5 Summer Patient Appreciation Events For Your Orthodontic Practice

Engage Your Community, Strengthen Patient Loyalty, and Encourage Referrals This Summer.

Summer is an ideal time for orthodontic practices to connect with patients beyond the clinic. Hosting patient appreciation events is a valuable strategy in orthodontics to strengthen relationships, retain patients, encourage referrals, and improve your orthodontic practice’s visibility in the local community.

Whether your goal is to target young families, adult patients, or your entire patient base, the following five event ideas offer practical ways to make the most of the summer season, complete with planning tips, promotional tactics, and follow-up strategies.

1. Popsicles & Playtime (Kids-Focused)

Target audience: Families with young patients

Host a simple outdoor event focused on creativity and connection for families in your orthodontic practice community.

Recommended features:

• Popsicle or shaved ice station
• Face painting, bubbles, and inflatable games
• Summer-themed arts & crafts
• Branded digital photo booth for social sharing

Tips:

• Use your parking lot or a nearby park
• Team should wear branded shirts and assist at stations
• Use a stamp card system to encourage activity participation and offer a prize drawing

Marketing & Follow-Up:

• Send email and direct mail invitations to families
• Promote your orthodontic services and events on social media
• Follow up with a thank-you message and photo recap; consider offering loyalty points or a referral bonus
  

2. Wine & Smile Night (Adults-Only)

Target audience: Adults in or considering orthodontic treatment

Organize a low-key evening event for adult patients in orthodontic treatment or considering orthodontics at a local venue or after-hours in your office.

Recommended features:

• Wine, sparkling drinks, or signature mocktails
• Light hors d’oeuvres
• Mini consults, whitening vouchers, or small giveaways
• Referral or promotional treatment offers

Tips:

• Require RSVPs to manage attendance
• Encourage guests to bring a friend interested in orthodontic treatment
• Incorporate light branding and team introductions

Marketing & Follow-Up:

• Send targeted emails to adult patients and inactive leads
• Share a photo gallery or recap video on social media

• Follow up with a referral or discount incentive to encourage interest in your orthodontic services

  
  

3. Outdoor Movie Night (All Ages)

Target audience: Entire patient base and local community

Host a casual outdoor movie screening that invites your entire orthodontic patient base and the wider community.

Recommended features:

• Inflatable movie screen
• Free snacks (popcorn, candy, etc.)
• Branded seating mats or small giveaways

Tips:

• Choose a family-friendly film
• Encourage guests to bring food bank donations or school supplies to give back to the community
• Provide brief welcome remarks before the screening

Marketing & Follow-Up:

• Promote via your website, social channels, and in-office signage
• Create a Facebook event and invite followers
• Follow up with photos and a short survey or poll

4. Frozen Treat Truck Pop-Up

Target audience: Patients with summer appointments or nearby schools

A simple, cost-effective engagement opportunity for any orthodontic practice looking to stay top-of-mind during summer.

Recommended features:

• Ice cream or shaved ice truck
• Branded practice swag (sunglasses, bracelets, etc.)
• Small photo area for easy social media content

Tips:

• Book the truck for a 2–3 hour window during high foot traffic times
• Send appointment reminders with “Treat Day” messaging
• Encourage patients to bring a sibling or friend

Marketing & Follow-Up:

• Share day-of event stories and photos
• Tag local vendors to boost community reach
• Post-event thank-you with referral reminder

5. End of Summer BBQ & Appreciation Bash

Target audience: Entire patient base, referrers, and team members

Close out summer with a full-scale appreciation event that includes patients, parents, referring practices, and school contacts.

Recommended features:

• BBQ catering or food trucks
• Yard games, dunk tank, or carnival-style booths
• Swag bags and prize raffles

Tips:

• Send invitations early (at least 6 weeks in advance)
• Set up a welcome booth and branded signage
• Include referral partner shout-outs and/or a testimonial board

Marketing & Follow-Up:

• Use email, text campaigns, and social content to promote
• Share recap videos and photos across platforms
• Include a post-event referral or loyalty incentive

Additional Planning Tips

Event Prep Checklist

• Confirm date 6–8 weeks ahead
• Allocate budget and assign team responsibilities
• Confirm vendors and order branded materials early
• Use digital RSVP tools (Google Forms, Eventbrite, etc.)
• Plan for content capture (photos, videos)

Marketing Checklist

• Promote across all touchpoints: email, SMS, social, and in-practice signage
• Use behind-the-scenes content to build anticipation
• Schedule posts and reminders in advance

Post-Event Follow-Up

• Send a thank-you message via email and/or SMS
• Share media and tag attendees where appropriate
• Encourage referrals with a contest or time-limited incentive

With the right planning and consistent promotion, these events can enhance your brand, improve loyalty, and generate new business in a way that feels organic and rewarding for your community.

This is just some of the many ways we support our members. Check out our other free resources or get in touch to see what we can do for you.