How dental practices get more new patients from Google

Set up your profile for the treatments people search for

• Primary category: “Dentist” for most general practices. If you're a specialist practice, choose the specific category that's true, such as “Orthodontist”, “Cosmetic dentist” or “Pediatric dentist”.
• Additional categories: add the others that genuinely apply, such as “Emergency dental service” if you really see emergency patients. Your primary category is the top-rated map ranking factor in Whitespark's expert survey.
• Services: list every treatment patients search for, such as check-ups, hygiene, whitening, implants, Invisalign or other aligners, emergency appointments and children's dentistry. Add price ranges where you can.
• Hours: include your emergency or out-of-hours arrangements, and set holiday hours in advance. Being open at the time of search is a top-five ranking factor.
• Booking: add your online booking link so patients can book straight from Google.
• Photos: your team, reception, treatment rooms and the outside of the building, so nervous patients know what to expect. Never post photos of patients without their explicit consent.

Get reviews from every patient, the right way

Patients choose a dentist on trust, and most read reviews first. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 68% of US consumers said they only use businesses rated four stars or more, and 74% only consider reviews from the last three months.

1. Ask every patient, not just the happy ones, by text or email shortly after their appointment, with a direct link to your Google review form.
2. Keep the request short and friendly, and don't mention their treatment in the message.
3. Don't suggest what to write or ask patients to name a dentist or hygienist. Google's policies don't allow asking for specific content, or setting staff a number of reviews to collect.
4. Never offer discounts, free whitening or prize draws for reviews.
5. Put a QR code at reception so patients can review later, without being pressured while they're in the practice.

Reply without revealing anything about the patient

This is where practices get into trouble. In December 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services settled with a California dental practice that had revealed patients' names, treatment and insurance details while replying to online reviews. The practice paid $23,000 and agreed to two years of monitoring. HHS's Office for Civil Rights said providers “cannot disclose protected health information of their patients when responding to negative online reviews”.

In the UK, the General Dental Council's standards say dental professionals must not post any information or comments about patients on social networking or blogging sites.

Give each treatment its own page

A dedicated page for each service is the top local organic ranking factor in Whitespark's expert survey. For a practice, that means separate pages for implants, aligners, whitening, emergency appointments, hygiene and children's dentistry, each with what the treatment involves, who it suits, prices or price ranges, finance options if you offer them, and real photos of your team.

Link your Google profile to your homepage or main location page, and make phone and booking buttons easy to tap on mobile: 73% of US consumers start local searches on a phone.

Common mistakes

• Choosing “Dental clinic” or a broad category when a more specific one is true.
• Asking only patients who seem happy, or asking at the chair.
• Replying with treatment details, even to defend the practice.
• One “Services” page listing everything instead of a page per treatment.
• Letting reviews stop for weeks at a time during busy periods.