Is Your Dental Website AHPRA Compliant? 5 Violations We See Every Week

If you run a dental practice in Australia, your website is classified as advertising under AHPRA’s guidelines. That means everything on it — every word, every image, every review — needs to comply with Section 133 of the National Law.

The problem? Most practice owners have no idea their site is non-compliant. They trusted a web developer to build it, and that developer had no reason to know Australian health advertising law.

We audit dental websites every week. Here are the five violations we find on almost every single one.

1. Cherry-picked testimonials and star ratings

This is the most common violation by far. If your website displays hand-picked patient reviews — even real ones from Google — you’re likely in breach.

What AHPRA says: You cannot selectively display testimonials that create an unreasonably positive expectation of your services. Curating only 5-star reviews and embedding them on your homepage counts as selective display.

What’s allowed:

• Linking to your Google Business Profile (where all reviews are visible)
• Displaying reviews about non-clinical aspects — friendliness, wait times, parking, ease of booking
• Responding politely to reviews on third-party platforms

What’s not allowed:

• Embedding selected Google reviews on your site
• Displaying star ratings as a marketing element
• Testimonials mentioning clinical outcomes (“fixed my smile,” “no more pain”)
• Rewriting or paraphrasing patient praise

If you have a testimonial slider on your homepage, it almost certainly needs to come down.

2. Superlative claims: “best,” “leading,” “highest quality”

“Best dentist in [suburb].” “Leading dental practice.” “Highest quality care.” These phrases appear on most dental websites we audit, and every one of them is a potential breach.

What AHPRA says: Comparative or superlative claims require verifiable evidence. Unless you can prove you are objectively the “best” by some measurable standard, you cannot make that claim.

What to say instead:

• “Experienced dental care” instead of “best dental care”
• “Trusted by [suburb] families since [year]” instead of “leading practice”
• “Comprehensive dental services” instead of “highest quality”

The fix is usually simple — a few word changes — but the risk of leaving them is real. Under the National Law, maximum penalties for advertising breaches are up to $60,000 per offence for individuals and $120,000 for body corporates. In practice, most cases result in directions to fix the issue within 30 days — but repeated or serious breaches can escalate quickly.

3. Before-and-after clinical photos

Before-and-after smile photos are one of the most powerful marketing tools in dentistry. They’re also one of the most regulated.

What AHPRA says: Before-and-after images that suggest recovery, cure, or a guaranteed clinical outcome are not permitted. If you do use clinical images, they must include a clear disclaimer that results may vary and are not guaranteed.

What we see: Smile galleries with no disclaimers, Invisalign transformation photos presented as typical results, and implant before-and-afters that imply everyone will get the same outcome.

The safe approach: If you want to show clinical work, include a visible disclaimer on every image or gallery: “Results may vary. Individual outcomes depend on clinical circumstances.” Better yet, focus on photos of your team, your clinic environment, and your technology — all of which are unrestricted.

4. Using protected titles incorrectly

This one catches practices that employ general dentists but use specialist language in their marketing.

What AHPRA says: Titles like “specialist,” “orthodontist,” “periodontist,” or “prosthodontist” are protected. Only practitioners registered with AHPRA in that specialty can use them. A general dentist who places implants cannot advertise as a “specialist in implant dentistry.”

What we see: “Our specialists” used casually to describe the team. “Specialist implant dentist” when the practitioner holds a BDS, not a specialist registration. Service pages that blur the line between general dentistry and specialist care.

The fix: Use “experienced in,” “has a special interest in,” or “provides” instead of “specialist.” Check every team bio and service page for protected titles.

5. Guaranteed outcomes and urgency tactics

“Painless dentistry.” “Guaranteed results.” “Flawless smile.” “Limited time offer — book now!”

What AHPRA says: You cannot guarantee clinical outcomes. “Painless” is a guarantee that the patient will experience no pain — something no practitioner can promise. Similarly, urgency-based marketing (“limited time,” “act now,” “don’t miss out”) is not permitted for regulated health services.

What to say instead:

• “Gentle dentistry” instead of “painless dentistry”
• “We focus on your comfort” instead of “guaranteed pain-free”
• “Book a consultation to discuss your options” instead of “limited spots available”

What happens if you’re non-compliant?

AHPRA doesn’t always come knocking — but when they do, it’s usually because someone complained. A disgruntled patient, a competing practice, or a random spot-check.

Penalties range from a written warning to prosecution in court, where maximum fines are $60,000 per offence for individuals and $120,000 for body corporates. AHPRA can also impose conditions on your registration, including restrictions on advertising. Most first-time cases result in a direction to fix the issue within 30 days — but repeated or serious breaches can escalate to formal prosecution.

Most practices never get fined — but it’s not the kind of lottery you want to win. And the trigger is usually simple: a disgruntled patient, a competing practice, or a routine spot-check.

Why this keeps happening

It’s not that practice owners are careless. It’s that the people building their websites don’t know AHPRA guidelines exist. A web developer in Melbourne or Manila has no reason to understand Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. They build what looks good, what converts, and what other dental websites are doing — and since most dental websites have the same violations, the cycle continues.

The responsibility, unfortunately, sits with the practitioner. AHPRA holds the registered health professional accountable for all advertising associated with their practice, regardless of who created it.

How to check your own site in 5 minutes

Open your website and search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) for these terms:

1. “best” — any superlative claims?
2. “specialist” — is anyone described as a specialist who isn’t registered as one?
3. “painless” or “guaranteed” — any outcome promises?
4. “testimonial” or look for star ratings — are reviews cherry-picked?
5. Before-and-after photos — any clinical images without disclaimers?

If you found even one, your site has a compliance gap.

Or let us check it for you — free

We built a free website audit specifically for Australian health practices. It checks your site for AHPRA compliance violations, SEO issues, page speed problems, directory listings, and estimated hosting costs — and sends you a branded PDF report within 48 hours.

No obligation. No sales call. Just a clear picture of where your website stands.