Reviews for Dentists: 9 Top Directories Patients Check Before Booking

While you’re concentrating on procedures and addressing patient concerns, potential patients are researching your practice online. They’re scrolling through reviews, comparing star ratings, and making snap judgments about your practice based on what others said about their patient experience. 

Unfortunately, many dental practices are overwhelmed by patient reviews. They know Google reviews matter, but they’re missing out on other major directories where patients are actively hunting for their next dentist.

In this article, we’ll break down the nine review directories that move the needle for dental practices in 2025. You’ll learn where patients look, which platforms deserve your attention first, and how to optimize each profile.

Why Reviews Matter So Much in Dental Marketing

When it comes to dental practices specifically, the review game works differently. Unlike restaurants or hotels, people don’t choose a dentist office on a whim. They’re making a decision that affects their health. The stakes feel higher, so they do more in-depth research.

The average person reads 10 reviews before feeling confident about a business. Patients read reviews on multiple platforms, cross-reference information, and look for patterns.

Here’s what that research process might look like:

• Start with a Google search for “dentist near me”
• Click through to 3–5 practice websites
• Check Google reviews for each practice
• Search for the practice on 2–3 other review sites
• Make a decision (or start the whole process over)

Nearly three out of four people (72%) say they would only consider a healthcare provider with four stars or higher in review ratings.

Think about your current patient acquisition cost. Between marketing spend, staff time on phone calls, and the administrative work of onboarding new patients, you might be looking at $200–500 per new patient.

Now, imagine losing half of those prospects because your review game is weak. Review management is about being present, proactive, and better than the practice down the street that’s ignoring its online reputation.

9 Top Review Sites for Dentists in 2025 (and Why They Matter)

Not all review platforms are created equal. Some are rarely used and updated, while others are bustling marketplaces where patients actively hunt for a great dentist.

Here’s where you should focus your energy, ranked by impact for dental practices:

1. Google Business Profile

Why it matters: Google hosts 73% of all online reviews. When someone searches “dentist near me,” your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see. Plus, consumers rank Google reviews as the most trustworthy review platform. Your Google presence isn’t optional — it’s your digital storefront.

What patients see: Star rating, recent reviews, photos of your office, hours, phone number, and that crucial “Book Appointment” button. If you’re not optimized here, you’re essentially invisible.

Tip: The average local business has 39 Google reviews, and businesses with 200+ reviews generate twice as much revenue as those with fewer. Time to start asking patients for testimonials.

2. Healthgrades

Why it matters: Patients go to Healthgrades when they’re specifically looking for healthcare providers. Healthgrades has more than 200 million patient reviews and ratings. It’s not a niche platform; it’s a major player in healthcare decision-making.

What patients see: Detailed provider profiles, appointment availability, insurance accepted, patient satisfaction scores, and procedure-specific reviews. It’s like LinkedIn for doctors — but patients actually use it.

Tip: Many dental practices completely ignore Healthgrades. If you’re optimized here while your competitors aren’t, you’re already ahead.

3. Yelp

Why it matters: Despite what dentists might think, patients still use Yelp. Forty-four percent of consumers refer to Yelp for business reviews, and as of 2025, there are over 308 million reviews on Yelp. The challenge is that Yelp’s algorithm can be brutal. They filter reviews aggressively, meaning some of your best reviews might not appear.

What patients see: Detailed reviews with photos, business hours, phone number, and that unforgiving star rating front and center. Yelp reviews tend to be longer and more detailed than Google reviews.

Tip: Check your star rating against your top three competitors quarterly — even a 0.7-star difference can significantly impact new patient calls.

4. Zocdoc

Why it matters: Zocdoc is where patients go to book appointments. It goes beyond being a review site — patients can see your availability in real time and book immediately. No phone tag, no waiting for callbacks.

What patients see: Reviews specifically from verified patients, available appointment times, insurance information, and dental office photos. The reviews carry extra weight because Zocdoc verifies that reviewers actually visited.

Tip: Zocdoc typically charges a monthly fee, but for practices looking to fill appointment slots, it often pays for itself.

5. U.S. News Health

Why it matters: When patients want to research the “best dentists” in their area, U.S. News often ranks high in search results. Patients trust U.S. News because it has decades of credibility in institutional rankings, from colleges to hospitals. Unlike review sites that rely on individual opinions, U.S. News feels more authoritative and data-driven.

What patients see: Provider profiles with credentials, patient reviews, and sometimes those coveted “Best Dentist” badges that patients love to see.

Tip: U.S. News Health helps you establish authority and trust in your market.

6. WebMD

Why it matters: WebMD has nearly 50 million monthly visitors. When patients research dental symptoms or procedures, they often end up here. When someone finds helpful, authoritative content about their dental concern, they start thinking, “This dentist clearly knows what they’re talking about.” Patient education can often lead to patient acquisition.

What patients see: Business listings with basic info, patient reviews, and links to your practice website. It’s not flashy, but it’s credible.

Tip: Many practices don’t actively manage their WebMD presence, so a little optimization goes a long way.

7. Vitals

Why it matters: Vitals focuses specifically on healthcare providers and ranks well in Google searches. When patients Google your name + “reviews,” Vitals often shows up on page one. Having an optimized profile here improves your overall online visibility.

