New patients pick a dentist by reading reviews. Not by checking which clinic is closest. Not by comparing prices. They pick the one that, based on what other patients have written, feels least likely to hurt them.
That's the bar. Dental reviews are unusually high-stakes because the audience is unusually anxious. They're not looking for "great service." They're looking for proof that whatever procedure they're putting off won't be as bad as they fear.
Here's how to build a Google profile that converts anxious prospects, without falling foul of AHPRA advertising rules along the way.
of new dental patients read Google reviews before booking their first appointment
Dental industry surveys consistently put this above 70 percent. It's higher than almost any other healthcare category.
1. What anxious patients are actually scanning for
Watch a real person research a new dentist. They open Google Maps, find three nearby practices, and start reading the recent reviews. They're not looking for generic positive language. They're looking for specific words and phrases that signal safety.
The phrases that move the needle:
- "Gentle" and "painless": the two highest-converting words in dental reviews. They directly counter the dominant patient anxiety.
- Named staff members."Dr Bhanu was patient", "the hygienist Sarah explained everything." Names signal a real practice with real humans, not a chain.
- Specific procedures.Wisdom teeth, root canal, implant. Patients researching one of these specifically want to see reviews from people who've had the same procedure done there.
- Children.Parents picking a family dentist weight kids' experiences heavily. "My 5-year-old wasn't scared" is gold.
A 200-review profile with these phrases scattered through recent entries converts radically better than a 200-review profile with generic "great staff" one-liners.
2. The AHPRA advertising rules nobody mentions
Dentistry is a regulated profession in Australia under AHPRA. That means how you can ask for and use reviews is more constrained than for other businesses. The two relevant rules:
- You can't use testimonials in your own advertising.Posting a Google review on your own website or social media is technically a breach of AHPRA's advertising guidelines for regulated health services. The reviews on Google itself are fine. Reposting them is not.
- You can't solicit reviews in a way that pressures or incentivises.No discounts for reviews. No "If you had a great visit, leave us a review" (review gating). The ask has to be neutral.
This means dental review asks need careful wording. The next section has the template that stays inside the lines.
3. The review request template for dental
Soft, neutral, no pressure language. No mention of the rating you hope for. The customer should feel like they're helping other patients, not promoting your business.
Hi [name], thanks for coming in today. If you have a moment, we'd really value your feedback on Google. It helps other patients find the practice. No pressure, only if it's easy: g.page/r/[id]/review
Notice what this template avoids:
- No mention of stars or ratings.
- No promise of anything in return.
- No filtering language ("if you had a great experience").
- Soft framing ("no pressure").
Send 4 to 24 hours after the appointment. Same-day is too soon (the patient might still be numb or in discomfort). Three days later is too late (the moment has passed).
4. How to reply to dental reviews
Replies in healthcare have additional constraints. You can't confirm or deny who a patient is in a public reply, because that breaches their health information privacy. You also can't discuss specifics of a procedure without their consent.
Replies to positive reviews
Thank them by name (using the version they posted under), name the practitioner who treated them only if they named that practitioner first, and keep it warm and short. Don't add clinical detail they didn't mention.
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for the kind words about Dr Bhanu and the team. We'll pass it on to her. Looking forward to seeing you next visit.
Replies to negative reviews
Don't confirm whether the person is a patient. Don't discuss the specific procedure publicly. Move to private immediately.
Hi Mark, we're sorry to hear about your experience. We take feedback seriously and want to understand what happened. Please call the practice on [number] and ask to speak to our practice manager. We'll review what occurred and follow up directly.
This reply is short, doesn't admit to anything specific, offers a private channel, and signals to other readers that the practice handles complaints professionally. We've got a longer guide on responding to negative reviews if you want more examples.
5. The procedure-by-procedure review pattern
Sophisticated dental profiles end up with reviews clustered by procedure. New patients searching "wisdom teeth dentist [suburb]" want to see reviews from wisdom-teeth patients. Patients researching implants want implant stories. The same practice ranks for multiple procedure-specific queries because the review content covers each one.
You can't force this. But you can ask for reviews after every type of procedure, and over time the natural distribution means the profile picks up coverage across what you offer. A practice that's been actively asking for 12 months ends up with the review-diversity that drives long-tail rankings.
The Dental Studio at Molonglo, a Canberra practice we work with, now ranks for everything from "dentist near me" to "wisdom teeth Wright ACT" because their 200+ reviews cover the full range of work they do. Three months of consistent post-appointment SMS asks built that coverage.
6. The volume target for dental practices
Dental is a high-volume review category because most patients come in at least once a year. A practice seeing 30 patients a week has the potential to bring in 100+ reviews a year at a conservative 10% response rate.
Realistic benchmarks:
- Year 1 of consistent asking: 50 to 100 new reviews.
- Year 2: 80 to 150 new reviews (compounding response rate as the profile becomes more visible).
- Steady state from year 3: 100 to 200 new reviews annually.
Practices that start the system early (within the first year of opening) compound much faster than practices that try to catch up after five years. If you're in your first year, the time-value of every review now is enormous.
7. The takeaway
Dental profiles convert best when they look like a real well-run practice with humans behind it. That means: named staff, specific procedures, recent reviews, thoughtful replies, and a steady drumbeat of new feedback.
The constraint is AHPRA. Stay inside the advertising rules: neutral language in the ask, no reposting reviews on your website, no incentivising. Done right, the rules don't slow you down; they just shape how the asks are worded.
And done right consistently, dental practices end up with the review-rich profiles that make the difference between a new patient picking you versus the practice three suburbs over. In a category where every patient is a multi-year relationship, that difference compounds fast.