The Hills
Orthodontics
A comprehensive competitive intelligence brief covering online reputation, patient sentiment, competitor vulnerabilities, advertising gaps, and strategic growth opportunities for Dr. Brian Luong's practice in Anaheim Hills, CA.
Online Reputation
The Hills Orthodontics has built an exceptional online reputation — a 4.9-star Google rating with 262 reviews places them in the top tier of local orthodontic practices. This is a significant, underutilized competitive asset.
Google Review Distribution
Competitor Rating Comparison
↑ 1.2-point rating advantage over nearest corporate competitor (Anaheim Hills Dental Group, 3.7★)
Competitive Positioning Radar
Estimated scores (0–100) across key competitive dimensions vs. primary competitor
Voice of Customer
Verbatim patient language reveals the emotional drivers behind choosing The Hills Orthodontics. These quotes are marketing gold — authentic, specific, and trust-building.
Most Mentioned Patient Themes
Low pressure and was an easy going interaction. We talked through all the treatment options, the pros and cons of some and then they let me take my time in deciding what path I wanted to take forward.
Not only was he knowledgeable, he was so easy to talk to and very honest and realistic with the goals we'd agreed on. I loved that Dr. Brian said the goal was to enhance my natural smile rather than forge something completely new.
BEST ORTHO OFFICE EVER! I have had the best experience with my son. They are great at what they do, but above and beyond that, they are on top of it when it comes to how they run the office. I get text alerts of appts, and when I come in, we never have to wait more than a few minutes.
Dr. Luong is the best! My daughter's case was very tough but he came up with a plan to help correct her teeth without having to pull out any teeth. We are so lucky to know him!
Our consultation was excellent, comprehensive, and conducted in a timely manner without feeling rushed.
Miracle-workers, amazing playlists, and great customer service!
The most powerful recurring theme is "low pressure + honest" — patients explicitly contrast The Hills Orthodontics against high-pressure corporate practices. This is a direct competitive weapon against Anaheim Hills Dental Group's documented upselling complaints.
Competitor Analysis
Three known competitors were analyzed. The competitive landscape is favorable — the primary corporate competitor has serious reputation problems, and the others have minimal online presence.
Jacobsen Orthodontics
Anaheim Hills Dental Group and Orthodontics
Anaheim Dental & Orthodontics
Jacobsen Orthodontics — Verbatim Patient Testimonials
"Dr. Jacobsen and his staff are extremely amazing and accommodating. We were visiting from out of town when my daughter discovered an issue with one of her wires. I called the office to see if they could fit us in last minute and they accepted us right away."
"Hands down, the best experience I could imagine on the patient side of things. I came to Dr. Jacobsen as an adult needing braces and I had a VERY complicated case. He eagerly took me on and explained literally every procedure and task needed during my lengthy process."
"There are lots of great orthodontists out there but the customer service at Jacobsen was what sold me on them. When we walked in for our first visit they greeted my son by name stating 'Hi, you must be Connor. I'm Elsa and this is Tracey'. The extra personal touch they add means everything."
"Just got my braces on today! This will be my second time getting braces, but first time here. Major differences from my previous orthodontist. Dr. Jacobsen and staff are extremely friendly and I never have to wait a long time to be seen. Office is very clean and very patient and meticulous."
Anaheim Hills Dental Group — Patient Complaints (Verbatim)
"BAIT AND SWITCH!!! Do not go here. They will not do STANDARD teeth cleanings. They tried to upsell us a deep cleaning and both my wife and I politely refused. THEY WOULD NOT DO A STANDARD CLEANING. They flat out rejected our request and told us we had to pay between $100 and $800 above our insurance FOR UNNECESSARY TREATMENTS. THIS IS AN INSURANCE RACKET!!!"
"Do not go here! Make sure if you do that you go to another place and get another opinion first. The pharmaceutical sales comment made this whole place seem like they are adding services to get costs up on patients but are not doing what is best for your teeth or you personally. All they see is dollar signs."
"Not a cheap date. Expect to pay $$ at this facility, for some reason insurance doesn't cover deep cleaning."
Ad Strategy Analysis
A Meta Ad Library audit reveals a significant gap: The Hills Orthodontics is running zero paid advertising. This is both a vulnerability and an immediate growth opportunity.
Paid Advertising Spend Detected
A complete audit of the Meta Ad Library using multiple search queries ("Hills Orthodontics Anaheim," "The Hills Smile Lab," "anaheimhillsortho") returned zero results. The practice appears to be running no paid social media advertising whatsoever, relying entirely on organic search, word-of-mouth, and referrals.
