Can a dentist reply to a Google review? Patient confidentiality and GDPR
Short answer
Yes, you can reply, but without confirming that the writer is your patient and without saying anything about treatment. Keep the reply general and sympathetic, and invite the person to contact the practice. A Dutch disciplinary tribunal for healthcare ruled that a patient sharing details in a review themselves does not give you consent to respond to them.
A negative review about a painful treatment or a high bill stings, especially when you know the story is not accurate. The reflex is to set the record straight. For a dentist, that is exactly the biggest risk: anyone who explains in a public reply what happened in the chair is sharing medical information.
At the same time, you do not want to stay silent, because future patients are reading. In this article you will learn what patient confidentiality and the GDPR mean in plain terms for a reply on Google, what a Dutch disciplinary tribunal said about it in 2025 and how to write a reply that does work. This is not legal advice: the rules differ by country, so if in doubt, check with your professional association.
What do confidentiality and the GDPR mean for a reply to a review?
In short: everything you know because someone is in your care stays inside the practice. That includes the very fact that someone is a patient. So a public reply must not confirm, add to or correct anything about the person or the treatment.
Professional confidentiality means you do not share what a patient tells you or what you see during an examination. In the EU and the UK, the GDPR comes on top of that: data about someone's health counts as an especially sensitive category of personal data. A treatment plan, a dental problem or an invoice for a specific procedure all fall under it. Other countries have their own privacy rules, but in practice the safe approach looks the same:
- No confirmation of the patient relationship. Even "we are glad you are happy with your treatment" confirms that someone sat in your chair.
- No treatment details. Nothing about diagnosis, progress, anesthesia, the cost of a specific treatment or arrangements made.
- No correcting the facts. Not even if the review is demonstrably wrong. A correction is exactly the moment information gets out.
What did a disciplinary tribunal say in 2025 about replying to a review?
In March 2025, the Regional Disciplinary Tribunal for Healthcare in Amsterdam, a Dutch disciplinary tribunal for healthcare, issued a warning to a dentist who shared medical information about a patient in a reply to a negative review. The fact that the patient had put information in the review themselves made no difference.
The tribunal wrote (in translation) that the fact that the complainant posted a review and shared information in it themselves does not imply consent. You can read the full ruling (ECLI:NL:TGZRAMS:2025:59) in Dutch on the official disciplinary law website. The case concerned a review on ZorgkaartNederland, a Dutch healthcare review site, but a reply on Google is just as public. It is therefore wise to follow the same line.
A patient sharing information in a review does not give you permission to respond to it.
Healthcare providers know all too well that this is uncomfortable. When the Dutch doctors' federation KNMG and the Federation of Medical Specialists left Zorgkaart's advisory board in April 2025, Dutch broadcaster NOS and its program Nieuwsuur reported that doctors find it hard to defend themselves because of their duty of confidentiality. That does not mean you can do nothing: a short, human reply without details often works better than a defense.
Practicing in the UK, Ireland or elsewhere? The Dutch ruling is not binding there, and the rules for dentists differ by country. Still, the cautious approach in this article is a safe choice wherever you work, and your professional association or regulator can tell you what applies to you.
What can and cannot go in your reply?
Do: say thank you, show sympathy, explain in general terms how the practice works and invite them to talk. Better not: anything that confirms the writer is a patient, treatment details, correcting facts or mirroring the tone of the review. If you are unsure about a sentence, leave it out.
| Do | Better not |
|---|---|
| "Thank you for taking the time to share this." | "Thank you for being our patient for so many years." |
| "We take every complaint seriously and are glad to discuss it in person." | "During your treatment we informed you in detail." |
| General explanation: "For larger treatments we provide a cost estimate in advance." Only if that is really the case. | Mentioning amounts, dates or details from an invoice or appointment. |
| A concrete point of contact: the practice's phone number or general email address. | Asking them to explain more in the comments. |
| Signing off on behalf of the practice, with name and role. | A defense that rebuts the review, even if it is inaccurate. |
Be careful with general explanations. "Everyone here receives a cost estimate in advance" is fine if that is your policy. But as soon as you add "and you received one too", you have crossed the line.
How a dentist can answer a review in 5 steps
Read the review calmly, find out internally what is going on, write a short reply without confirmation or details, have a colleague read it and move the conversation to the practice. That shows you take complaints seriously without breaching confidentiality.
- Step back. A review about pain or money feels personal. Do not write your reply in the heat of the moment.
- Find out internally what is going on. Check whether there was a complaint or contact. That information is for you, not for the reply.
- Write in general, sympathetic terms. Say thank you, acknowledge that the experience sounds unpleasant and explain in one sentence how the practice handles complaints. No treatment, date or amount.
- Have someone read it. Ask a colleague or the practice manager: could anyone conclude from this reply that the writer is a patient here?
- Move the conversation. Invite them to call or email the practice. If you know who it is, you can get in touch through the usual channels, just as with a complaint at the front desk.
