Review guide · Dental practices

Google Reviews for Dentists: Get More, Reply Safely

A practical review guide for dental practices: when to ask patients, where to send them, request templates, and why replying to reviews carries HIPAA risk.

By Plaudit Team · Updated October 1, 2026

A dentist's Google reviews are often the first thing a new patient reads, and most practices only collect them when someone happens to feel strongly. This guide covers the practical parts: when to ask, where to send people, what to say, and the one area where dental practices carry extra risk, which is how you reply to what people write.

Plaudit sends review requests by email and text after each visit, so you do not have to rely on the front desk remembering.

When to ask for a review in a dental practice

Dentistry has a natural advantage: patients leave the chair either relieved or pleased, and you have their mobile number and email on file. The mistake is leaving the ask to the front desk's memory.

Routine visit

Same day, 1–3 hours after the appointment

Cleanings and check-ups are low-stakes, so the experience is fresh and the patient is not in discomfort. Waiting a week turns the ask into homework.

New patient

The evening of their first visit

First-visit reviews carry the most weight with other people comparing practices, and they describe exactly what a nervous newcomer wants to know: was the team kind, was it on time.

Treatment that left discomfort

After the follow-up check, not the procedure

Extractions, root canals and similar work leave patients sore. Ask once they have recovered and you have checked in. A request that arrives while someone is in pain tends to get a bad review, not a good one.

Cosmetic or ortho milestone

When the result is visible (braces off, whitening or veneers finished)

These patients have a clear before and after, and they are usually excited to talk about it.

Which review sites matter for dental practices

Google Business Profile

This is where most patients look when they search for a dentist near them, so it should get nearly all of your requests. Send a direct link rather than asking people to search for you.
Facebook

Worth a link as a second option for patients who do not use Google reviews, but do not split every request between several sites. Pick one primary link per message.
Yelp

Yelp's own guidance says businesses should not ask for reviews, and its recommendation software may filter reviews that appear to have been requested. Do not send requests there.
Healthcare directories

Sites such as Healthgrades and Zocdoc carry patient reviews too. Each has its own rules about soliciting them, so read those before you send anyone there. Plaudit has a spare link slot for any site not on its main list.

Review request templates for dental practices

Swap the bracketed parts. In Plaudit these merge in automatically from your contact list.

Subject: How was your visit, [First name]?

Hi [First name], Thanks for coming in to see us at [Practice name] today. If you have a minute, a short Google review helps other people in [Town] find a dentist they can trust. You can leave one here: [Review link] Thank you again, [Dentist or practice manager's name]

Text message · 154 characters

Hi [First name], thanks for visiting [Practice]. If you were happy with your visit, a quick Google review would mean a lot: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Only text customers who agreed to receive texts from you. See SMS review request rules.

Why replying to patient reviews is a HIPAA risk

Asking for reviews is fine. Replying to them is where dental practices get into trouble, because the instinct to defend yourself publicly leads to disclosing what the patient was seen for. Two practices have settled with the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights over exactly this.

Elite Dental Associates (Dallas) paid $10,000 in October 2019. In answering a Yelp review it disclosed the patient's last name and details of her health condition, treatment plan, insurance and costs, and further disclosures were found on its review page.
New Vision Dental (California) paid $23,000, announced in December 2022. The owner replied to several Yelp reviews, used patients' full names where they had only used a username, and gave details of visits, treatment and insurance that the patients had not made public.
The practical rule that follows: never confirm that someone is a patient, never mention treatment, insurance, costs or appointment details, and move the conversation to a phone call. A reply can be warm without containing a single fact about the person's care.

Sources: HIPAA Journal on the Elite Dental settlement; HIPAA Journal on the New Vision Dental settlement.

This is a summary of public reports, not legal advice. Ask your privacy officer or compliance adviser to approve your review reply policy.

Replying to patient reviews

These show the tone to aim for. None of them confirms the writer was a patient or mentions any treatment.

Positive, names a team member

“Best dental experience I've had. Priya on the front desk and the hygienist were so kind.”

That's lovely to read, thank you. I'll pass your kind words on to the team. We're always glad when someone leaves feeling looked after.

Negative, about waiting

“Waited 40 minutes past my appointment time and nobody said anything.”

We're sorry about the wait and that no one kept you informed. That isn't the experience we want anyone to have. Please call us on [phone] so the practice manager can hear the details and look into it.

Negative, about a bill

“Charged way more than I was quoted. Avoid.”

We take concerns like this seriously. Because we can't discuss anyone's care or account in a public forum, please contact [name] directly on [phone] and we'll go through it with you.

Want a draft for a real review? Use the free AI review response generator, and edit before you post.

Setting this up in Plaudit

Dental practices usually want text requests, since patients read texts within minutes. That needs the Growth plan. If you only email, Starter is enough. Either way, keep the first request to a single review link.

Export or paste today's appointments (first name, mobile, email) from your practice software as a CSV.
Set one platform, your Google review link, and choose a send delay of a few hours.
Add anyone who should never get a request (a complaint in progress, a sensitive appointment) to the do-not-contact list first.
Turn on a single follow-up for people who have not responded, then stop.

Plans: Starter $19 (email, 1 platform), Growth $39 (adds SMS, integrations, follow-ups), Pro $79 (multiple locations). See pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reply to a patient's review to explain what actually happened? +

Not publicly, and not with any detail. The two HHS settlements above both came from practices that replied with specifics. A safe public reply thanks the person, says you take the concern seriously, and gives a phone number. The details belong in a private conversation.

Can I give patients a free whitening or discount if they leave a review? +

No. Google's policy lists offering incentives, such as payment, discounts, or free goods and services, in exchange for reviews as prohibited, and it applies to rewarding good reviews as much as bad ones. Ask, thank them, and leave it there.

Should the front desk ask patients in person? +

A quick in-person mention is fine, but it should not be the system. Staff forget, and the busiest days are when you most need the review. Let the front desk say 'you'll get a text from us', then send the actual request automatically.

What if an unhappy patient is also on my recall list? +

Add them to your do-not-contact list so they do not receive review requests while the issue is open. Resolve the problem first. If they later say they are satisfied, you can ask then.

Review guides for other industries

Also useful: How to reply to a negative Google review, SMS review request rules

All industries →

Start automating your reviews today

Plaudit sends review requests by email and text at the right moment, then follows up once.

Try Plaudit free →

7-day free trial · No credit card required