--- title: "Dentist Google Business Profiles: 55.2% Are Unclaimed" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study description: "Dentist Google Business Profiles are often unclaimed: 55.2% are, against a 29.2% average. Claimed ones have a median of 61 reviews. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fdentists-google-reviews-study&text=55.2%25%20of%20Dentist%20Google%20Business%20Profiles%20Are%20Unclaimed%20vs%20a%2029.2%25%20Average Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fdentists-google-reviews-study Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fdentists-google-reviews-study Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fdentists-google-reviews-study&title=55.2%25%20of%20Dentist%20Google%20Business%20Profiles%20Are%20Unclaimed%20vs%20a%2029.2%25%20Average **55.2%** of dentist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, meaning no one at the practice controls the listing, against a 29.2% average across 18 local business categories. Claimed dentist profiles have a median of 61 reviews; unclaimed ones have none. Analysis of 708 dentist Google Business Profiles and 7,132 Google reviews · Google Business Profiles and Google reviews, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **55.2%** of dentist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, meaning no owner has taken control of the listing, against a 29.2% average across 18 local business categories. Copy stat 2. 2. Claimed dentist Google Business Profiles have a median of **61** reviews, against 0 for unclaimed dentist profiles. Copy stat 3. 3. **69.5%** of dentist Google Business Profiles have no business description and 49.3% list no opening hours, against averages of 43.9% and 28.6% across 18 local business categories. Copy stat 4. 4. **57.1%** of dentists never replied to any of their 20 newest Google reviews, against a 52.8% average across 18 local business categories. Copy stat 5. 5. **33.1%** of English-language one-star Google reviews of dentists mention price or cost, and 24.2% mention rude or unprofessional staff. Copy stat ## Summary A new patient searches Google for a dentist near their office. The first listing has hundreds of reviews, opening hours and a description of the treatments offered. The next shows the same practice's name with no hours, no description and no reviews, because nobody at the practice has ever claimed it. For a dental practice, the Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows a business's reviews, star rating, hours, phone number and website in Google Search and Maps, is where most new patients first meet the practice. An unclaimed listing cannot be edited by the practice, so it shows whatever Google pieced together and collects no reviews, while patients still find it. Dentists leave far more of their listings unclaimed than most local businesses. **55.2%** of dentist profiles are unclaimed, against a 29.2% average across 18 categories, the widest gap of any measure. The split is stark: claimed dentist profiles have a median of 61 Google reviews, unclaimed ones a median of zero. ## What we measured We used two samples of US dentists, collected on September 23, 2026. The first is 708 dentist Google Business Profiles, including practice listings and individual dentists' own listings, where we recorded the number of reviews, star rating, website, opening hours, description, claim status, business categories and photos. The second is 555 dentists with at least one review, for which we collected up to 20 of their newest Google reviews, 7,132 in all, with each review's star rating, text and any owner reply. We compare every dentist figure with the average of the 18 local business categories in the same study. A profile is unclaimed when no owner has verified it with Google, so nobody at the practice can edit the listing or reply to its reviews. A dentist "never replied" when none of its 20 newest reviews has a reply from the owner. Negative reviews are one- and two-star reviews. The median is the middle profile: half have more, half have fewer. The 18-category average is the simple average of the 18 category figures. ## More than half of dentist listings are unclaimed 55.2% of dentist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed. That is 26 points above the 29.2% average across 18 categories. Claimed dentist profiles have a median of 61 Google reviews; unclaimed ones have a median of 0. The unclaimed listings pull the whole category down: 39.4% of dentist profiles have no reviews at all, more than twice the 18.3% average, and the median dentist profile has 2 reviews. Dentists by review measure Fewer than 20 reviews 69.4% Zero reviews 39.4% 100 or more reviews 20.2% Rated below 4 stars 12.6% Perfect 5.0 rating 35.7% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 708 dentist Google Business Profiles and 7,132 Google reviews · Google Business Profiles and Google reviews, September 2026 | Review measure | Dentists | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | Fewer than 20 reviews | 69.4% | 58.2% | | Zero reviews | 39.4% | 18.3% | | Median reviews | 2 | 27 | | 100 or more reviews | 20.2% | 20% | | Average rating | 4.55 | 4.52 | | Rated below 4 stars | 12.6% | 13.8% | | Perfect 5.0 rating | 35.7% | 35.7% | The category splits in two. 20.2% of dentist profiles have 100 or more reviews, in line with the 20% average, and the top three Google Maps results for "dentist" carry a median of 261.5 reviews. At the other end, 69.4% of dentist profiles have fewer than 20. Well-run practices build deep review histories; the unclaimed listings beside them sit empty. Among dentists with 20 or fewer lifetime reviews, review volume rose 2.9% over the last 12 months compared with the year before, and 12.4% received at least a third of their reviews in a single month. Ratings are in line with other businesses: 4.55 stars on average against 4.52, with 12.6% below 4 stars. ## Dentists leave more of their Google profile blank With so many listings unclaimed, dentists trail the average on most basic fields. 69.5% have no description, against 43.9%. 49.3% list no opening hours, against 28.6%. 