Guide · Dental practices
What a dental
site may say.
Dentists in Ontario advertise under stricter rules than almost any other local business, and a lot of dental websites — often built from templates used for practices in other provinces or the US — break them without the owner knowing. Here is what the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario's guidance says, in plain terms.
Published 2026-09-21 · Formory Group
Where the rules come from.
The College's practice advisory on Professional Advertising and its one-page Advertising with Integrity summary set out what dental advertising may contain. They rest on the professional misconduct regulation under the Dentistry Act. Your website is advertising under these rules, and so are your Google listing, social media and any paid ads.
Testimonials are out.
This is the rule that catches the most sites. The College prohibits testimonials, and more broadly any claim that can only be verified by someone's personal feelings. A carousel of five-star patient quotes on the home page is the most common breach we see on dental sites. Linking to your Google reviews is a different thing from reproducing them as advertising — if you want to do the former, keep it to a plain link.
No superlatives, no promises.
Claims of superiority or uniqueness are prohibited, and the College names phrases like "state of the art" and "cutting edge" as examples. So are claims that create an expectation of a favourable result and advertising that appeals to fear. "The best dentist in Mississauga", "pain-free guaranteed" and "don't let gum disease cost you your teeth" all fail.
Also prohibited: incentive programs such as giveaways, contests, draws and free products or services; and listing continuing education courses, association memberships, or degrees beyond those required for registration.
General dentist or specialist — say which.
Whenever an advertisement mentions an area of practice, a procedure or a treatment, it must make clear whether the dentist is a general practitioner or a specialist, and if a specialist, in which specialty. A general practice with a page called "Orthodontics" or "Implants" needs that disclosure on the page. The safest place is the page heading area and the practice's about section, not only the footer.
Showing fees.
Fees may be advertised, but they must be stated clearly; unless the advertisement says otherwise, the advertised fee is treated as the maximum you will charge, including lab costs; and it applies to every patient, insured or not. "Whitening from $199" with a lab fee added later is the pattern to avoid.
Before-and-after photographs.
We could not find an explicit ban on before-and-after photos in the College's current advertising guidance. What does exist is the College's advice on the use of patient images, which treats them as personal health information: you need the patient's consent in advance, confirmed in writing, even when the image does not identify them, and the patient can withdraw it. Given the testimonial and expectation rules, photos presented as a promise of results carry obvious risk; ask the College before building a gallery around them.
A dental site that follows the rules still works.
Remove the testimonials and superlatives and what remains is what patients actually look for: who the dentists are, what the practice does, whether it takes new patients, how insurance and billing work, the hours, the parking and a way to book. Across the GTA dental practices in our survey the median has around 180 Google reviews — patients have already read the opinions by the time they reach your site. The site's job is the facts.
This is a plain summary of RCDSO guidance published as of September 2026, not legal or professional advice. The College's practice advisory service answers questions about specific wording.
Questions
Asked often.
Can we display our Google star rating?
A rating is an aggregate of patient opinions, which sits close to the testimonial rule. Many practices simply link to their Google profile instead. If in doubt, ask the College.
Can we offer a free consultation or free whitening for new patients?
The College prohibits incentive programs including free products or services. A "complimentary" offer is still an incentive.
Our template came with a testimonials section. Should we delete it?
Yes. Replace it with something factual: what to expect at the first visit, insurance you accept, accessibility of the office.
Check yours
The same test,
on your address.
We do not guess and we do not send a report by email. Type the address, wait ten seconds, read what comes back. If your site is fine it will say so.
If you want
one built.
We build the site, you look at it, and you pay once it is finished and you are happy with it. Hosting, edits and the Google listing carry on monthly, cancellable any month.