Posted By: Dr. Kyle Fagala, DDS, MDS
Last updated: November 3, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The best orthodontic practice names are easy to say, easy to spell and easy to search, and they leave room for the practice to grow beyond one doctor or one location.
- Dr. Kyle Fagala named his practice Saddle Creek Orthodontics instead of using his surname, partly because patients searched for “Dr. Fagala” in many different spellings.
- A name tied to a place can help locally, but plan for a second office that may not be in that place.
- Check trademarks with the USPTO, your state’s rules on trade names, and the ADA’s ethics guidance before you commit, and use the exact real-world name on your Google Business Profile.
To name an orthodontic practice well, choose a name patients can say, spell and search on the first try, that fits your culture and still works if you add an office or associate. Clear it legally before you print a sign. Many strong orthodontic practice names are built around a place or an idea, not a surname.
Naming is a creative exercise you will live with for decades. Your name goes on the building, every Google review and every referral a parent makes at the soccer field.
Our co-founder, Dr. Kyle Fagala, went through this himself when he opened Saddle Creek Orthodontics in the Memphis area. His reasoning is a useful case study for anyone opening a new office or thinking about a rename.
What makes a good orthodontic practice name?
A good orthodontic practice name passes a simple test: if a parent hears it once, can she spell it into a search bar that night? Beyond that, the strongest names share a few traits.
- Easy to say and spell. No guessing at double letters, silent letters or unusual pronunciations.
- Distinct in your market. If three offices in town have nearly the same name, patients and Google will mix them up.
- Room to grow. The name should survive a second location, an associate doctor or a future sale of the practice.
- A fit for your culture. A playful name suits a playful office.
- Available. A clean trademark search, a domain you can get and social handles that match.
A name is also the foundation for everything that follows in branding and graphic design, from the logo to the sign on the door. Who you are naming for matters as much as the name. Before brainstorming, get clear on the families you most want to serve, which we cover in why defining your brand’s target audience comes first.
Should you name your orthodontic practice after yourself?
Only if your name is easy to spell and you are comfortable tying the brand to you personally.
Dr. Kyle discussed this with Howard Farran on Dentistry Uncensored in 2017. Beyond spelling (more on that below), his point was positioning. He argued that the old habit of naming every office “Dr. Jones Family Dentistry” needs to shift, because it is hard to build a unique, creative brand around a name, especially a common one. If you are the nineteenth cosmetic dentist in Memphis, he said, patients are not going to be able to find you.
Here is how the common naming styles compare:
| Naming style | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor’s surname | Personal, credible, simple if the name is easy | Spelling, associates feeling left out, harder to sell later |
| Place or landmark | Local recognition, easy to remember | Can feel limiting when you open a second office elsewhere |
| Feeling or idea | Distinct, easy to build a culture around | Needs strong branding to explain what you do |
| Descriptive (city plus “Orthodontics”) | Clear and searchable | Often taken, hard to trademark, easy to confuse with competitors |
You can see every one of these styles among the practices we have worked with: surname brands like Mack Orthodontics, place names like Windy City and Champlain Orthodontics, and idea names like Ovation and Paradigm Orthodontics. No style is automatically right.
How did Saddle Creek Orthodontics get its name?
Saddle Creek Orthodontics is named after Saddle Creek, a shopping area near the practice, not after a creek and not after Dr. Kyle. In the 2017 interview, he explained that there is no actual creek named Saddle, and that the name told people in the area where the practice would be.
He also liked what the name signaled: he described Saddle Creek as an upscale shopping center associated with a good reputation. And, as he put it, the practice couldn’t be Fagala Orthodontics “for reasons we’ve already discussed.”
By the time of that interview, Saddle Creek had added a second location in an area that was not Saddle Creek, and Kyle said that was okay because the name had grown beyond the place. Today the practice serves the greater Memphis area through three offices. A place-based name started local and became a brand.
The lesson: pick a place name that is meaningful and positive, and expect your brand, not your address, to carry it into new neighborhoods.
How do I check if an orthodontic practice name is available?
Check four places before you fall in love with a name: federal trademarks, your state’s rules, your local market and the web.
- Search federal trademarks. The USPTO’s trademark search page is the starting point. Its guidance on likelihood of confusion explains that trademarks “don’t have to be identical to be confusingly similar,” and can conflict if they are “similar in sound, appearance, or meaning.” That matters when many practices play on the same few words.
- Check your state. Search your state’s business entity database, and ask your state dental board whether it has rules on trade names for dental practices.