Google checks replies before they appear. According to its help page on reviews, this usually happens within 10 minutes, but it can take up to 30 days. Assume that whatever you post will be read.
How do you handle positive reviews and unfair reviews?
Thank people for positive reviews just as carefully: warmly, but without mentioning treatment or that they are a patient. Do not correct unfair reviews in public. If a review breaks Google's rules, you can report it. In all other cases, reply calmly and in general terms.
Positive reviews are tricky, because you reply to them in a relaxed mood. "So glad the new crown fits well!" is meant warmly and is still a confirmation. Stick to what is about the practice: the atmosphere, the team, the time taken.
You can report a review from someone with a conflict of interest, for example, such as a current or former employee. That is set out in Google's content policy. A critical review from a real patient stays up.
Replying is still worth it. In a BrightLocal survey of 1,002 US consumers (2026), 89% expect business owners to respond to reviews, and 42% say they are unlikely to use a business that never replies. If an assistant or a tool like ReplyHero prepares your replies, choose a setup in which every reply is approved first. For the day-to-day approach in a healthcare practice, also read what a physical therapist can and cannot say.
Example replies
Use them as a starting point and make them personal: mention something from the review and sign with your own name.
Negative review about pain and costs
The treatment hurt enormously and nobody took the time to explain anything. Afterwards I got a bill that was much higher than I expected. Never again.
Reply
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your message. Pain, too little explanation and a bill higher than expected: nobody wants to go through that, and I take your words seriously.
Because of our duty of confidentiality, we do not discuss personal situations here. I would, however, be glad to speak with you myself, to listen and to look together at what could be better. You can call or email the practice using the details on our website and ask for me.
Kind regards,
Anne Walker, dentist, Linden Dental Practice
Mixed review about waiting time
Friendly assistants and a modern practice, but I sat in the waiting room for almost 45 minutes. A quick message that things were running late would have been nice.
Reply
Dear Ms. Patel,
Thank you for your honest review and for the kind words about our team. I will gladly pass them on.
Waiting a long time without knowing why is frustrating, and we fully understand that. Sometimes the schedule runs late, for example because of an emergency. When that happens, everyone in the waiting room should hear it from us. This week we are looking at how to handle that better.
If you have any questions, you can always call us.
Kind regards,
The team at Linden Dental Practice
Positive review from an anxious visitor
I have been afraid of the dentist for years, but here they really take their time. Everything is explained calmly and I finally dare to go again. Thank you all!
Reply
Dear Sophie,
Thank you for these lovely words. We know that visiting the dentist makes many people nervous. That is why we consider a calm atmosphere and clear explanations just as important as good work, and it means a lot to our whole team to read that this comes across.
If you have a question in the future, we are always happy to help.
Warm regards,
The team at Linden Dental Practice
ReplyHero for dental practices
ReplyHero reads the reviews on your Google Business Profile and writes a personal reply to every new review, in the tone you choose. For each location you decide how the reply reaches Google:
- Fully automatic: ReplyHero posts the reply right away.
- With a review window: the reply waits for you for 48 hours. If you do nothing, ReplyHero posts it.
- You approve: you read the reply in your portal and post it with one click, or edit it first.
Free forever for one location, or from $9 per location per month. Cancel any month. See pricing.
Start with ReplyHeroFrequently asked questions
Can I confirm in my reply that someone is a patient?
No. The very fact that someone is in your care falls under your duty of confidentiality. So avoid phrases like "during your treatment" or "as a patient of our practice". A reply that says thank you, shows sympathy and invites contact confirms nothing and still shows that you take complaints seriously.
Can I respond to details the patient puts in the review?
Better not. A Dutch disciplinary tribunal for healthcare in Amsterdam ruled in 2025 that someone sharing information in a review themselves does not imply consent. The dentist in that case received a warning. So respond to the feeling behind the review, not its content, and discuss the rest in person.
Can I get a negative review removed?
Only if the review breaks Google's rules, for example where there is a conflict of interest, such as a review by a current or former employee. A critical review from a patient stays up, even if you disagree with it. A calm, general reply is then the strongest signal for readers.
Can an assistant or a tool write the reply?
Yes, if the practice has clear agreements about what does and does not go in a reply. Agree that the dentist or practice manager approves every reply before it goes online. Never let data from the patient record end up in a draft, even if it would make the reply seem more personal.
How quickly should a dentist reply?
Within a few days is a good guideline. Speed matters too: 81% of consumers in BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers expect a response within a week. Feel free to take an extra day to have a reply checked: for a healthcare practice, a careful reply matters more than a quick one that says too much.
Sources
- Regional Disciplinary Tribunal for Healthcare Amsterdam (Netherlands), ECLI:NL:TGZRAMS:2025:59 (March 14, 2025)
- NOS/Nieuwsuur, Medical specialists and doctors' federation leave review site Zorgkaart (April 22, 2025)
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
- Google, Manage customer reviews
- Google, User contributed content policy
