Denver dental-only agency pairing SEO and ads with call tracking and front desk coaching
About KickStart Dental Marketing
KickStart Dental Marketing works from 1001 Bannock Street in Denver, Colorado and serves dentists and orthodontists across the US. Chris Pistorius founded the firm and runs it as CEO, and Jennifer Heusner is Director of Operations. The firm was founded in 2009 and has spent 17-plus years only in dentistry. It is family-owned and deliberately limited in capacity. Pistorius hosts The Dental Marketing Podcast and has been a guest on several other business shows.
Each engagement starts the same way. There is a roughly 90-minute kickoff with the dentist and senior staff, built around a fixed set of questions meant to pin down what makes the practice different. Campaigns are then built around single services, such as implants or whitening. Each one has its own landing page with a tracked number, a form and chat. About 70% of clients hand over all their marketing, while the rest buy single pieces like ads or a website.
The firm puts as much weight on what happens after a lead arrives as on traffic. It uses CallRail for call tracking and runs automated follow-up that contacts a lead several times until the front desk connects. The aim is to reach a new lead within about a minute during office hours. It also offers database reactivation and front desk coaching, alongside SEO, Google Business Profile work, Google Ads, websites, social media and reputation management.
Published case studies centre on Midtown Dental. Within 90 days, that practice's call booking rate rose from 33% to 46%, and verified new patients went from 22 to 46 a month without extra ad spend. A separate Midtown case shows a 40% rise in new-patient inquiries within 120 days. Elite Smiles of Louisville, which started with no SEO or ads, reached 98 verified new-patient opportunities a month at an overall $34 each.
The firm holds a 5.0 rating from 29 verified UpCity reviews, plus UpCity National and Local Excellence Awards and Google Partner status. Clients on DesignRush mostly praise dental knowledge, quick replies and review growth. One DesignRush reviewer reported spending heavily over eight months for few new patients, so results are not uniform. Terms are month-to-month with no contract. There is a 125% refund of the first month's fee for clients who cancel within 30 days, and a monthly report lists hours worked and tasks completed. The firm takes only one practice per market. There are no fixed packages, and monthly spend runs from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
KickStart Dental Marketing's Website
KickStart Dental Marketing at a Glance
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Team size | 6-20 employees (some listings say under 49) |
| Headquarters | Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Leadership | Chris Pistorius (Founder and CEO); Jennifer Heusner (Director of Operations) |
| Languages | English |
| Pricing | The average rate is $100/hr, with a minimum budget of $1,000 to $10,000 and a $1,000+ minimum project. There are no standard packages, with monthly spend from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the market. |
| Contracts & reporting | Month-to-month agreements with no long-term contract; 125% refund of the first month's billing if cancelled within the first 30 days; monthly transparency report of hours worked and tasks completed; a live person answers calls during business hours; one practice per city or market; free initial strategy session. |
| Tools & partnerships | CallRail; Google Partner; Rankability Certified Agency (since April 2026); WordPress; Adobe Creative Suite |
Dental Marketing Services
- Dental SEO and local SEO
- Google Business Profile optimisation
- review and reputation growth
- Google Ads
- dental website design and redesign
- service-specific landing pages
- social media and Nextdoor advertising
- CallRail call tracking
- Conversion Hub lead handling
- automated lead follow-up
- database reactivation
- front desk training and call coaching
- unique selling proposition development
- AI marketing
- dental recruiting
Practice Types They Work With
- general dentistry
- orthodontics
- implants
- cosmetic dentistry
- multi-location practices
Dental Clients & Results
- Midtown Dental: call booking rate from 33% to 46% and verified new patients from 22 to 46 per month, about 24 extra appointments a month with no added ad spend (within 90 days)
- Midtown Dental: new-patient inquiries up 40%, bounce rate down 25%, website conversion rate more than doubled (within 120 days)
- Elite Smiles of Louisville: 98 verified new-patient opportunities per month, including 80 SEO leads at $11.25 each and an overall $34 per opportunity
Dental Practices They Have Worked With
- Midtown Dental
- Elite Smiles of Louisville
- Castle Rock Dental Health
- Aspen Springs Dental
- Aurora Family Dentistry
- Rocky Mountain Dental Partners
- Smile Advantage
- H&L Dentistry
- Stonegate Dental Care
- Washington Center for Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
- M&M Dental
Why Dentists Choose KickStart Dental Marketing
- 125% refund of the first month if unhappy in the first 30 days
- Month-to-month agreements, no contracts
- A live person answers every call in business hours
- Monthly report lists hours worked and tasks done
- Google Partner and UpCity National Excellence winner
Key Strengths
- Scores every new-patient call with AI and coaches staff on missed bookings
- Offers an AI receptionist to answer patient calls
- Tracks website calls with CallRail to see which pages bring new-patient bookings
Awards & Recognition
- UpCity National Excellence Award
- UpCity Local Excellence Award
How the DSA Score Breaks Down
Points earned: 83.5 of 100 (profile 82 × 0.8 + client feedback 17.9). DSA Score: 97/100
What Dental and Healthcare Clients Say About KickStart Dental Marketing
- 3 on Google
- 6 on its website
- 8 from dental practices
Clients Most Often Praise
- More new patient bookings 4
- Clear reporting & honesty 1
Jonathan Benefield says the practice has found a lot of new patients working with KickStart.
See it on reportgarden.comLydia Krasowski credits KickStart with transforming their general dental practice.
See it on reportgarden.comDr. Jim Eggleston says after trying several marketing agencies, KickStart outperformed them all.
See it on brightlocal.comShow 6 more client reviews
- Dr. Landon Blatter says KickStart dramatically increased new patient counts across all three of the practice's offices. Agency website
- Dr. Sean Music describes KickStart as easy to work with and fair, with good results that justified the investment. Agency website
- Dr. Stratman, Stratman Family Dentistry: Long-time client who says increased new patient flow let him transition out of practice; would use them again. Agency website
- Dr. Ludin reports a large rise in online reviews and many new patient leads. Agency website
- Dr. Hamad calls KickStart the best marketing team, crediting it with higher productivity and problem solving. Agency website
- Dr. Naidu singles out account staff Chris and Jenn for praise. Agency website
Where KickStart Dental Marketing Is Listed
Questions Dentists Ask About KickStart Dental Marketing
Do I have to sign a long contract with KickStart?
No. Agreements are month-to-month with no contract. There is also a refund of 125% of the first month's fee if you cancel within 30 days.
Will they work with other dentists in my area?
The firm works with only one dental practice per city or market, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Do they help my front desk convert calls?
Yes. Their published Midtown Dental case combined call tracking, front desk coaching and database reactivation, and the call booking rate rose from 33% to 46% within 90 days. They also run automated follow-up so new leads are contacted quickly.
What does KickStart cost?
The average rate is $100 per hour, with a $1,000 to $10,000 minimum budget. There are no fixed packages, and monthly spend ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
How will I know what they did each month?
A monthly transparency report records the hours worked and the tasks completed. A live person also answers calls during business hours.
Reviews of KickStart Dental Marketing
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