Dental and orthodontics: the numbers, the rules, the AI picture.

• ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, section 5.F (advertising)

  No dentist may advertise or solicit patients in any form, including social media, in a way that is false or misleading in any material respect. The ADA lists examples: material misrepresentation, omitting a fact needed to avoid misleading, creating unjustified expectations of results and claiming superior quality without reasonable substantiation. Opinion statements can mislead if not honestly held.

  What it means: Remove 'best', 'painless' and 'guaranteed' unless you can substantiate them, add context to outcome claims, and disclose paid partnerships. The Code also says SEO and websites must follow it, and that paying a vendor a percentage of fees collected from patients is fee splitting (4.E.1). The Code binds ADA members, and state boards often reference it.

  [5] ada.org

• ADA Code, sections 5.H and 5.I (specialist and general practitioner announcements)

  A dentist may announce as a specialist only in specialties recognised by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards (or recognised in the dentist's jurisdiction) and only if they meet the education requirements. General dentists may announce the services they provide but must avoid implying specialization and must state that a general dentist provides the services.

  What it means: If you are a general dentist who places implants or aligners, write 'general dentist' next to those services. Do not call yourself an orthodontist, periodontist or pediatric dentist unless you completed that specialty training. Group sites must not suggest that every dentist is a specialist.

  [5] ada.org

• California Business and Professions Code sections 651 and 1680

  Section 651 bars false, fraudulent, misleading or deceptive public communications by health licensees. It requires before and after images to list the procedures performed, be presented comparably and state that the same results may not occur for all patients, and requires clear labels on model photos. It requires exact prices (no 'as low as' or 'and up'). Section 1680(l) lists advertising a guarantee of any dental service, or painless dentistry, as unprofessional conduct, except advertising that section 651 allows.

  What it means: In California, caption every before and after photo with the procedure and the results disclaimer, label model images, avoid price ranges phrased as minimums and remove painless and guarantee claims. Violations of 651 are misdemeanors and grounds for discipline.

  [6] california.public.law

• Texas State Board of Dental Examiners rules 108.54 and 108.55

  Texas allows a dentist to advertise as a specialist only in listed areas recognised by a certifying board and accredited by the ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation, using wording such as 'specialist in' or 'practice limited to', and the practice owner must avoid any inference that general practitioners are specialists. A general dentist who advertises services in specialty areas must label themselves 'General Dentist' right after their name, in type at least as large as the largest service name.

  What it means: On a Texas practice site, put 'General Dentistry' next to the dentist's name wherever you list orthodontics, implants or other specialty services, and in broadcast spots. Check the board for the current text, because specialty rules have been litigated and amended.

  [7] law.cornell.edu

• New York Board of Regents rules, 8 NYCRR sections 29.1 and 29.5

  New York treats advertising that is false, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading, that promises guaranteed services or that claims professional superiority the dentist cannot substantiate as unprofessional conduct, with the burden of proof on the licensee. For dentists, section 29.5 also bars claiming professional superiority or special abilities except for recognised specialty training, and treats the phrase practice limited to as such a claim. Testimonials need the patient's written authorization, and fictional client testimonials are prohibited.

  What it means: In New York, get a signed authorization for every patient testimonial, keep a copy of each ad for a year after it last runs, and avoid superiority language and bonuses beyond a discount on an established fee.

  [8] law.cornell.edu

• HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 CFR 164.508 (authorization for marketing) and OCR enforcement on online reviews

  A covered entity needs a valid written authorization before using or disclosing protected health information for marketing, with exceptions for face-to-face communications and nominal gifts. The HHS Office for Civil Rights announced a $23,000 settlement with New Vision Dental in December 2022 after the practice repeatedly posted patient names, treatment details and insurance information on Yelp. OCR's director said providers cannot disclose patient health information when responding to negative reviews.

  What it means: Get a signed authorization before you publish a patient's name, photo, voice or story. Reply to reviews without confirming the person is a patient, without describing care and without naming insurance. Use a generic reply and invite the patient to call. Train staff and write a social media policy.

  [9] law.cornell.edu

• FTC Endorsement Guides and the 2024 rule on fake reviews and testimonials

  Endorsements must reflect real experience, and material connections such as free services or discounts must be disclosed. The FTC announced a final rule on August 14, 2024 that bans fake and AI-generated reviews, paying for positive or negative reviews, undisclosed insider reviews and certain review suppression, and lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators.

  What it means: Do not offer a discount, free whitening or a prize in return for a review, and do not write reviews yourself or ask staff and family to post. Ask every patient the same way. Disclose paid dental influencers and keep the posts accurate.

  [10] ftc.gov

• Google Business Profile guidelines and review policy

  Google gives an individual practitioner their own profile only if they are public-facing and reachable at the location during stated hours. At a location with several practitioners the organization has its own profile and each practitioner a separate one. Names must match the real-world name used on signage and stationery, without taglines or keywords. Google's review policy bans paid or incentivised reviews, review gating and fake engagement.

  What it means: Name the profile exactly as your sign reads, do not stuff it with services or cities, and do not create duplicate profiles. Ask all patients for reviews, not only happy ones, and never trade perks for them.

  [11] support.google.com

• United Kingdom and Canada: the General Dental Council and the RCDSO

  In the United Kingdom the General Dental Council's advertising guidance (the September 2013 version) requires a GDC registration number on materials, bars unregistered dentists from titles such as orthodontist, requires practices to state whether services are NHS, mixed or private, and requires website details such as complaints procedure and the date the site was last updated. In Ontario, the RCDSO's 2012 advisory warns against testimonials, superlatives, comparisons and incentive programs, and requires disclosing whether the dentist is a general practitioner or a specialist.

  What it means: Canadian and UK rules are stricter than most US states on testimonials, comparisons and superlatives. Treat each province and the GDC as separate rulebooks, and read the current text of each before publishing.

  [12] standards.gdc-uk.org

This is general information, not legal advice. Dental advertising rules differ by state, province and country and change often. Check your own dental board, your regulator and a qualified healthcare attorney before you publish.