You’ve invested in state-of-the-art dental equipment, hired skilled hygienists, and created a warm, welcoming office environment—yet your phone barely rings. Meanwhile, Dr. Average down the street (with outdated equipment and that weird musty smell in the waiting room) has a 3-week waiting list.
You’ve updated your website, launched a Facebook page, and maybe even tried some Facebook and Google ads—but the new patient numbers just aren’t where they should be. Sound familiar?
Here’s the problem: potential patients search for dental services like yours but find your competitors instead. Why? Because they’re ranking for the right keywords—the ones that actually lead to appointments.
That’s exactly what you’ll get here: 105 carefully selected dental keywords, including 31 easy-to-rank opportunities.
I’ve analyzed 15,570+ dentist keywords with over 2 million monthly searches using enterprise-level SEO tools (SEMRush and Ahrefs).
After crunching the numbers, I’ve distilled this massive dataset into 105 high-potential keywords across 15 strategic categories.
Most importantly, I’ve flagged 31 “Easy-Win” keywords with low competition scores—these represent your fastest route to page one rankings and new patient appointments.
Unlike generic SEO advice, this data comes directly from what real patients are searching for right now. Let’s dive into the categories that matter most for your practice growth.
1. General Dentistry Keywords
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist office | 14,800 | High |
Dentist appointment | 9,900 | Moderate |
Family dentist | 9,900 | Moderate |
General dentist | 8,100 | Moderate |
Dentist office open on saturday | 2,400 | Easy |
Dentistry dentist | 1,000 | High |
Nearest dentist office | 1,000 | Moderate |
Dentist consultation | 880 | Easy |
Local dentist office | 880 | Moderate |
Local family dentist | 880 | Moderate |
Same day dentist appointment | 880 | Easy |
Dentist walk in | 720 | Easy |
Dental clinic services | 720 | Moderate |
2. Cosmetic Dentistry
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Cosmetic dentist | 18,100 | High |
Dental bonding | 18,100 | Moderate |
Dental crowns | 14,800 | High |
Invisalign dentist | 5,400 | Moderate |
Teeth whitening dentist | 5,400 | High |
Dental veneers | 3,600 | Moderate |
Porcelain veneers | 2,900 | High |
📍 IMPORTANT
This dental keyword data provides valuable search insights, but implementing an effective SEO strategy requires customization based on your specific situation. Generic keyword research can’t account for:
Current Rankings – Whether you are just starting from zero, ranking on page 2-3 for some terms, or already dominating certain keywords, your existing keyword positions significantly impact SEO strategy.
Marketing Resources – Your SEO budget, content creation capabilities, and link-building capacity directly determine which keywords you can realistically target. Competitive keywords require substantial content investment and backlink acquisition—resources not every practice can allocate equally.
Local Search Competition – The competitive landscape varies dramatically by location. A dental practice in Boston needs different keyword targeting than one in rural Idaho.
Revenue Priorities – Only you know which procedures drive your profitability. Whether it’s implants, Invisalign, or insurance-friendly preventive care, your profit margins and capacity should determine which keywords deserve your greatest optimization efforts.
While this research gives you a powerful foundation of 105 dental keywords across 15 categories, true SEO success comes from aligning these insights with your unique practice strengths, service offerings, and local market dynamics.
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3. Emergency Dental
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Emergency dentist | 33,100 | Moderate |
Emergency dental care | 9,900 | Moderate |
Urgent dental care | 8,100 | Moderate |
Dentist open saturday | 3,600 | Easy |
Walk in dentist | 3,600 | Moderate |
24 hour dentist | 2,900 | Moderate |
Dentist open sunday | 2,900 | Easy |
Emergency pediatric dentist | 2,900 | Easy |
Weekend dentist | 2,900 | Moderate |
Same day dental | 2,900 | Easy |
24 hour emergency dentist | 2,400 | Easy |
4. Pediatric Dentistry
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Pediatric dentist | 49,500 | High |
Kids dentist | 14,800 | Moderate |
Childrens dentist | 8,100 | Moderate |
Emergency pediatric dentist | 2,900 | Easy |
Children’s dentists that accept medicaid | 1,000 | Easy |
5. Orthodontics
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Invisalign dentist | 5,400 | Moderate |
Orthodontist dentist | 1,300 | Moderate |
Ceramic braces dentist | 1,000 | Easy |
Braces dentist | 590 | Moderate |
Local invisalign dentist | 480 | Easy |
6. Endodontics & Root Canals
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Endodontics | 33,100 | High |
Root canal dentist | 1,000 | High |
What type of dentist does root canals | 880 | Easy |
Should dentist pay for failed root canal | 720 | Easy |
Endodontist vs dentist | 590 | Easy |
7. Periodontics & Gum Care
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Periodontal disease dentist | 3,600 | High |
Deep cleaning dentist | 1,300 | Easy |
Periodontal dentist | 1,000 | High |
Periodontist vs dentist | 720 | Easy |
Gum dentist | 590 | High |
Deep cleaning dentist cost | 480 | Easy |
8. Prosthodontics & Dentures
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist crowns cost | 2,900 | Easy |
Crown dentist | 2,400 | High |
Dental bridge dentist | 1,000 | High |
Prosthodontist vs dentist | 720 | Easy |
Dentures dentist | 720 | High |
Dentist bridge | 590 | High |
9. Oral Surgery
