Mastering Patient Reviews: Proven Strategies for Boosting Your Dental Practice's Online Reputation

As far as your dental practice is concerned, patient reviews represent a great opportunity because, good or bad, you receive feedback from those who have visited your office. Patients are empowered to share their opinions, rate the overall experience, and potentially recommend your dental practice to others. 

Where Your Patients Can Leave Reviews Online for Your Dental Practice 

Google Business Profile

One of the most popular search engines, dental patients often depend on Google's resources when researching dental health information. Did you know that 77 percent of patients utilize Google when they are seeking out a new dental practice? You can create a My Google Business profile and allow Google reviews to be submitted for your dental office, which will serve to expand its consumer base. Those Google reviews will also be visible within Google Maps and Google Search, so potential new patients are almost certain to see them. 

Your Dental Practice's Facebook Page

With more than 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is another extremely useful platform for promoting your dental practice. Achieving five-star reviews will place your dental office at the top of the search list when patients are seeking out local establishments on Facebook. Positive ratings will constantly be a huge boost to your dental practice's reputation, even more so on Facebook because of their system that rewards businesses with the best feedback. 

RateMD

A website specifically designed to allow users to submit reviews of dentists and other healthcare professionals, RateMD is another tremendous source of information regarding dental patients and their feedback. You can select a specialty, which would be a dentist in this case, the city, and begin your search swiftly. 

Yelp

Similar to RateMD, Yelp lets patients search for dental practices through specialty and location. More than 140 million reviews of companies are there to be read and dental patients can take advantage of that when they are on the lookout for a new practice. 

Why You Should Want Your Patients to Leave Online Reviews for Your Dental Practice 



Your High Online Ranking and Positive Reviews Create Credibility

Online reviews have the power to make your dental practice look like a legitimate business, a factor that should not be taken for granted. Inauthentic or disreputable companies will have few reviews available, and most patients want to read various comments relating to experiences that others had with a dental practice. There is always the possibility of a lingering worry when a dental practice has no verified interactions associated with it. Reviews build credibility and put a consumer's concerns to rest, which will add to the success of your dental practice. 

Online Reviews are a Promotion Tool

Getting your dental practice's name out to the public's attention is rather simplified through online reviews. New patients will want to know that others have had a positive experience with your dental practice. If these prospective patients determine that is the case, then they are more likely to have an interest in your dental practice. On the numerous platforms available, reviews are uploaded and read daily, making it an absolute necessity that your dental practice is gaining a healthy amount of inspiring feedback from patients. 

Having More Reviews Create a Competitive Advantage

Another benefit of online reviews is their ability to distinguish your dental practice from the others that are nearby. After noticing compliments and praise towards your establishment, patients have a greater incentive to head there rather than the competition. Over time, the more patients that you acquire, the more likely you are to garner good reviews and earn other patients. Capitalizing on the full potential of reviews, you can develop a seemingly endless cycle of new patients coming to your dental practice. 

How You Can Generate More Online Reviews for Your Dental Practice 

A sign in your waiting room

Sometimes, patients are unaware that they can leave a review or of its value to your dental practice. You can demonstrate how crucial it is by offering a sign within the waiting room, which will inform patients that they can share a review of their experience. 

Reception team asking patients after an appointment

Your staff can quickly request a review following a routine check-up, giving all patients a chance to provide feedback. This is a superb method because the patients will still be in the office and their appointment will be fresh in the mind. 

Follow-up email

Of course, there will be instances when the patients are in a hurry and cannot spare the time for a review at the office. In response, you can send over a follow-up email that allows them to submit a review at their convenience. 

Review booster by Dr. Marketing

Patients can receive a link that will lead them to a form on the client's website. They can complete the form and if their response surpasses a particular score, they will then be redirected to submit a thorough review on the client's specified review site. 



How Should Dental Practice's Respond to Positive and Negative Online Reviews from Patients

You must take your emotions out of the equation when reading reviews about your dental practice. They are an incredible source of feedback that can help you identify areas where you are proficient and others in which you can improve. Also, they reveal what sort of expectations your patients have in terms of the service that your dental office provides. 

Promptly respond to the positive and negative feedback in a neutral manner. For negative reviews, communicate the regret that you feel about their unfortunate experience. Perhaps invite them to contact you directly so that you may address their complaint, listen to their suggestions, and confirm what you could have done to assure them of a better experience in the future. Your response to the positive reviews can be a thank you message and an appreciation for their input. Statistically, 45 percent of consumers state that they are more likely to visit a business that responds to their negative reviews, while 70 percent alter their opinion about a company once a response is posted. 

Personal responses allow you to establish a rapport with the patients and ensure that they are somewhat satisfied after a poor experience. More importantly, it proves that you genuinely care about them and their feedback. 



Patient reviews play a pivotal role in the growth of your dental practice and are instrumental in attracting a significant number of patients to your business. They provide potential patients with valuable insights into the quality of care and service they can expect. To consistently receive positive patient reviews, it is essential to employ premier methodologies that can enhance your practice's reputation. Get in touch with our team at Dr. Marketing to explore how our strategies can assist your dental practice in cultivating a strong base of satisfied patients and boosting your online presence.