Skip to content
SwimUp

Google reviews for a dental practice: asking, replying, looking after your listing

A dental practice is bound by professional confidentiality: a public reply must never confirm that someone is a patient, or talk about treatment. That is the main constraint, and it changes how you reply. Here is how to stay human without saying too much.

Situations that come up

  • The treatment that was painful or uncomfortable

    The patient talks about pain or stress. Say thank you, say their feelings matter, and mention neither the treatment nor their file. You cannot even confirm they are seen at your practice: write in general terms.

  • The appointment that ran behind

    An overflowing waiting room is a frequent complaint. Apologise without detailing the emergency that held you up, because it may concern another patient.

  • The fee or the quote

    Fees and out-of-pocket costs often irritate. Give no amount in a public reply. Invite the person to contact you so the quote can be gone through calmly.

  • The warm review

    Reply with a general thank-you, without repeating what was done. A word about the welcome or the gentleness of the team is enough.

Three reply templates to adapt

Fill in the fields (optional)

An empty field stays in square brackets in the text: fill it in before publishing. Read it over and change a few words, a reply that looks written for this person beats a copy-paste.

  • Discomfort or pain

    The patient describes a difficult experience at the practice.

    Hello [first name], thank you for your message. We are truly sorry that your visit was difficult, in particular [problem]. Out of respect for professional confidentiality, we cannot discuss a file here. You can contact us at [contact] to talk about it. [business name].

  • Waiting room

    The patient complained about waiting.

    Hello [first name], thank you for taking the time to write. The wait you describe, [problem], is not what we want for our patients and we are discussing it as a team. For any question about an appointment, you can reach us at [contact]. [business name].

  • Thank-you

    Positive review.

    Thank you [first name] for your message. Knowing that [specific point] mattered to you touches us. The whole [business name] team thanks you for your trust.

Other cases (fake, unfair, no comment reviews): the twelve general templates.

Where to put your review QR code

  • At reception, on the desk, with a short sentence, when the person pays or leaves.
  • On the document handed over at the end of the appointment, such as the reminder card for the next check-up.
  • In the waiting room, on a small frame, so the patient can scan it on the way out.

The direct link, the QR code and an A4 poster with your name are made here: Google review link and QR code (free, no account). The same QR code for all your customers, with no sorting.

To check on your Google listing

  • Your hours, the consultation days and the emergency number if you take emergencies.
  • The list of treatments you carry out, in plain words, with no promise of results.
  • Photos of the practice and the waiting room. Never photos of patients.

To go through the rest: the 17-point listing check-up. A complete listing doesn't guarantee a better ranking, it mostly keeps you from losing a customer over wrong info.

To avoid

  • Confirming publicly that a person is seen at your practice, or talking about a treatment in a reply.
  • Justifying yourself clinically in a reply: it can reveal information covered by confidentiality.
  • Offering a benefit in exchange for a review: Google forbids it and it can raise an ethics issue.

Google's rules change: read its official help from time to time. More details: getting more Google reviews, honestly. These tips are practical, they don't replace legal advice.

A review to deal with now?

With a free SwimUp account, you paste the review and get a tailored reply draft (3 per day). Always read it over before publishing. No bank card. SwimUp also offers paid services around Google reviews, shown on the home page.

Create a free account

Other trades