What's Missing
Benchmark: What Paid Ads Can Deliver
Industry Context
Key benchmarks and trends from the 2024–2025 orthodontic industry to contextualize The Hills Orthodontics' position and identify where the practice may be losing patients.
The Orthodontic Patient Funnel
Industry-average drop-off at each stage. For every 100 inquiries, only ~44 become treatment starts.
⚠ The Hills Orthodontics does not currently track this funnel — making it impossible to identify where the 56% of lost patients are dropping off (marketing, sales, or follow-up).
The Growth Paradox
"You can have steady lead flow and still have lower production. Leads are only the beginning. Effective marketing can deliver demand, filling up the top of the funnel, but it cannot guarantee what happens inside the practice."
Speed to Lead Is Critical
"Families often reach out to multiple orthodontic practices at once, and the first practice to respond, confirm availability, and guide them to the next step sets the tone for the entire relationship."
Post-Exam Hesitation
"Patients who say 'I need to think about it' are rarely rejecting treatment. More often, they are signaling hesitation around timing, monthly payments, or the initial financial commitment. Once a family leaves, the likelihood of starting treatment drops significantly."
Adult Orthodontics Growth
"More adults are seeking orthodontic care, providing an opportunity to develop tailored marketing and follow-up strategies. Adult patients need more reassurance and persistence to commit to treatment."
Identified Vulnerabilities
Five structural vulnerabilities were identified through the research. These represent the most likely causes of the practice's patient acquisition challenges.
Zero Paid Advertising
No Meta/Facebook ads, no Google Ads detected in the Meta Ad Library. The practice relies entirely on organic search, word-of-mouth, and referrals — while competitors actively run paid campaigns.
Low Social Media Presence
Only ~145 Facebook likes despite years in business. Minimal Instagram engagement. The practice has strong patient stories but isn't amplifying them through social channels.
Underutilized Reputation Advantage
4.9 Google rating with 262 reviews is a massive competitive advantage — but it's not prominently featured in marketing. Main competitor has only 3.7 stars with serious upselling complaints.
Unknown Funnel Leak Location
Client acknowledges uncertainty about whether the problem is marketing (top of funnel), sales (consultation conversion), or follow-up (leads going cold). Without tracking, spend is guesswork.
Scheduling System Gap
One Yelp review (Oct 2025) revealed doctors were not present when a patient arrived for a scheduled appointment — suggesting possible scheduling/communication system gaps.
Strategic Recommendations
Prioritized recommendations based on the research findings, ordered by expected impact and ease of implementation.
Launch Paid Advertising NOW (Competitive Urgency)
Jacobsen Orthodontics has an identical 4.9★ rating and is on the same street. Both practices have zero paid advertising. Whoever launches ads first will capture market share. The Hills has a 16x review advantage (262 vs. 16) — this is a powerful asset to leverage in ad creative. A $1,000–$2,000/month budget targeting Anaheim Hills parents could generate 5–15 new consultations per month at industry-average CPA of $150–$280. First-mover advantage is critical.
Diagnose the Funnel
Implement basic CRM tracking to measure: (1) total monthly inquiries, (2) inquiry-to-exam conversion, (3) exam-to-start conversion. This reveals whether the problem is marketing, sales, or follow-up — and prevents wasting budget on the wrong fix.
Differentiate from Jacobsen
While both practices have 4.9★ ratings, The Hills Orthodontics has distinct advantages: 16x more reviews, no upselling complaints (unlike Anaheim Hills Dental Group), and a strong 'low-pressure' patient voice. Jacobsen emphasizes Invisalign expertise and 1:1 care. The Hills should emphasize: personalized care + transparent pricing + massive patient trust (262 reviews).
Weaponize the Reputation Gap vs. Corporate Competitor
Anaheim Hills Dental Group (3.7★) has documented upselling complaints and bait-and-switch tactics. This is a direct conversion tool when patients are comparison-shopping. Emphasize 'transparent pricing, no upsells' messaging to capture patients fleeing corporate practices.
Build Social Proof Engine
With only 145 Facebook followers, the practice's social media presence is severely underdeveloped relative to its patient satisfaction. Patient transformation stories and Dr. Brian's personality are untapped content assets. Target 300+ Google reviews to further widen the gap vs. Jacobsen (16 reviews).
Improve Follow-Up Systems
Industry data shows that patients who don't start treatment on the day of consultation rarely return. A structured follow-up sequence (text + email + phone) within 48 hours of a consultation can recover 10–20% of 'thinking about it' patients.
Orthodontic Products Online · GrowOrtho Podcast · AAO 2025 Survey
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