Google’s 2026 review policy update is already removing dental reviews — find out which common tactics are now violations and how to protect your practice’s profile.
Google made significant changes to its review policies earlier this year, and dental practices are feeling the impact. In this week’s Monday Marketing Rundown, Dan covers exactly what changed, why reviews are disappearing from dental Google Business Profiles (GBPs) right now, and what practices need to do to protect themselves.
Google updated its Maps Rating Manipulation policy on April 17, 2026, adding two new explicit prohibitions:
- Businesses can no longer direct staff to solicit a specific number of reviews; and
- Businesses can no longer direct staff to request reviews that include specific content — including a staff member’s name.
As Dan explains, these are tactics that dental practices have relied on for years — front desk scripts that ask patients to mention their hygienist or doctor by name, in-office iPads and kiosk stations, and review requests made before the patient even leaves the building. All of it is now a policy violation.
The consequences, Dan warns, are already happening and largely invisible. Google’s enforcement includes shadow-filtering — where the patient who left the review still sees it on their profile, but no one else does — as well as temporary freezes on new reviews, unpublishing of existing reviews, and in serious cases, a public warning banner on the practice’s profile notifying visitors that fake reviews were removed.
The compliant path forward is straightforward: move review requests off-premises, send them via text or email after the appointment on the patient’s own device, keep the language neutral, and pace outreach consistently rather than in bursts.
Watch this week’s episode for the full breakdown, including a six-question audit Dan walks through to help you identify whether your current review process puts your profile at risk.
Ready to Review Your Strategy?
If your review generation is stuck in the mud — or you’re not sure if you’re in compliance with Google’s new policies — don’t risk the reputational hit. Schedule a free strategy call with the DentalScapes team and let’s walk through it together. We’ll evaluate where you’re at and put together a solid plan to kick start practice growth through effective reputation management.
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About the Author
Dan Brian
Co-Founder & Director of Client Services, DentalScapes
Dan Brian is co-founder and Director of Client Services at DentalScapes. A recognized early adopter of AI in dental marketing, Dan has been experimenting with and deploying AI tools since before they became mainstream — from AI-assisted content and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to predictive campaign analytics. He leads DentalScapes' marketing education programs for practice owners, including The Dental Marketing Mix podcast and The Dental Domination Program book.
