Case Study
June 17, 2025
Case Study: How a Dental Practice Built Local Awareness with CTV
How Kaimuki Dental used streaming TV to become a familiar name in their community
Table of Contents
Primary Keyword: dental practice TV advertising
Secondary Keywords: dentist TV commercials, dental marketing case study, dental practice marketing, dental CTV advertising
When Dr. Nakamura opened Kaimuki Dental, she faced the same challenge every independent dental practice confronts: competing against corporate chains with massive marketing budgets while building trust in a new community.
"People don't choose a dentist the way they choose a restaurant," she explains. "It's a trust decision. They need to feel like they already know you before they'll make that first appointment."
That insight led Kaimuki Dental to try something most small practices never consider: TV advertising. Four months and $2,400 later, the results speak for themselves.
Why a Dental Practice Chose TV Advertising
Most dental marketing advice centers on SEO and Google Ads. But Dr. Nakamura saw a problem: those channels only reach people already searching for a dentist.
"By the time someone searches 'dentist near me,' they're price shopping," she says. "I wanted to be the practice people thought of first, before they even needed to search."
Television advertising offered something digital couldn't: the ability to build familiarity and trust with potential patients before they ever needed dental care.
!Dental practice awareness strategy
Healthcare decisions are fundamentally about trust. When viewers see a dental practice on the same screen where they watch the news and their favorite shows, it creates a legitimacy that a Google ad placement can't match.
The Campaign Strategy
Kaimuki Dental worked with Adwave to create a campaign targeting local families within a 10-mile radius.
Target audience:
Households within 10 miles of the practice
Families with children (pediatric and family dentistry focus)
Evening viewing hours when families watch together
Creative approach: The commercial featured Dr. Nakamura herself, introducing the practice with a warm, professional tone. No aggressive sales pitch or "call now" pressure. Just an introduction to the practice, the team, and the comfortable environment they'd created.
"We wanted people to feel like they'd already met us before they walked through the door," Dr. Nakamura explains.
Campaign Details and Budget
Here's exactly what Kaimuki Dental invested:
Monthly budget: $600
Campaign duration: 4 months
Total investment: $2,400
Impressions delivered: ~80,000
Effective CPM: ~$30 (typical for healthcare targeting)
Targeting: 10-mile radius, household-level targeting
The campaign ran across premium streaming platforms including Hulu, Peacock, and local news apps. Ads appeared during evening programming when target families were most likely watching.
The Results: Awareness That Drives Business
Four months of consistent TV presence delivered measurable impact across multiple indicators.
Awareness indicators:
30% increase in branded Google searches ("Kaimuki Dental")
Multiple new patients mentioning "I saw your commercial"
Improved inquiry quality (more serious patients, fewer price-only shoppers)
Business impact:
20-25% increase in new patient inquiries
Higher appointment show rates
Patients arriving with pre-existing familiarity
Attribution reality: Healthcare marketing attribution is inherently difficult. Patients rarely remember exactly where they first heard about a practice. These figures represent the best available directional indicators from the campaign period.
"The biggest surprise was the quality of inquiries. People weren't just price shopping. They called because they felt like they already knew us." — Dr. Nakamura, Kaimuki Dental
ROI Perspective
At $2,400 total investment over four months, each new patient inquiry cost roughly $50-80. For a dental practice where patient lifetime value typically exceeds $3,000, that math works.
More importantly, the patients acquired through TV advertising showed stronger retention. They'd chosen Kaimuki Dental because of familiarity and trust, not because they found the cheapest option on Google.
What Worked and What They Learned
What worked well:
Dr. Nakamura appearing on camera built personal connection
Consistent 4-month presence (awareness builds over time)
Evening scheduling aligned with family viewing
Geographic focus kept budget efficient
Lessons learned:
Results compound over time (months 3-4 stronger than 1-2)
TV works best alongside other channels (not replacing them)
Patient feedback provides valuable qualitative data
Advice for Other Dental Practices
Dr. Nakamura shares three recommendations for practices considering TV:
1. Commit to consistency "Don't run for one month and expect results. Awareness builds over time. Plan for at least 3-4 months."
2. Be yourself on camera "Patients want to see the actual dentist. Don't hire actors or use stock footage. Be authentic."
3. Think long-term "TV advertising isn't about immediate appointments. It's about becoming the practice people think of first."
Ready to Build Awareness for Your Practice?
Kaimuki Dental's experience shows what's possible when dental practices think beyond search advertising. TV builds the trust and familiarity that turns "dentist near me" searchers into patients who already feel like they know you.
Adwave makes TV advertising accessible for dental practices of any size, with campaigns starting at just $50. Their AI tools can create a professional commercial from your website and existing photos, and you can launch to local households within 24 hours.
See how TV advertising could work for your practice.