How to Build Trust and Win More Patients with Video:
The Patient Testimonial Video Playbook for Dental Practices
Introduction
Patient testimonial videos are one of the most effective tools in dental video marketing. They combine social proof with human storytelling to build trust, reduce anxiety, and help patients choose your practice with confidence. This playbook shows dental practices and groups how to plan, film, edit, publish, and measure high performing patient testimonial videos that generate enquiries and support long term brand growth.
Use this as a step by step guide for your team or share it with your video partner. It is written in UK English, uses plain language, and focuses on practical actions you can take today.
Why patient testimonial videos work
Trust. People believe people. Seeing a real patient talk about their experience builds credibility faster than written reviews.
Clarity. Video communicates tone of voice, facial expression, and body language that text cannot.
Relevance. Prospects look for a story they recognise. A relatable patient journey helps them imagine their own outcome.
Conversion. Testimonial clips placed on service pages and booking pages can lift conversion rates because they answer objections at the point of decision.
Business outcomes you can expect
More treatment enquiries from qualified patients
Higher conversion rates on key landing pages
Lower cost per click when used in paid campaigns
Better engagement across Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and email
Strategy first
Before you pick up a camera, define the strategy. Clear intent leads to clear creative.
Goals
Choose one primary goal and one secondary goal.
Increase Invisalign consultations
Promote implant cases and full arch treatments
Grow cosmetic dentistry enquiries
Build practice brand awareness in a local area
Support recruitment and employer branding
Audience and message
Who is this for. New patients, nervous patients, cosmetic patients, or referral partners
What they need to hear. Relief from fear, clarity on process, proof of results, affordability options
What you want them to do next. Call, book online, download a guide, or request a consultation
Success metrics
Enquiries from pages featuring testimonials
Click through rate when used in ads or posts
Average watch time and hook retention
Cost per click and cost per lead in paid campaigns
Assisted conversions in analytics
Choosing the right patients
Great testimonials start with great casting. Look for:
A clear before and after story that matches your target treatment
Confidence to speak on camera and a willingness to be filmed
Diversity of age, background, and treatment type
Specific results or benefits they can describe in their own words
Ethical and consent considerations
Obtain written consent that covers filming, editing, and usage across website, social, ads, and in practice screens
Explain the story you want to tell, where it will appear, and how long it will be used
Offer a private space and allow a chaperone if requested
Avoid making medical claims. Let the patient tell their experience in their words
Story structure that converts
Keep the narrative simple and human. Use this three act flow.
Before
The problem, pain point, or aspiration. What held them back. Why they chose your practice.During
The experience with your team. Comfort, clarity, pain management, appointment flow, and aftercare.After
The result in everyday life. Confidence, function, comfort, career impact, or social experiences.
Prompt questions that unlock strong answers
What was happening in your life that made you look for treatment
What worried you before you came in
What made you choose this practice
What was the experience like on the day
How did the team make you feel
What has changed for you since treatment
What would you say to someone considering this treatment
Avoid yes or no questions. Leave space for the patient to think and finish their thoughts.
Pre production checklist
Written brief with goal, audience, key messages, and next step CTA
Patient shortlist and confirmed consent
Interview question sheet
Schedule with room bookings and buffer time between patients
Shot list for B roll. Reception, consultation, clinician with patient, equipment, smile reveals, and clinic details
Brand assets. Colours, fonts, logos, lower thirds style
Audio plan. Lapel mic or shotgun mic, and a quiet room
Access and safety. Parking, load in, risk assessment, and cleaning protocol
Filming best practice
Location and set
Choose a quiet room with controllable light
Face the patient towards natural light or use soft key lighting
Keep the background tidy and on brand. Certificates, plants, and subtle clinic detail work well
Framing and lenses
Use a medium shot for the interview so the viewer can read expression
Capture cutaway close ups of hands, eyes, and patient smile
Film 4K if possible so you can crop for social formats
Audio
Prioritise audio quality. A clean lapel mic will improve perceived production value
Record room tone for smooth edits
Monitor levels on headphones
Direction
Warm up with easy questions. Ask them to answer in full sentences
Encourage stories and specifics, not generic praise
Smile and hold eye contact behind the camera. Your energy sets the tone
Editing for attention and impact
Hook the first three seconds
The opening determines whether viewers stay. Options that work:
A bold benefit quote
“I can smile in photos again”A quick before and after reveal
A powerful question
“Is cosmetic bonding right for me”
Keep it concise and modular
Create a master cut at 60 to 120 seconds for websites and YouTube
Produce short clips at 6 to 20 seconds for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and paid ads
Add captions for sound off viewing and accessibility
Use lower thirds to introduce the patient and treatment
End with a clear call to action and on screen booking link
Soundtrack and graphics
Choose music that supports the tone and does not overpower speech
Keep transitions simple and clean
Use brand colours in titles and end cards
Formats and deliverables
Create a delivery set so your team can deploy the content everywhere.
