Categories to consider
- Dentist (primary for a general practice)
- Dental clinic
- Cosmetic dentist
- Pediatric dentist
- Orthodontist
- Emergency dental service
Attributes
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible parking
- Wheelchair-accessible restroom
- Assistive hearing loop
- Small business
- Asian-owned
Typical services
- Dental cleanings and exams
- Fillings
- Crowns and bridges
- Root canal treatment
- Teeth whitening
- Dental implants
- Invisible aligners
- Emergency dental visits
- Children's dentistry
Practice profile and dentist profiles
Dental offices usually need more than one profile, and Google has specific rules for them. Dentists are practitioners in Google’s terms: public-facing professionals who can be reached at the verified location during stated hours. Each can have a profile of their own. The practice has a profile too.
When several dentists share a location, the practice profile carries the practice name, and each dentist’s profile carries only the dentist’s name. A solo dentist practicing under a brand can share one profile named in the format “Brand: Dentist name”. Support staff should not have profiles, and a dentist shouldn’t have several to cover each specialty.
Because Google lets reviewers name professionals who practice under their own names, expect dentists to be named in reviews. Replies should stay general: don’t confirm the person was a patient, don’t mention dates, procedures or a bill, and offer the office number if the manager would like to talk. A dispute over an insurance claim or a treatment plan is a conversation for the front desk, not a public thread.
Category by specialty
Google wants the most specific category that fits. A general family practice uses Dentist. A practice that only treats children is a Pediatric dentist. An orthodontic office should lead with Orthodontist. Cosmetic dentist or Emergency dental service can be secondaries if those are real, advertised parts of the practice. A dentist’s own profile should reflect their specialty, which may differ from the practice’s.
Health businesses get extra features by category, including a booking button and a services list you can update.
Booking and services
Add your online scheduling link so patients can book from the profile. If you use several scheduling tools, set a preferred link so it shows first. Third-party providers can add links too; if one appears that you don’t use, remove the provider, and the provider must act within five days. Under Edit services, list treatments in patient language: cleanings, crowns, implants, whitening.
Photos that reassure nervous patients
Exterior shots help people find the door. Reception and treatment rooms show what to expect. Keep patients out of frame unless they’ve agreed in writing. Google asks for focused, well-lit photos without heavy filters.
If it doesn't work
- Your practice and a dentist's profile look like duplicates: they shouldn't share a name. The dentist's profile uses only the dentist's name when several dentists work there.
- Two profiles exist for one dentist, one per specialty: Google allows one per practitioner. Keep one and fold the specialties into services.
- A booking provider's link you didn't add appears: remove the provider from the booking options. Providers must act within 5 days.
- A reply was not approved: Google checks replies against its content policies. Remove patient details and resubmit.
Questions owners ask
Can our practice profile be called 'Smile Dental: Dr. Lee'?
Only if Dr. Lee is the sole dentist at a branded practice. Google allows one shared profile named '[brand]: [practitioner name]' in that case. With several dentists, the practice gets its own profile, and each dentist's profile uses only the dentist's name.
Can dentists run Local Services Ads?
Dentist is a listed Local Services Ads category in the US. Health care is screened more strictly, with practice and provider license checks, NPI verification for select users and malpractice insurance requirements, and pre-badge ads aren't offered for health care.
Can I reply to a review and mention the treatment the patient got?
Don't. Confirming someone is a patient or describing their care in public is a privacy risk. Thank them generally, or invite them to call the office. Google also prohibits posting others' personal information.
Sources
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google (support.google.com)
- Business screening and verification requirements (support.google.com)
- Choose a business category (support.google.com)
- About Local Services Ads (support.google.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.