- Review the ethics guidance. The ADA’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct addresses practice names directly in section 5.G: “the use of a trade name or an assumed name that is false or misleading in any material respect is unethical.” Avoid names that imply something untrue, like a specialty you do not hold or a size you have not reached.
- Search your market and the web. Google the name with your city, check Google Maps, and look for the domain and social handles.
Trademark and business-name rules vary, and this is not legal advice. Have a trademark attorney run a full clearance search before you finalize.
Does your practice name affect local SEO?
Your name affects local search mainly through consistency and spelling, not keywords. Patients who cannot spell your name cannot search for it, and every misspelling sends some of them to someone else.
Google’s guidelines for representing your business are strict here. Your Business Profile name “should reflect your business’s real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers.” Google says that adding unnecessary information to a business name isn’t permitted and could result in a suspended profile. So if you want “Braces” or your city in your Google name, it needs to be part of your real name, on your sign and your paperwork.
The same guidelines let doctors and dentists, as individual practitioners, have their own profiles with titles such as “Dr.”, separate from the practice brand. Strong local SEO starts with a name you can use exactly the same way everywhere: your sign, your site, your Google profile and every directory listing.
A distinctive name also gives branded searches fewer lookalikes, which helps the rest of your orthodontic SEO work pay off.
What are common mistakes when naming an orthodontic practice?
The most common mistake is choosing a name for the doctor instead of for the patient. A few others show up again and again:
- Clever but confusing. Puns and invented spellings can be impossible to search. Say it to ten people and have them write it down.
- Too narrow. A name tied to one treatment, one street or one doctor can box you in.
- Too close to a competitor. Nearly identical names cause misdirected calls, mixed-up reviews and possible trademark problems.
- Naming before branding. A name chosen without thinking about logo, colors and voice often feels disconnected later.
How do you build a brand around a new practice name?
You build it by giving the name a look, a voice and an in-office experience that all match. Dr. Kyle wanted patients to know the culture of Saddle Creek Orthodontics, not just his name.
That is the part we care most about when we help practices build a brand. A great brand reflects who the office really is. As Dr. Adam Hoxie of Ovation Orthodontics said in a review on our home page: “They really got to know who our office was and what our personality is, rather than trying to imprint some other brand that wasn’t us. We could not be happier.”
From there, thoughtful orthodontic website design turns a name into a first impression, and our guide to the website problems that quietly cost practices new patients is worth a read before you launch. For more on how visual identity shapes trust, see how practice branding affects patient trust.
Should you rename an existing orthodontic practice?
Rename only when the current name is holding you back: patients cannot spell it, it is tied to a doctor who has left, it limits growth into new areas, or it is too close to a competitor. A rename is a big project, so it should solve a real problem.
If you do, update your Google Business Profile, website, signage and listings together, redirect your old domain, and tell existing families what is changing. The ADA’s code also notes that the name of a dentist no longer actively associated with the practice may be used “for a period not to exceed one year,” so check that guidance if a retiring doctor’s name is involved. Our post on what to know before rebranding your practice walks through the bigger decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good name for an orthodontic practice?
A good name is easy to say, spell and search, is distinct in your market, and leaves room for growth. Names built on a place or an idea can carry a culture beyond one doctor. Before deciding, check federal trademarks, your state’s rules and whether matching domains and social handles are available.
Is it better to name an orthodontic practice after the doctor?
It can work if the surname is easy to spell and you plan to stay the face of the practice. The tradeoffs are spelling problems in search and a brand tied to one person when associates join or you sell. Dr. Kyle Fagala chose Saddle Creek Orthodontics partly because patients searched his surname in many different spellings.
Can I put keywords like “braces” in my Google Business Profile name?
Only if they are part of your real business name. Google’s guidelines say your profile name should reflect your real-world name as used on your storefront, website and stationery, and that adding unnecessary information isn’t permitted and could lead to suspension. If you want “braces” or a city in your Google name, it needs to be your actual name.
How do I know if an orthodontic practice name is trademarked?
Start with the USPTO’s trademark search, then search your state’s business records and your local market. The USPTO says marks can be confusingly similar in sound, appearance or meaning, even when not identical. For a final answer, have a trademark attorney run a comprehensive clearance search before you buy signage or a domain.
Does a practice name need to include “orthodontics”?
Not necessarily, but including “Orthodontics” tells patients and search engines immediately what you do. Your state dental board may have its own rules on how practices are named or advertised, so check with it. The ADA’s code also says a trade name must not be false or misleading in any material respect.
Ready to name, or rename, your practice?
If you are opening a practice or rethinking your brand, we would love to help you find a name and identity that fits your culture. Reach out to our team to start the conversation.