Google reviews for dentists, from patients who were quietly pleased and never said so
Many people who have a good visit with their dentist say nothing to anyone. In our view, the patients who write reviews can be the ones with something to complain about, and the rating on your profile can slowly drift from what your team does every day.
We set up a calm, regular way to ask for reviews after the visits that went well, reply with care, and show your rating on your site where your regulator allows. You keep your profile, and nothing is posted without your yes.
What we found on dental websites
In November 2026 we looked at the homepages of 10,794 dental practices. The method and tables are in our dental website study.
1. 75% showed no review feed or star rating
Many of those practices may have good reviews on Google. We did not check. The point is that a nervous new patient on the website can’t see them.
2. 39% had no online booking we could find
A review does the most good next to a way to act on it. Where reviews and booking are both missing, the patient has to leave the page to work either out.
3. 9% carried an offer for new patients, and 37% showed an email address
For a first-time visitor, trust comes from signals such as stars, names and recent comments. Few sites have them.
Our scan looked at homepages only. A site with reviews on another page is counted as having none on the homepage.
How dental patients use reviews
Choosing a dentist comes down to trust. People hand over their mouth, often feeling afraid or embarrassed, and many are choosing with little more than a map listing and a few comments.
They read the worst ones first. A patient comparing two practices looks at the low scores to see what the problem was. A calm, specific reply there matters as much as a five-star comment.
They search for fear and comfort. People worry about pain, judgement and surprise bills. Reviews that mention a gentle hygienist, a child who wasn’t scared or a clear explanation of costs help more than “great service”.
They check how recent it is. A practice with a rating from 2021 looks quiet. A steady trickle of new comments looks alive.
They look at the team. Reviews that mention a hygienist or dentist by name tell a stranger who they will meet.
They pick a practice for a whole household. One good review about a child’s first visit can decide where a family goes.
A routine for a busy dental front desk
Dental practices have a rhythm that suits reviews well, because patients come back every six months or so and the team sees them in person. The routine we set up is deliberately small.
1. Who asks, and when
We agree one moment, usually the end of a hygiene or check-up visit, and one person responsible. Dentists, hygienists and the front desk each get a line they are comfortable saying. Nobody reads a script word for word.
2. What the patient receives
A short message with the link, sent a few hours after the visit rather than in the chair, so it doesn’t feel like part of the bill. Children’s visits go to a parent or guardian, never to the child.
3. What happens with replies
Each week one person has ten minutes to read new reviews. We bring drafts, you approve them, and anything about a clinical matter is handled by phone, not in public.
4. What we watch
How many reviews arrive, how recent they are and what patients mention. If hygiene visits are praised and emergency visits are not, that’s useful to know, and we tell you.
What we do for dental practices
1. A review link that works on a phone
One short link that opens the Google review box, tested on an iPhone and an Android before anyone depends on it.
2. A moment to ask that fits dentistry
A hygiene appointment is the natural moment. The patient has just spent time with a hygienist, feels fresh and is often waiting at the desk. We write a short message the clinic sends from its own systems after the visit, and a script for the front desk.
3. A card and QR code for the desk
Something small for the reception counter or the checkout area so patients can leave a review when they choose. No pressure.
4. Replies in your voice, within privacy rules
We draft replies for good and difficult reviews, and you approve them. Replies never confirm that someone was a patient or mention treatment, even to correct the record.
5. A review check-up
How many reviews you have, how recent they are, how many have a reply, and what the profile is missing. For a multi-dentist or multi-location practice, we do it for each profile.
6. Reviews on your website
Your rating and a link to your Google reviews beside the Book button, and more where your regulator allows. If a regulator restricts it, we tell you and use another way to build trust.
Not sure where your clinic stands? We’ll look at it the way a new patient does and send a short written report. No pitch.
The rules for dental reviews
Two sets of rules apply: Google’s, and your regulator’s. We don’t give legal advice.
1. Google’s review policy
Google prohibits paid or incentivised reviews, and does not allow businesses to selectively solicit only positive ones. It also treats reviews from staff, family or business partners as a conflict of interest. Asking every patient, with no strings attached, is the safe way. Source: Google’s Maps user-contributed content policy.
2. No rewards, no draws, no discounts
Giving a patient a discount, a whitening kit or an entry into a draw in return for a review breaks Google’s rules. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario also advises against ads offering rewards or other incentives. Source: RCDSO, the dos and don’ts of advertising.
3. Testimonials on your own site
Whether and how you may quote a patient’s review on your website depends on your regulator, and some restrict it. The RCDSO page above refers readers to its social media guidance, and we have not confirmed its position on testimonials. We check your own board or college before anything is quoted, and we get the patient’s permission.
4. Replies are public messages
A reply is an advertisement from your practice. It falls under the same advertising and privacy thinking as anything else you post.
Common problems on dental review profiles
1. A rating built on a handful of reviews
A practice with a handful of reviews can look weaker than a neighbour with many, even when the care is the same. A steady routine fixes this over time. A guarantee does not exist.
2. Unanswered reviews, good and bad
Silence reads as indifference. A short thank-you and a calm reply to criticism both help.
3. Replies that share too much
Staff mean well and write “we’re sorry about your root canal last Tuesday”. That confirms the person was a patient and discloses treatment.
4. One person always asks, and the rest never do
In a multi-dentist practice, reviews pile up for the practitioner who asks and dry up for everyone else.
5. Only the front desk can send the link
When asking depends on one person’s memory, it stops the week that person is on holiday.
6. Reviews that sit on Google only
Few sites show them, and the visitor who didn’t search Google again never sees them.
Questions owners ask
Can we offer patients a discount for a review?
No. Google’s rules don’t allow rewards in exchange for reviews, and regulators may object too. A simple, honest request works better over time.
Can we only ask patients who seemed happy?
No. Google does not allow selectively soliciting positive reviews. Ask broadly.
How do we reply to a bad review without breaking privacy?
Keep it short. Thank the person, say you take it seriously and invite them to call. Don’t confirm they were a patient, and don’t mention treatment or dates.
Can we show reviews on our website?
It depends on your regulator. We read the guidance, tell you what we found, and you decide.
How many reviews will we get?
We can’t promise a number. Practices that ask every patient in a steady routine may see more than those that never ask.
Do you need patient information?
No. The practice sends requests from its own systems. We never handle patient records or contact lists.
What if a review is untrue?
Reply calmly and flag it to Google if it breaks the policy. We show you how.
Can we buy reviews, or have staff post them?
No. We never write, buy or post reviews for anyone.