David Nelkin shares how dental practices can take advantage of the shift to AI-driven marketing.
Picture this: your next dental patient discovers your practice through a 15-minute conversation with Google’s AI assistant about their dental anxiety and treatment options. The AI doesn’t just recommend your practice – it explains why you’re perfect for their specific needs and suggests the best time to call.
This isn’t science fiction. Q4 2025 will see the most significant change to Google Ads in 25 years, as they fully integrate advertising into AI mode for over 100 million users. Here are five ways AI is already reshaping how dental practices connect with patients.
1. The death of keyword targeting
Traditional SEO strategies built around keyword rankings are being replaced by AI-driven algorithms. Instead of targeting individual search terms, Google’s AI now analyses entire conversational contexts, digital footprints (YouTube views, past bookings, website behaviour), and rich intent data.
What this means: Your practice could appear during a patient’s extended AI conversation about dental anxiety or treatment options – moments that never existed before. Search queries are getting longer as people have actual conversations with AI assistants rather than typing short keyword phrases.
2. AI Mode ads transform patient discovery
Google’s new system works like a personal assistant for users. AI may potentially complete appointment bookings based on detected intent, with intent signals becoming 10 times more powerful than traditional keyword matching.
What this means: Ads will be served to people genuinely interested in dental treatment at the exact moment they’re ready to take action. Your practice information, patient reviews, social media content, and website data all become part of how Google’s AI decides whether to recommend you.
3. Feed hygiene becomes critical
As Google has coined it, ‘feed hygiene’ – keeping all your online information current and comprehensive – has become critical. Outdated or incomplete data can disqualify practices from AI recommendations.
What this means: Your online presence across all touchpoints matters more than ever – not just paid ads but organic social media, reviews on multiple platforms, website content, and Google Business Profiles.
4. Hyper-personalised patient experiences
AI systems analyse digital footprints – pages visited, time spent on content, previous interactions – to customise entire nurturing sequences. CRM systems use predictive analytics to identify which leads are most likely to convert, automatically scheduling follow-ups at optimal times.
What this means: When someone enquires about Invisalign through your website, AI customises their journey based on their specific interests and behaviour patterns. This isn’t about being intrusive; it’s about being relevant at exactly the right moment.
5. Conversational content wins
The shift to conversational AI means practices need to optimise for entire patient journeys rather than individual keywords. Content must align with how people actually talk to AI assistants.
What this means: Structure your website and social content around natural patient questions rather than just keywords. Fresh, regularly updated content across multiple platforms becomes essential for AI visibility.
What you should do now
The window for competitive advantage is open, but it won’t stay that way long. Here’s your action plan:
- Audit your online presence – ensure practice information, photos, reviews, and content are current across all platforms
- Invest in authentic content – high-quality photos and videos of your actual practice remain competitive advantages
- Optimise for conversations – structure content around natural patient questions
- Prepare for new ad formats – start working on AI Max campaigns now
- Work with specialists – implementing AI marketing effectively while focusing on patient care requires expert guidance.
The shift to AI-driven marketing isn’t coming – it’s here. Practices that understand and implement these changes now will have significant advantages over those who wait. Your patients are already using AI to find dental care. Make sure they find you.
Xcelerator Dental is a specialist dental marketing agency that helps practices grow through digital marketing focused on new patient conversion.
Learn more about Xcelerator Dental.
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