Good reviews are persuasive marketing. Copying them onto your website, social posts or ads is a different act from the patient posting them on Google, though, and it comes with its own rules.
Patient authorization comes first
When the practice uses a patient’s words, name, photo or video in its own marketing, it is using information that identifies that person as a patient. Under HIPAA, using protected health information for marketing generally requires the patient’s written authorization. The conservative rule: before you put any testimonial, photo, video or before-and-after image on your website, social media or in print, get a signed HIPAA authorization that says what you’ll use, where and for how long, and that the patient can revoke it.
- Use a proper authorization form, not a line on the intake paperwork. Have your privacy officer or a healthcare attorney review it.
- Keep the signed form with the patient’s record, and track where each testimonial appears.
- If a patient revokes authorization, remove the testimonial from everything you control.
- Never edit a testimonial in a way that changes its meaning, and don’t combine several reviews into one.
Embedding a live widget that displays your public Google reviews is a common practice, but the same caution applies to anything you select, quote or repost. If in doubt, ask for authorization.
FTC endorsement rules
The FTC’s guidance on endorsements and testimonials applies to dental advertising:
- Testimonials must reflect real experiences. Don’t write them yourself or use actors presented as patients.
- Disclose material connections. If the person is an employee, a relative or received anything of value, say so clearly.
- Don’t imply unusual results are typical. A testimonial about a dramatic smile makeover implies most patients get that result unless you make clear what patients can generally expect.
- Don’t cherry-pick in a misleading way, for example by claiming “all our reviews are five stars” when you are showing only the best ones.
State dental board rules vary
State dental boards regulate dental advertising, and their rules on testimonials differ. Some restrict testimonials about clinical results or require disclaimers; some have specific rules for before-and-after photos, specialty claims or “best dentist” language. Check your state board’s advertising rules before a testimonial campaign, and when in doubt ask a healthcare attorney. The compliance guides cover advertising rules in more depth.
Your checklist
The Dental Reviews and Reputation Checklist puts every part of this guide on one page: the request system, replies, complaint handling, the rules, other sites and testimonials. Work through it with your team now, then review it once a quarter. More guides on keeping patients coming back are in the reviews and retention hub.