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Why Your Phone Stopped Ringing: The New Reality of How Patients Find Dentists—and How to Adapt
Educational Objectives
By attending this webinar you will learn how to:
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Explain what shifted in local dental search behavior between 2023 and 2026 and why the impact shows up as fewer inbound calls before anything else
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Identify the four things AI tools look at when deciding which dentist to recommend to a patient
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Recognize why corporate dental chains already have an advantage in AI recommendations and understand what you can do to close that gap
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Describe why most dental websites are invisible to AI for specific procedures and how to change that
Abstract
New patient call volume is softer than it was 2–3 years ago at dental practices across the country. It's not your front desk, your pricing, or your location. Something changed in how patients search. High-intent patients are now asking ChatGPT, Google's AI, and similar tools to recommend a dentist by name. They get a short list back. If your practice isn't on it, those patients call someone else before they ever see your website.
This session covers what changed, when, and why it shows up as a call drop first. We'll look at real data on how patients search in 2026, what AI tools actually use to decide which practices to recommend, and what solo practices can do about it right now without rebuilding their website or doubling their ad spend.
Additional Information
Author Bio
Patrick McDonald, Head of Strategic Growth, RAMP
Patrick McDonald is a seasoned marketing strategist and former broadcast executive who now helps dental practices grow through clear, effective digital advertising.
After leading one of the nation’s top-performing sales teams in local TV, Patrick transitioned into the digital world where he now works with dentists across the country to simplify marketing, generate better leads, and increase case value.
When he’s not building lead magnets or analyzing campaigns, Patrick is a proud husband, a father of five, a seasoned baseball coach, and a former U.S. Marine. He brings the same focus, energy, and real-talk approach to every presentation - always with one goal in mind: helping motivated dental practices grow.
Disclosures
Commercial Disclosure
This free Dental Learning presentation is made possible through the continued support of RAMP Results. Patrick McDonald, Head of Strategic Growth, RAMP is a consultant and/or speaker for the following companies and/or organizations: Dental Learning, RAMP Results. Patrick McDonald, Head of Strategic Growth, RAMP may receive an honorarium as compensation from the CE Supporter of this presentation and/or from Dental Learning for the time involved in preparing and delivering this online presentation.
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