What Is Cost per Lead (CPL) in Dentistry?
Cost per Lead (CPL) measures how much a dental practice spends on marketing to generate a single new patient enquiry.
It’s a key metric in evaluating the efficiency of campaigns like Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, or referral schemes.
Why Does CPL Matter for Dental Practice Owners?
Without knowing CPL, you can’t tell if marketing spend is efficient — or if you’re simply paying for expensive clicks that don’t convert.
- High CPL → poor targeting, wasted ad spend.
- Low CPL → efficient campaigns, but must still be paired with treatment acceptance and profitability data.
Example:
- Monthly ad spend = £2,000
- Leads generated = 40 enquiries
- CPL = £50 per lead
If only 20% of those convert into paying patients, the true cost per patient acquisition is £250 — which may or may not be profitable depending on treatment type.
How Do You Calculate CPL in Dentistry?
| Formula | Use Case |
| CPL = Marketing spend ÷ Number of leads generated | Basic lead generation measure |
| PAC = Marketing spend ÷ Number of patients acquired | Adjusts CPL for actual patient conversions |
Common CPL Pitfalls in Dentistry
- Counting “clicks” as leads (not actual enquiries).
- Treating all leads as equal — e.g. whitening vs implant enquiry.
- Ignoring treatment acceptance rate when converting CPL → PAC.
- Celebrating low CPL while filling diary with low-margin treatments.
How Does DentPulse Track CPL and PAC Together?
| Feature | Function |
| Lead Attribution | Tracks lead origin by campaign (Google, social, referrals) |
| Conversion Tracking | Links leads to accepted treatments |
| PAC Integration | Converts CPL into Patient Acquisition Cost automatically |
| PLV-to-PAC Overlay | Compares long-term patient value vs acquisition cost |
| Profit-to-Pocket™ | Shows whether leads translate into actual take-home profit |
DentPulse ensures CPL isn’t just a marketing number — it’s a profit number.
DentPulse Tip™
“A £50 lead is meaningless until you know if it turns into a £5,000 implant or a £50 check-up.”
Related Glossary Terms
- Patient Acquisition Cost (PAC) – cost per patient acquired
- Patient Lifetime Value (PLV) – revenue/profit per patient over time
- PLV-to-PAC Ratio – ultimate measure of marketing profitability
- Marketing ROI – return on total marketing spend
- Treatment Acceptance Rate – bridge between leads and revenue
Glossary Summary Table
| Term | Meaning |
| Cost per Lead (CPL) | Marketing spend required to generate a single patient enquiry |
| Purpose | Measure marketing efficiency before conversion to PAC |
| DentPulse Advantage | Tracks CPL, PAC, PLV in one system, linked to profit + owner wealth |
