A research study conducted by Dentaly, a consumer-facing dental website, found that 83% of surveyed Americans use online reviews as the first step in selecting a new dentist. Important highlights of the review include:
- Patients tend to not trust offices with little public feedback, with 52% saying they’d only consider a dentist with at least 10 reviews.
- Three out of 10 participants were willing to consider an office outside their insurance network if the practice was highly reviewed.
- Most online reviews (91%) left by patients were positive.
- Consumers are turning to social media to judge a practice’s reputation, but social media can also do more harm than good: 42% said seeing a dentist promote their services on platforms such as TikTok lowered their trust.
- For the vast majority of patients (95%), seeing negative online reviews caused them to reevaluate contacting a practice.
- Most dentists are failing to respond appropriately to negative online reviews.
To read more about the study, including its methodology, access the original report here.
If your online review strategy could use some work, check out some of our resources below!
Amelia Williamson DeStefano, MA, is group editorial director of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group, where she leads the publication of high-quality content that empowers oral-health professionals to advance patient well-being, succeed in business, and cultivate professional joy and fulfillment. She holds a master's in English Literature from the University of Tulsa and has worked in dental media since 2015.
