many patients have employer plans that reset each year. A fall reminder to use remaining coverage is helpful, as long as it states facts and does not pressure.

Our dental recall system checklist compares software features in detail.

Do phones and online booking really bring in more patients?

Yes, because a new patient who cannot reach you usually calls the next clinic on the map. Practical steps:

• Track missed calls for two weeks, split by hour. Lunch and the first hour of the day are common gaps.
• Return every missed call the same day, and text back when you cannot call. See missed-call text back in Canada for wording.
• Offer online booking for new patient exams and hygiene, with real availability. Hide it behind a phone call and many people will not book.
• Ask "How did you hear about us?" at booking and record the answer, so you know which tactic is working.

To put a dollar figure on missed calls, try the dental missed call cost calculator.

How should a dental office ask for Google reviews?

Ask every patient, the same way, after the visit. Google prohibits offering incentives for reviews and selectively asking only happy patients, and recommends a review link or QR code (tips to get more reviews). In Ontario, the RCDSO incentive rule makes "leave a review, get a discount" doubly off-limits.

A simple text: "Thanks for visiting [clinic] today. If you have a minute, an honest Google review helps other families find a dentist: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out." Reply to reviews without confirming anyone is a patient or mentioning treatment. More scripts are in our CASL-compliant review request templates.

What insurance-friendly messaging helps patients book?

Cost is the reason many people delay care, so answer cost questions before they call. Useful, verifiable lines for your site and phone script:

• "We direct bill most insurance plans" (only if true, and name exceptions).
• "We accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Co-pays may apply."
• "We can send a pre-treatment estimate to your insurer before major work."
• "Ask us for a written estimate before treatment."

Avoid "free" and "no cost" unless they are true for every patient, since an advertised fee in Ontario applies to all patients, insured or not.

How many new patients can your funnel produce?

This is an editable example, not a benchmark. Every default below is a placeholder; replace it with your own numbers from your phone system and practice software.

Should a dental office do this in-house or get help?

Most of this list is front desk process, and a well-run team can do it with the software you already have. Clinics look for help when the phone rings during treatment, recall falls behind, or the website does not let patients book.

Options include hiring another front desk person, a dental answering service, your practice software's built-in reminders, a marketing agency, or a done-for-you system. AGNT/01 is one option in the last group: a clinic website that books, an AI front desk that answers calls, chat and text, follow-up and review requests, written to fit your college's rules. Pricing: Build from $999 one-time, or Growth at $1,999 plus $999 a month (CAD). See AI for dental clinics for how it works and dental website cost in Canada to compare builds.

Sources

Links opened and checked November 2, 2026.

• Statistics Canada, The Daily, Canadian Community Health Survey: oral health, 2022 (released November 6, 2023)
• Health Canada, More than 6.5 million Canadians can now receive services under the CDCP (April 17, 2026)
• Government of Canada, CDCP: information for oral health professionals
• Government of Canada, CDCP promotional toolkit
• Government of Canada, CDCP: examples of co-payments and additional charges
• Government of Canada, CDCP: do you qualify
• Sun Life, CDCP Provider Search
• RCDSO, Practice Advisory: Professional Advertising
• RCDSO, The dos and don'ts of advertising (July 28, 2025)
• RCDSO, Advertising Guidelines
• Google, Maps user contributed content policy: prohibited and restricted content
• Google Business Profile Help, Tips to get more reviews

Related reading: dental marketing in Ottawa under RCDSO rules, Dental recall system checklist, AI for dental clinics and dental website cost in Canada