At a glance
- 01
Booking without phone tag
Online booking or a clear request form on every page, so new patients can act the moment they decide.
- 02
Copy your regulator accepts
Plain, factual service pages written with provincial dental advertising rules in mind. No superiority claims or guaranteed results.
- 03
Private intake forms
Forms that collect only what you need, with clear consent and secure handling of health information.
- 04
Found in local search
Service pages, Google Business Profile and site structure built around how patients near you actually search.
A good dental website helps nearby patients answer three questions quickly: do you offer the treatment I need, can I get in soon, and do I trust you. Everything on the site should serve one of those, and the next step should always be booking.
Dental clinics in Canada also work within rules most web designers never think about. Provincial regulators set advertising standards, health privacy law covers what your forms collect, and accessibility law applies to many clinics. Shane builds dental websites with those rules in mind from the first draft, not as a fix after launch.
What a dental website needs to do
- Make booking easy. Online booking connected to your practice software where it supports it, or a short appointment request form, plus click-to-call on mobile.
- Explain treatments plainly. One clear page per service, written for patients, with what to expect and how to prepare.
- Show the clinic and the team. Real photos, dentist credentials, hours, parking and accessibility details.
- Answer insurance and payment questions. Direct billing, accepted plans and payment options, stated factually.
- Load fast on a phone. Most patients look you up on a phone, often while in pain.
Provincial advertising rules shape the copy
Each province's dental regulator sets rules for how dentists advertise, and a website counts as advertising. In Ontario, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) guidance tells dentists to avoid claims of superiority such as "best" or "#1 rated", statements that create unrealistic expectations or promise results, and relying on patient testimonials or reviews in their advertising. It also expects dentists to be clear about whether they are a general dentist or a registered specialist.
The dentist is responsible for the advertising even when an agency writes it. Other provinces have their own standards, so check your regulator's current guidance before launch. In practice that means:
- Describe treatments factually instead of calling the clinic the best or most advanced
- Leave testimonial carousels and review widgets off the site unless your regulator clearly allows them
- Use "specialist" only for registered specialists
- Avoid promising results or pain-free treatment
- Be cautious with promotions and discounts, which some regulators restrict
Shane writes and reviews copy with this in mind, but your regulator's guidance and your own professional judgement have the final say.
Intake forms and health privacy
A new patient form collects personal health information. In Ontario, dentists are health information custodians under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). Elsewhere, provincial health privacy laws or federal privacy law under PIPEDA may apply, and Quebec has its own regime updated by Law 25. See the guides to PIPEDA and website privacy and Quebec Law 25.
For the website, that means:
- Collect only what you need online; a full medical history can often wait for the visit
- Send form data through a secure, purpose-built tool rather than plain email where possible
- Explain on the form why you collect the information and who sees it
- Keep analytics and ad tracking off pages that handle health details
- Have a privacy policy that matches what the site actually does
Accessibility for patients of every ability
Dental patients include older adults, people with low vision and people using screen readers. In Ontario, businesses with 50 or more employees must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA under the AODA, and an accessible site is simply easier for every patient to use. Shane builds dental sites to that standard and can audit an existing site through accessibility compliance work.
French for Quebec clinics
Clinics in Quebec generally need their website available in French, with French content at least as complete as any English version. Clinics elsewhere that serve francophone communities may want a French version too. The Bill 96 guide explains the requirements.
Dental website SEO and Google Business Profile
Most new patients find a dentist through a map search, so local SEO starts with your Google Business Profile: correct categories, hours, photos and a link to your booking page. On the website, dental SEO comes down to a few basics done properly:
- A dedicated page for each core service, such as implants, emergency dentistry and children's dentistry
- Your clinic name, address and phone number consistent everywhere
- Clear location details for each clinic if you have more than one
- Fast pages, clean structure and descriptive page titles
Patients can still leave reviews on Google. What regulators restrict is how you use them in your own advertising, so check your guidance before republishing any review.
Checklist for your dental website
- Booking or request form visible on every page
- Click-to-call on mobile
- Hours, location, parking and accessibility details easy to find
- Service pages written factually, without superiority claims
- Registered specialists clearly identified
- Intake forms reviewed for privacy and secure handling
- Accessible to WCAG 2.0 Level AA
- French version for Quebec patients
- Google Business Profile complete and linked to booking
Questions people ask
How much does a dental website cost in Canada?
Most custom dental clinic websites fall in the same range as other small business sites, roughly $4,000 to $10,000 before tax. Integrating online booking with practice software, multiple locations, a full French version or detailed treatment content can push it higher. Ongoing hosting and maintenance are extra. A written scope is the best way to compare quotes.
Can I put patient testimonials on my dental website?
Be careful. In Ontario, RCDSO guidance discourages dentists from relying on patient testimonials and reviews in their advertising, and a clinic website counts as advertising. Other provincial regulators have their own rules. Check your regulator's current guidance before adding testimonials or review widgets. Patients can still leave reviews on Google independently.
Can patients fill in health forms on our website?
Yes, if the forms are set up properly. Collect only what you need, use a secure form tool rather than plain email, explain why you collect the information, and keep tracking scripts off those pages. In Ontario, PHIPA applies to dentists as health information custodians. Review the setup with whoever is responsible for privacy at your clinic.
What is dental website SEO?
It is the work that helps your clinic appear when nearby patients search for a dentist or a specific treatment. For most clinics that means a complete Google Business Profile, a clear page for each service, consistent name, address and phone details, fast mobile pages and descriptive titles. It is less about tricks and more about being clear and complete.
Do we need a French version of our dental website?
If your clinic is in Quebec, generally yes. Quebec's Charter of the French language, strengthened by Bill 96, expects commercial websites to be available in French, with French content at least as complete as any other language. Outside Quebec it is optional, but useful if you serve francophone patients.