In Ontario, dental advertising is regulated by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) under the Dentistry Act, 1991. Dentists may advertise, but the rules are strict: advertising must be accurate and verifiable, and dentists may not use testimonials or patient reviews, may not make superiority claims ("best dentist in London") or guarantee outcomes, and may not use discounts, contests, or misleading before-and-after impressions. The safest, most effective way to market a dental practice in Ontario is educational content — answering patients' questions — which is fully compliant and also what ranks in local and AI search.
Who regulates dental advertising in Ontario?
The RCDSO — not the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), which is a professional association, not a regulator. The RCDSO sets and enforces the advertising standards Ontario dentists must follow, grounded in the professional-misconduct provisions of the Dentistry Act, 1991. Its stated purpose for regulating advertising is to protect the public from false or misleading impressions about dental care.
What Ontario dentists cannot do in advertising
- Use testimonials or patient reviews. The RCDSO prohibits publishing testimonials, reviews, or external ratings on a practice's own website or on third-party social platforms the practice operates. Patient references to specific procedures they received are also captured by this.
- Make superiority or comparative claims. "Best dentist," "#1 in London," or claims that one practice is superior to others are not permitted without verifiable evidence — which in practice is nearly impossible to substantiate.
- Guarantee results or create a false impression of clinical outcomes (including misleading before-and-after imagery).
- Use discounts, contests, or inducements as advertising devices.
- Say anything inaccurate or unverifiable. Every factual claim must be true and demonstrable.
What Ontario dentists can do
- State factual information: services offered, credentials, technology, hours, languages, location.
- Publish educational content — what a procedure involves, aftercare, when to see a dentist, what to expect at a first visit.
- Share general oral-health information that helps patients make informed decisions.
- Present accurate, non-misleading clinical information without guaranteeing outcomes.
The grey area everyone asks about: Google reviews
You cannot solicit testimonials, cannot repost patient reviews into your own advertising, and must take reasonable steps to disable testimonial features on channels you control. You generally can't stop patients from independently leaving a Google review — that's their speech on a platform you don't operate — but you must not incorporate those reviews into your marketing or a review widget on your own site. When in doubt, treat any patient review as something you may not republish.
Allowed vs. not allowed, at a glance
| Marketing tactic | RCDSO status |
|---|---|
| Educational blog posts / FAQs about procedures | ✓ Allowed |
| Listing services, credentials, technology | ✓ Allowed |
| Patient testimonials on your website | ✗ Not allowed |
| Reposting Google reviews into ads or a site widget | ✗ Not allowed |
| "Best dentist in [city]" / superiority claims | ✗ Not allowed |
| Outcome guarantees, misleading before/after | ✗ Not allowed |
| Discounts, contests, inducements | ✗ Not allowed |
How to market a dental practice in Ontario without breaking the rules
The tactics that are compliant — consistent, accurate, educational content — are also the ones that win local search and AI recommendations. A practice that publishes clear answers to the questions patients actually ask ("is teeth whitening safe for kids," "what to expect after a filling") builds visibility the compliant way, while a practice leaning on testimonials and superiority claims risks a complaint for no durable SEO benefit.