16 by 9 master video for website and YouTube
1 by 1 square for Instagram grid and LinkedIn
9 by 16 vertical for Reels, Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
5 to 10 second bumpers for paid campaigns and retargeting
Still frames and quote graphics for thumbnails and email
Publishing and distribution
On your website
Place testimonials above the fold on key treatment pages
Add one testimonial to the booking page to reduce last minute doubts
Create a dedicated testimonial hub and link to it in your header and footer
Mark up testimonial content with appropriate schema when you are ready for technical SEO
Google Business Profile
Upload short clips as Videos in your profile
Use Updates to highlight new patient stories and link to treatment pages
Keep NAP details consistent with your website footer
Social media
Reels and Shorts for reach and awareness
LinkedIn for professional credibility and group practices
Encourage team members to share patient stories with a human voice
Email and remarketing
Add a testimonial video in a new enquiry nurture sequence
Use short clips in retargeting ads that point back to a treatment landing page
Measuring performance and ROI
Track performance with simple, repeatable metrics.
Watch time and percentage viewed
Hook retention in the first three seconds
Click through rate from video to landing page
Conversions on pages that feature testimonial videos
Cost per click and cost per lead when used in paid campaigns
Assisted conversions from analytics and call tracking
Real world example
From a client testimonial in the dental FinTech space, videos achieved a cost per click of two pence on Meta and hook retention of sixty to seventy percent compared with an industry average around twenty percent. Results vary by audience and creative, but this shows how strong creative and testing can improve efficiency.
Compliance, safeguarding, and good practice
Written consent that covers platforms, paid promotion, and time period
Respect patient privacy and avoid sensitive details unless the patient volunteers them
Keep claims factual and grounded in the patient’s own words
Store release forms securely and review annually
Common mistakes to avoid
Filming without a plan or clear goal
Over scripting the patient so it feels false
Poor audio that makes the video unusable
Posting once then moving on without a distribution plan
Failing to connect the video to a clear next step
Production timelines and budgets
Typical timelines for a single testimonial set:
Pre production. three to five working days for planning, scheduling, and consent
Filming. one half day to one full day depending on the number of patients
Post production. five to ten working days for edits and social cut downs
Revisions. one to two rounds for sign off
Budgets vary by scope, number of deliverables, and travel.
Repurposing ideas
Turn quotes into image posts and blog pull quotes
Slice answers into short FAQs for Reels and Stories
Compile multiple patients into a montage for your homepage
Add clips to a longer practice story film
Implementation checklist
Define goal and audience
Shortlist patients and secure written consent
Prepare interview prompts and B roll plan
Book filming day with buffer time
Capture clean audio and multiple angles
Edit master cut and social cut downs
Add captions, titles, and end card CTA
Publish across website, GBP, social, and email
Measure results and iterate
Frequently asked questions
How long should a patient testimonial video be
Sixty to one hundred and twenty seconds works well for websites and YouTube. For social media, create six to twenty second clips that focus on a single point.
Where should I place testimonial videos on my site
Put one above the fold on each key treatment page, add one to your booking page, and create a testimonial hub that sits in your main navigation and footer.
Do I need professional production
It is possible to capture stories on a phone, but professional audio, lighting, and editing improve trust and reflect the quality of your clinical work. A mixed approach works well. Use professional pieces on your site and ads, and lighter behind the scenes on social.
How many testimonials do I need
Aim for one strong testimonial per priority treatment, plus a general practice story. Build a library over time and rotate clips to keep content fresh.
What should the call to action be
Match it to the page. On a treatment page, invite viewers to book a consultation. On social, drive to a short landing page with a simple form.
Conclusion and next steps
Patient testimonial videos are a cornerstone of effective dental video marketing. They build trust, answer real objections, and help prospective patients take action. With a clear strategy, ethical consent, careful filming, and smart distribution, testimonial content can support growth across your practice or group for years.
If you want help planning a patient testimonial series, or you need a production partner to film and deliver a complete set of website and social assets, get in touch to book a strategy call.