44.2% have no website linked, against 35.1%, and the median dentist profile has 1 photo, against a median of 18 across categories. The one field where dentists lead is accessibility: 92.4% list wheelchair access, against 62%. Dentists by profile field No website 44.2% No opening hours 49.3% No description 69.5% Unclaimed 55.2% Only one business category 65.4% Lists wheelchair access 92.4% | Profile field | Dentists | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | No website | 44.2% | 35.1% | | No opening hours | 49.3% | 28.6% | | No description | 69.5% | 43.9% | | Unclaimed | 55.2% | 29.2% | | Only one business category | 65.4% | 55.2% | | Median photos | 1 | 18 | | Lists wheelchair access | 92.4% | 62% | Missing hours cost a practice directly: a patient with a toothache wants to know who is open today, and a listing with no hours sends them to the next one. In a separate Suff Digital study of 3,160 Google Maps searches across 79 US cities, 89.2% of the top three results for "dentist" linked a website, against 85.1% of listings ranked 4 to 20, and their median of 261.5 reviews compares with 165 below them. 86.9% of top-three names include the service word, chains held 2.5% of top-three spots, and adding "near me" changed the top three in 58.2% of city searches. ## Most dentists leave every recent review unanswered 57.1% of dentists never replied to any of their 20 newest reviews, against a 52.8% average and 7th highest of 18 categories. Across all recent dentist reviews, 37.5% carry an owner reply, below the 40.5% average, and dentists rank 10th of 18 on that measure. Those who reply take 3.8 days on average, with a median of 2.2 days. Dentists by reply measure Never replied to recent reviews 57.1% Reviews with an owner reply 37.5% Negative reviews with a reply 25.5% Five-star reviews with a reply 38.8% Reviews from the last 30 days with a reply 50.6% | Reply measure | Dentists | Average of 18 categories | | --- | --- | --- | | Never replied to recent reviews | 57.1% | 52.8% | | Reviews with an owner reply | 37.5% | 40.5% | | Negative reviews with a reply | 25.5% | 30.8% | | Five-star reviews with a reply | 38.8% | 42% | | Reviews from the last 30 days with a reply | 50.6% | 55.3% | | Average days to reply | 3.8 | 4 | Negative reviews get the fewest answers: dentists reply to 25.5% of one- and two-star reviews, against 38.8% of five-star reviews, and rank 13th of 18 on replies to negative reviews. Across all 18 categories, businesses with many reviews reply more often: 20.5% of businesses with 200 or more reviews never reply, against 81.7% of businesses with fewer than 10. ## One-star dental reviews are about cost and staff Of English-language one-star reviews of dentists, 33.1% mention price or cost and 24.2% mention rude or unprofessional staff, one of the highest rude-staff rates of any category. Unhappy patients write about the bill and about how they were treated. Happy patients talk about people too. Of five-star dentist reviews, 27.5% use the word "recommend", 21.4% say "professional" and 21.1% say "friendly", the highest "friendly" rate of any category. Dentist reviews from the last 12 months average 35.3 words. For a practice, the people patients meet are the reason for both its best and worst reviews. ## What this means for dental practices Claim every listing tied to your practice, including listings for individual dentists, and merge or correct any duplicates. An unclaimed listing collects no reviews and shows whatever Google has pieced together, and patients still find it. Then fill in the fields dentists most often leave blank: a description that names your treatments, the insurance you accept and whether you see children; opening hours, including holiday hours; and photos of your team and office. Next, ask every patient for a review after their visit, by text with a direct link, and reply to every review, starting with the negative ones. When a complaint is about a bill, explain the charge in plain terms and offer to talk it through; when it is about staff, acknowledge it and say what you have changed. Never confirm that the reviewer is a patient or discuss treatment in a public reply. Finally, measure your practice against the dentists in your own map results, whose top three carry hundreds of reviews. Our dental seo (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/dental-seo-services) programs claim and complete Google Business Profiles and build review volume for dental practices. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: 55.2% of Dentist Google Business Profiles Are Unclaimed vs a 29.2% Average - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). 55.2% of Dentist Google Business Profiles Are Unclaimed vs a 29.2% Average. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study Plain link 55.2% of Dentist Google Business Profiles Are Unclaimed vs a 29.2% Average - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study ## Frequently asked questions ### How many dentists have claimed their Google Business Profile? ### How many Google reviews does a typical dentist have? ### Do dentists reply to Google reviews? ### What do patients complain about in one-star dentist reviews? ### What is the average Google rating for dentists? ## Related studies - Local SEO 76.2% of Law Firms Never Reply to Their Google Reviews vs a 52.8% Average: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/lawyers-google-reviews-study - Local SEO 46.7% of Chiropractors Haven't Claimed Their Google Listing vs 29.2% of Local Businesses: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chiropractors-google-reviews-study - Local SEO 81.7% of Local Businesses With Under 10 Google Reviews Never Reply vs 20.5% With 200+: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-review-reply-rates - Local SEO 47.1% of Local Businesses Have Fewer Than 10 Google Reviews: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-reviews-per-local-business ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study#article", "headline": "55.2% of Dentist Google Business Profiles Are Unclaimed vs a 29.2% Average", "description": "55.2% of dentist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, meaning no one at the practice controls the listing, against a 29.2% average across 18 local business categories. 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Claimed dentist profiles have a median of 61 reviews; unclaimed ones have none.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Google Business Profiles; Google reviews" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/dentists-google-reviews-study#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many dentists have claimed their Google Business Profile?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Fewer than half. 55.2% of US dentist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, against a 29.2% average across 18 local business categories (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many Google reviews does a typical dentist have?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Claimed dentist Google Business Profiles have a median of 61 reviews, while unclaimed ones have none. Across all dentist Google Business Profiles the median is 2 reviews, and 39.4% have no reviews." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do dentists reply to Google reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most do not. 57.1% of US dentists never replied to any of their 20 newest Google reviews, against a 52.8% average across 18 local business categories. Overall, 37.5% of dentist reviews have an owner reply." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What do patients complain about in one-star dentist reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Price and staff. 33.1% of English-language one-star Google reviews of dentists mention price or cost, and 24.2% mention rude or unprofessional staff." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the average Google rating for dentists?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The average dentist Google Business Profile is rated 4.55 stars, close to the 4.52 average across 18 local business categories, and 12.6% of rated dentist Google Business Profiles sit below 4 stars." } } ] } ] } ] ```