Dental Reviews: How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Practice
By Bruno Vasconcellos, founder of Beatus MídiasOctober 1, 2026 · 6 min read
What do Google's review rules allow?
Google lets businesses encourage reviews that reflect a genuine experience. Its policies do not allow offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free services in exchange for a review, posting fake reviews, discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only satisfied customers. Google also says businesses should not pressure people to review while they are on the premises or ask for specific content, such as naming a staff member. Reviews that break these rules can be removed, so a routine that stays inside them is the only one worth building. Read the details in Google's Maps user generated content policy.
How do you build a review routine?
- Send a text or email the same day with a direct link to your review form.
- Ask every patient, not only the ones you think are happy.
- Give the front desk a short, friendly script, with no pressure and no suggested wording.
- Send one gentle reminder at most, then stop.
- Count how many requests go out each week, because the number of asks drives the number of reviews.
- Do not give staff a quota of reviews to collect, which Google's policy also rules out.
How should a dental practice reply to reviews?
Reply to positive and negative reviews, briefly and professionally. Health information is sensitive, so many practices choose never to confirm in a public reply that the reviewer is a patient and never mention any treatment. For a negative review, thank the person, invite them to contact the office directly and take the conversation offline. Ask your compliance advisor what your replies may and may not include, and keep a few approved templates so every team member answers the same way. Tone matters more than speed here: a calm reply a day later beats a defensive one in an hour.
Reviews matter well beyond the star rating. A steady flow of recent reviews supports your Google Business Profile and your local SEO, and it makes every ad click more likely to become a call, because people check the map before they pick up the phone. For a new practice, the first reviews are often what turns map views into first appointments. Recent reviews also give patients a current picture of the practice, which older ones cannot.
The bottom line
More reviews come from asking every patient, every day, the easy way. Stay inside Google's rules, reply with care for patient privacy and treat the review request as part of checkout, not an occasional campaign.
Frequently asked questions
Can a dental practice offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google's policies prohibit offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free services in exchange for a review, and incentivized reviews can be removed. You can ask every patient for an honest review, as long as you do not reward it, pressure them or ask only the patients you expect to be happy.
What is the best time to ask a dental patient for a review?
Usually the same day, while the visit is fresh. A text or email with a direct link to your review form, sent shortly after the appointment, makes it easy. Ask every patient the same way, rather than choosing only those who seemed satisfied, which Google's policies do not allow.
Should a dentist respond to negative reviews?
Yes, calmly and briefly. Thank the person, avoid confirming they are a patient or discussing any treatment, and invite them to contact the office directly. A respectful reply shows future patients how the practice handles problems. Check with your compliance advisor on what replies may include, since health information is sensitive.
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