How to do a competitor analysis for a dental practice
Patients choose a dentist on convenience, trust and access. They want somewhere near home or work, a practice that accepts their insurance or payment plan, an appointment within a reasonable time, and a dentist who explains things clearly and keeps discomfort to a minimum.
Once settled, patients rarely switch, so the competitive picture changes slowly and every new patient matters. A competitor analysis for a dental practice should show how many practices serve your catchment, which patients each one accepts, how quickly they can see someone new, and what patients say about them in public reviews.
This guide covers the steps, a checklist for each practice and a worked SWOT for a new independent general practice.
Step by step
- 1
Define the patients and treatments you will focus on
General family dentistry, cosmetic work (whitening, veneers, clear aligners), implants, pediatric care, emergency appointments, or a mix. Decide too how patients will pay: insurance networks, public schemes such as the NHS in the UK, membership plans or private fees.
Two practices next door to each other may barely compete if one is insurance-based family dentistry and the other is private cosmetic work.
- 2
Map practices within your patients' travel time
For checkups and family care, most patients choose a practice near home, work or school. In a city that might be a 10 to 15 minute walk or transit ride; in suburbs and rural areas a 10 to 20 minute drive. For cosmetic work and implants, patients travel further and compare more.
Map every dental practice in that area with ratings and review counts. RivalMap does this for free for any address and gives a density verdict, which you can then set against the number of people who live and work nearby.
- 3
Compare practice numbers with population
Density alone can mislead. A 3 km radius covers about 28 km², and how many practices that area can support depends on how many people live and work in it. Some practice advisers use population per dentist as a rough check, but the right ratio varies by area and by how many dentists each practice has.
Compare your area with a few others you know, and look at the size of each practice. A single-dentist office and a large group practice are not equal competitors.
- 4
Check who is taking new patients, and how fast
Call or check each practice: are they accepting new patients, which insurance plans or schemes they take, and how far ahead the first new-patient appointment is. Ask about emergency appointments too.
Long waits for new patients, or practices that have stopped taking them, are among the clearest signs of unmet demand.
- 5
Compare opening hours
Record opening hours, early mornings, evenings and Saturdays for each practice. Many keep standard weekday hours, which is hard for patients who work office hours or have children in school.
Evening and Saturday availability can be the deciding factor for working patients and families, so note exactly where the gaps are.
- 6
Compare fees and payment options
Where fees are published, record the price of a new-patient exam with X-rays, a cleaning or hygienist visit, a filling, whitening and, if relevant, clear aligners or an implant. Note membership plans, financing and new-patient offers.
Many practices do not publish full fees. Note which ones do, because price transparency is itself a differentiator.
- 7
Read patient reviews for trust and experience
Dental reviews are detailed: how nervous patients were treated, pain, how treatment was explained, pressure to buy treatment, billing and insurance surprises, waiting room delays, the front desk, and how emergencies were handled.
Tag recent reviews by theme for each practice. The RivalMap AI report summarises what patients praise and complain about across nearby practices, so you can see the area's recurring issues before deciding how to position yours.
SWOT example
A worked example for a new independent dentist.
Strengths
- Evening and Saturday appointments
- New patients seen within days rather than weeks
- Modern equipment such as digital X-rays and intraoral scanning
- Published fees and a membership plan for patients without insurance
Weaknesses
- No patient base or reviews at opening
- A single dentist, which limits capacity and holiday cover
- High setup and equipment costs to recover
- Not yet in every local insurance network
Opportunities
- Several nearby practices not accepting new patients or quoting long waits
- Competitors' reviews mention billing surprises and feeling pressured into treatment
- New housing developments bringing young families into the area
- No practice nearby that clearly caters to nervous patients
Threats
- Established practices with long-standing, loyal patients
- Large group practices with bigger marketing budgets
- Difficulty hiring hygienists and dental assistants or nurses
- Changes to insurance reimbursement or public scheme contracts
Checklist for each competitor
- Treatments offered: general, cosmetic, implants, orthodontics, pediatric, emergency
- Insurance networks, public schemes or membership plans accepted
- Whether they accept new patients, and the wait for a first appointment
- Emergency appointment availability
- Opening hours, early mornings, evenings and Saturdays
- Published fees for an exam, cleaning, filling and whitening
- Financing options and new-patient offers
- Number of dentists and hygienists
- Parking, transit access and step-free access
- Rating, review count and the direction of recent reviews
- Repeated complaints: billing, waiting, pressure to buy, pain, front desk
- Repeated praise: gentle with nervous patients, clear explanations, named dentists
Dentists by city
How many dentists sit within 1 km of busy neighbourhoods, with density, ratings and chains:
Questions
How close is too close to another dental practice?
There is no fixed distance. It depends on how many people live and work nearby, how many practices serve them, which patients each accepts and whether they are taking new patients. A busy area can support practices side by side; a small town may not.
How far do patients travel to a dentist?
For checkups and family care, usually not far: patients prefer a practice near home, work or school. For cosmetic work, implants or a specialist, many will travel further.
What do dental patients care about most in reviews?
Common themes are how the dentist handles anxiety and pain, clear explanations, honest treatment recommendations, billing and waiting times. Read your competitors' reviews to see which matter most in your area.
How do I find out competitors' fees?
Check their websites, since some publish fee lists. Otherwise call as a prospective patient and ask the price of a new-patient exam and a cleaning. Note which practices do not publish fees at all.
What should a dental practice SWOT analysis include?
Your services, payment options, hours, capacity and team compared with the practices in your catchment. Opportunities include closed patient lists, long waits and unserved hours. Threats include large groups, staffing and reimbursement changes.
How often should I review the competition?
Before choosing a location, then once a year, and whenever a nearby practice opens, closes or is bought by a group.
Check competition at your exact address — free
Drop a pin on the street you have in mind and see every competitor around it on a map, with ratings and review counts. The scan is free with an account.