What patients see: Patient satisfaction ratings, detailed provider information, and verified patient reviews.

Tip: Vitals emphasizes credentials and specializations more than other platforms, which matters for dental specialists.

8. Dental Insider

Why it matters: Dental Insider is built specifically for dental practices, so the reviews here carry more weight. Patients who find Dental Insider are actively researching dental care.

What patients see: Detailed dental-specific reviews, procedure information, and practice profiles designed around dental services.

Tip: Just because it has a smaller user base than Google or Yelp doesn’t mean you should ignore this directory. The audience is highly targeted.

9. 1-800-DENTIST

Why it matters: Despite the dated name, 1-800-DENTIST still drives significant patient volume, especially for urgent dental needs or patients new to an area.

What patients see: Provider listings with reviews, availability, and direct booking options for consultations.

Tip: Patients who visit this platform are often ready to book, not just browsing, making this a good conversion channel.

How to Optimize Your Profiles on These Sites

Having profiles on nine different platforms might sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are six steps to manage your profiles across sites:

Step 1: Claim Every Single Listing

Your practice might have a few profiles on these sites, and the question is whether you control them. Search for your practice name on each platform. If you find a listing, claim it immediately. If you don’t find one, create it.

Unclaimed listings often have wrong phone numbers, outdated hours, or worse: They’re completely blank. Claiming your profile across all nine platforms takes about two to three hours, which will be well worth it when appointments start rolling in.

Step 2: Get Your NAP Consistent Everywhere

NAP = Name, Address, Phone. Search engines use NAP consistency to determine if you’re a legitimate business. Your practice name, address, and phone number should be identical across every platform.

These common mistakes can hurt your local dental SEO:

• “Dr. Smith’s Dental Practice” on Google vs. “Smith Dental” on Yelp
• Using “Suite 101” on some sites and “Ste 101” on others
• Listing your personal cell instead of the practice line

Create a master document with your exact NAP information and copy-paste it everywhere. Don’t rely on your memory.

Step 3: Complete Every Profile Section

List every insurance plan you accept. Patients often filter by this first. Upload photos of your waiting room, treatment rooms, and team to give patients a sense of what they can expect at your practice.

Patients want to know who they’re trusting with their teeth, so write short, friendly bios for each dentist and key staff members. Don’t just list “general dentistry” under services. Be specific: teeth cleaning, crowns, bridges, teeth whitening, emergency dental care.

Keep your hours updated, especially during holidays. Nothing frustrates patients more than showing up at a closed office.

Step 4: Create a Review Generation System

Happy patients rarely leave reviews unless you ask. Unhappy patients always leave reviews, whether you ask or not.

Send patients a review request 24–48 hours after treatment via email. Include direct links to your Google Business Profile and two to three other key platforms for them to choose from. Text messages have a high open rate, so try SMS reminders, too. A simple “How was your visit? We’d love a quick review!” with links works wonders.

Put QR codes on appointment cards, in treatment rooms, and at checkout. Make it ridiculously easy for patients to leave reviews. Train your front desk team to say, “If you were happy with your visit today, we’d really appreciate a quick online review. It helps other patients find us.”

Step 5: Respond to Every Review (Within HIPAA Guidelines)

Respond to every review, positive and negative. Thirty-six percent of people said businesses set themselves apart when they respond to reviews publicly.

For positive reviews, keep it simple: “Thank you, [Name]! We’re so glad you had a great experience.” For negative reviews, stay professional, don’t get defensive, and never share patient information. Try this template: “Thank you for your feedback. We take all patient concerns seriously. Please call our office at [phone] so we can discuss this privately and work toward a resolution.”

HIPAA compliance is crucial here. Never acknowledge that someone is a patient. Never discuss treatment details. Keep responses generic and invite them to discuss privately.

Step 6: Monitor and Maintain

While you can monitor reviews manually with Google Alerts and scheduled check-ins, most practices find review management platforms more efficient for staying on top of multiple review sites.

For the DIY approach, set up Google Alerts to notify you when new reviews mention your practice. Pick two days every week to check all platforms for new reviews, update any changed information, and add new photos. This isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation — it requires active maintenance.

Manage and Grow Dental Reviews With Chatmeter

The manual approach works for basic monitoring, but as your review volume grows, you’ll find yourself spending hours each week checking platforms. Your time is worth more than that.

With automated review management, you’ll:

• Get notified the moment a new review appears on any platform
• Respond to reviews from one central dashboard instead of logging into nine different sites
• Send automated review requests via email and SMS to patients after their appointments
• Track your reputation scores across all platforms in real time
• Generate reports that show which locations (if you have multiple) are performing best

With Chatmeter, you get alerts when reviews come in, templates for quick responses, and analytics that show you exactly where your reputation stands. The platform tracks mentions of pain management, wait times, staff friendliness, and procedure quality.

You became a dentist to help patients, not to spend your evenings responding to Yelp reviews. Tools like Chatmeter let you focus on patient care while ensuring your online reputation doesn’t tank. See how Chatmeter can help your dental practice excel online by booking a demo today.