If you’ve been in dentistry long enough to know what “D0140” means without looking it up, you’ve probably already experienced it:

Your office gets a one-star Google review. You open it, stomach in knots, and there it is, someone furious because their insurance company denied their crown.

Except… you didn’t deny anything. You diagnosed, you treated, you billed. The insurance company pulled the rug out from under both of you. But in the patient’s eyes, you’re the villain, the moustache-twirling overlord of dental doom.

Why Patients Leave Negative Reviews (and Why They’re Rarely About Your Prep Margins)

When you dig into research on online reviews in healthcare, something fascinating pops up:

Clinical complaints are rare. Very few patients say, “The occlusal anatomy on my #30 composite lacked adequate fissure depth.”

The majority of negative reviews are service- or finance-related. Studies in the Journal of Medical Internet Research show that dissatisfaction often stems from:

• Perceived rudeness or lack of empathy from staff

• Long wait times

• Confusing or unexpected bills

• Insurance coverage disputes

• Feeling rushed or unimportant during appointments

In dentistry, the insurance trap is the most common landmine. Patients often don’t understand that insurance doesn’t work like a magic credit card, it’s more like a picky uncle who pays for some things, refuses others, and changes his mind halfway through dinner.

When that uncle refuses to pay, the patient looks for someone to blame, and you’re standing right there with the drill.

How to Prevent Negative Reviews (Hint: It’s Mostly About Communication)

You can’t prevent all negative reviews unless you stop practicing dentistry and open a dog petting café instead. But you can reduce them:

Over-communicate financials

• Give treatment plans with clear, written estimates

• Highlight any “insurance may not cover this” areas in bold before treatment starts

• Train your team to explain insurance like a weather forecast: “We can predict coverage, but storms happen”

Manage expectations early

• If wait times are running long, tell patients as soon as they arrive. Bonus points for offering coffee or bottled water

Train your team in service recovery

• If something goes wrong, own it and fix it quickly, even if it’s not your fault. The insurance company won’t give them warm fuzzies, but you can

Follow up after treatment

• A quick call the next day shows you care and can catch potential frustrations before they spill onto Yelp

Should You Fear the Occasional Bad Review?

Short answer: No.
Longer answer: Really, no.

A few bad reviews actually make your profile more believable. Research from Northwestern University found that consumers trust a business more when its average rating is between 4.2 and 4.5 stars, compared to a perfect 5.0. Why? Because perfection smells fake.

If 97 people say you’re amazing and 3 say you’re the antichrist, most prospective patients will assume the 3 were having a bad day… or just came from an insurance call.

The Legal Landmines of Responding to Reviews

Here’s where it gets spicy: even if a patient mentions their own health condition in a review, you are still bound by HIPAA.

What this means:

• You cannot confirm they were ever your patient

• You cannot reference their treatment details

• You cannot set the record straight with their health history

Even if they say, “Dr. Smith messed up my root canal on #14,” you can’t reply with, “Actually, that’s because your bone density was…” That’s a HIPAA violation, and yes, the Office for Civil Rights has fined providers for this.

Safe responses look like this:
“We take all feedback seriously and strive to deliver excellent care and clear communication. Please contact our office directly so we can discuss your concerns.”

It’s vague. It’s unsatisfying. But it’s legally bulletproof.

What About Positive Reviews?

Even here, HIPAA applies. You can’t post, “Thanks, Sarah, glad your Invisalign turned out great!” unless you have written, signed patient consent. The patient publicly revealing it doesn’t give you a free pass.

The Big Picture

Online reviews aren’t going away. They’re the new word-of-mouth, amplified and permanent. But they don’t have to be a source of fear.

If you:

• Communicate clearly

• Take ownership of the patient experience

• Respond legally and professionally to reviews

• Accept that one or two bad reviews are just digital seasoning

…you’ll not only survive, you’ll thrive. And the next time insurance fumbles the ball, you might even get a positive review for how you handled it.

Bottom line: Patients aren’t grading your marginal ridge integrity, they’re grading the feeling they had in your office. Control that, and you control your online reputation.

Benjamin Tuinei
Founder – Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
📞 888-808-4513
Services: PPO Fee Negotiators, PPO Fee Negotiating, Insurance Fee Negotiating, Insurance Credentialing, Insurance Verifications
Websites: www.VeritasDentalResources.com, www.VerusDental.com