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist tooth extraction | 1,600 | High |
Dentists oral surgeons | 1,300 | Easy |
Wisdom teeth removal dentist | 1,000 | High |
Oral surgeon dentist | 880 | High |
Tooth extraction dentist | 880 | High |
10. Preventive Dental Care
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist cleaning | 2,900 | Moderate |
Fluoride treatment at dentist | 1,600 | Moderate |
Dental checkup | 1,600 | Moderate |
Teeth cleaning dentist | 1,300 | High |
Dentist hygienist | 1,300 | High |
Dentist check up | 1,000 | Moderate |
Dental hygiene dentist | 880 | High |
Dentist cleaning teeth | 720 | High |
Dental sealants | 720 | Moderate |
11. Dental Insurance & Cost
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist that accept medicaid | 14,800 | Moderate |
Affordable dentist | 4,400 | Easy |
Dentist accept medicaid | 4,400 | Moderate |
Dentist without insurance | 3,600 | Moderate |
Cheap dentist | 2,900 | Easy |
Dentist crowns cost | 2,900 | Easy |
Free dental clinics | 2,400 | Easy |
12. Dentist “Near Me”
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist near me | 1,000,000 | High |
Dentists near me | 135,000 | High |
Emergency dentist near me | 74,000 | Easy |
Pediatric dentist near me | 60,500 | Moderate |
Best dentist near me | 33,100 | Moderate |
Dentist office near me | 33,100 | Moderate |
Kids dentist near me | 27,100 | Moderate |
Cosmetic dentist near me | 22,200 | Easy |
Family dentist near me | 18,100 | Moderate |
Medicaid dentist near me | 18,100 | High |
Aspen dentist near me | 14,800 | Moderate |
Children dentist near me | 14,800 | Easy |
Emergency dentists near me | 14,800 | Moderate |
Implant dentist near me | 14,800 | Easy |
Walk in dentist near me | 14,800 | Easy |
IMPORTANT NOTE: “Near me” keywords represent the highest search volumes in our entire analysis, with “dentist near me” topping the list at a staggering 1,000,000 monthly searches. However, you can’t directly optimize for “near me” keywords through traditional on-page SEO because these searches are handled by Google’s location algorithm, not literal text matching.
13. City/State-Specific Keywords
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Dentist houston | 5,400 | Moderate |
Dentist las vegas | 4,400 | Moderate |
Dentist nyc | 4,400 | Moderate |
Dentist austin | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist chicago | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist houston tx | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist jacksonville fl | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist philadelphia | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist san antonio | 3,600 | Moderate |
Dentist atlanta | 2,900 | Moderate |
Dentist charlotte nc | 2,900 | Moderate |
14. Specialty Dental Services
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
Sedation dentistry | 1,300 | Moderate |
Anxiety free dentist | 1,000 | Easy |
Painless dentist | 880 | Easy |
Special needs dentist | 720 | Easy |
Laser dentistry | 590 | Moderate |
Sleep dentistry | 480 | Moderate |
15. Dental Conditions & Problems
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
TMJ dentist | 1,600 | Easy |
Dentist cavity filling pain | 720 | Moderate |
How does a dentist fix a cracked tooth | 720 | Easy |
Dentist for sensitive teeth | 590 | Easy |
Bad breath dentist | 480 | Easy |
Dentist for chipped tooth | 390 | Moderate |
Dentist for tooth infection | 390 | Moderate |
Dentist for cracked tooth | 320 | Moderate |
Loose tooth dentist | 260 | Easy |
Dentist for tooth abscess | 210 | Easy |
Skip the Costly Trial-and-Error Approach
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Final Thoughts
This deep dive into 15,570+ dental keywords with over 2 million monthly searches gives you a powerful starting point, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The search landscape for dental practices is remarkably nuanced, with distinct patterns that vary by specialty, location, and patient demographics.
What this keyword data reveals is striking:
Emergency needs drive immediate action. “Emergency dentist near me” (74,000 monthly searches) represents patients in pain seeking immediate care—these searches convert at extraordinary rates compared to general dental queries.
Specialization creates distinct search patterns. Pediatric dentistry (60,500 searches for “pediatric dentist near me”) and cosmetic services attract entirely different demographic segments with unique concerns and conversion behaviors.
Insurance and cost considerations dominate decision-making. The high search volume for Medicaid acceptance (14,800 searches) and affordability terms reveals how payment options directly influence patient choice.
Low-competition opportunities are hiding in plain sight. With 31 easy-competition keywords identified across 15 categories, immediate ranking opportunities exist for nearly every dental practice.
Local intent trumps everything else. The staggering 1 million monthly searches for “dentist near me” demonstrates that proximity remains the single most important factor in dental selection.
But here’s the crucial insight: every dental market is unique, and your keyword strategy should be too. The keywords that drive growth for a cosmetic specialist in Manhattan will differ dramatically from those that work for a family practice in suburban Texas.
Do you need help uncovering the exact keywords that’ll drive growth for your dental practice? I will dive deep into your specific market and create a custom keyword strategy that matches your services, competitive landscape, and location.
Your path to ranking dominance starts with the right keyword foundation. Let’s build yours together.