Build a 5-Star Dental Practice Reputation
Attract more patients when you know how to build an outstanding 5-star reputation for your dental practice with these actionable tips.
Today’s patients don’t choose a dentist based on location or credentials alone. They choose based on reviews. In fact, your Google reviews are often the first (and sometimes only) impression you make. When someone searches for a new dentist, your star rating usually determines whether they choose your practice or keep scrolling.
The good news is that building a 5-star reputation doesn’t require a massive marketing budget. It just takes a consistent, patient-first approach to collecting feedback, involving your team, and turning great experiences into positive reviews.
In this blog, we’ll discuss six actionable ways to become the top-rated dental practice without overspending on ads.
6 Ways to Build a 5-Star Reputation for Your Dental Practice
Here are six effective strategies for practices to master dental reputation management:
1. Ask for Reviews While the Patient Is Still in Your Office
The best time to ask for a review is right after a successful appointment.
If a patient compliments your hygienist or appreciates how smoothly their treatment went, that’s your moment to ask. Train your team to listen for those cues.
This is when they’re feeling most appreciative, their experience is fresh, and they’re more likely to follow through. Here’s how to do it:
- Train Your Front Desk Staff on What to Say
Skip the generic “Please leave us a review.” Instead, use
“I’m so glad everything went smoothly today. Dr. X really values feedback. If you have a minute, please leave a review—it helps new patients find us!”
This approach feels personal and timely.
- Send the review link instantly.
Text or email the review link while the patient is still at checkout, or offer a scannable QR code if that works better for your flow.
Patients rarely take action once they leave your practice, as they get busy with their day. So, the fewer clicks it takes, the higher the completion rate.
2. Get Your Team Invested in Your Reputation
Your front desk staff, hygienists, and assistants spend the most time with patients; they’re in the best position to ask for reviews. But they need to feel confident doing it and understand why it matters.
It’s not always laziness; it’s often forgetfulness, discomfort, or lack of clarity on why reviews matter.
Solve this by turning dental review generation into a team goal:
- Start with a Simple Team Huddle.
Use team meetings to connect the dots between daily patient care and long-term growth. Make it clear how they help:
- Earn trust from new patients before they walk in
- Highlight the great care your staff delivers
- Bring in patients more organically than paid ads.
When your team sees the bigger picture, they’re more likely to take ownership.
- Provide Talking Points They Can Actually Use.
Many staff members hesitate simply because they don’t know what to say. Offer a few natural, easy prompts:
- “We’d really appreciate a quick review—it only takes a minute.”
- “If you had a good visit, would you be open to sharing that? I can text you the link.”
3. Create Team Review Goals and Reward Them
Your team is already occupied: they’re juggling calls, scheduling, and verifying insurance. Asking for reviews feels like one more thing, unless they understand what’s in it for them.
Instill a sense of healthy competition so everyone takes ownership. Set weekly or monthly review targets like
- Put up a scoreboard showing your practice’s total Google reviews vs. the top 3 local competitors.
- Update it weekly to track growth.
Celebrate milestones with meaningful perks:
- Gift cards
- Bonus PTO hours
- A rotating trophy or team shout-out
4. Automate the Follow-Up
Even with in-person asks, not everyone will review right away. That’s where gentle automation helps. Tools like Birdeye Reviews AI can automate this follow-up process while keeping the tone friendly and personal, so your team stays focused on care, not chasing reviews.
If a patient forgets to leave a review, send a gentle SMS reminder. Keep the message short and on-brand:
"Thanks for visiting Dr. X’s office today! If you had a great experience, we’d love to hear about it. Here’s a quick link to leave a review."
Patients can tell the difference between a heartfelt request and a generic message. A well-timed follow-up reinforces the care they received and nudges happy patients to share it publicly.
5. Respond to Every Review with Care and Consistency
Reviews are a two-way conversation. How you respond matters just as much as what patients say. They show prospective patients that you’re attentive, respectful, and committed to patient care.
Prospective patients often read your responses as closely as the reviews themselves. So, reply to every single one:
- Thank happy patients.
- Respond calmly and professionally to negative reviews
- Reflect your practice’s values.
6. Track What Patients Mention Most
Your reviews aren’t just ratings; they’re insights. When you start paying attention to recurring themes, you uncover what truly matters to your patients:
- Are they raving about your hygienists?
- Complaining about wait times?
- Mentioning how clean or friendly your office is?
Final Thoughts
A 5-star reputation isn’t built with luck or expensive tools. It’s built by delivering exceptional experiences, asking at the right time, and making the process easy for patients and staff.
Train your team. Make the ask. Reward the effort. And if you're looking for a simple way to streamline it all—asking, reminding, responding, and analyzing—Birdeye can help you do it from one place.