Guide
What the Dental Council allows on a dentist website
Many dentists go without a real website for fear of the French Dental Council (Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes). The rules changed in 2020, and they are simpler than most people think: information is allowed, advertising is not. Here is where the line runs, point by point.
The principle since the decree of December 22, 2020
The code of ethics for dentists (articles R.4127-201 et seq. of the French Public Health Code) was amended by a decree of December 22, 2020. Before that, every form of advertising was prohibited, and a website was tolerated only within very narrow limits. Since then, dentists have been free to share with the public, by any means including a website, information that helps patients choose: professional skills and practices, background, conditions of practice.
That freedom comes with conditions, and they never change: communication must be fair and honest, must not rely on third-party testimonials, must not rest on comparisons with other practitioners, must not encourage unnecessary treatment, must not undermine the dignity of the profession, and must not mislead the public.
What you can publish
- Your treatments, described one by one: how it works, number of sessions, recovery, alternatives. This is information, and it is exactly what patients are looking for.
- Your fees, or clear price ranges. Informing patients about fees is mandatory; displaying them online is good practice and reassures patients.
- Your background: degrees, training, recognized titles, years in practice, areas of practice.
- Your practice: photos of the premises, equipment, team, directions, opening hours, languages spoken, accessibility.
- Informational content: explanations of a condition, a treatment or prevention, as long as it stays accurate and measured.
- A Google Business Profile, complete with photos and opening hours, and replies to existing reviews.
What is still prohibited
- Paid advertising: Google Ads, social media campaigns, display ads, buying media space. This is the red line, and it is what puts SEO front and center.
- Third-party testimonials: patient quotes, patient videos, review ratings reused in your communication or displayed on your website. Replying to a review on Google remains possible, within the bounds of patient confidentiality.
- Comparisons with other practitioners or practices: "the best practice in town", "cheaper than…".
- Before/after photos and anything that could encourage unnecessary treatment.
- Promises of results, including "guaranteed for life" or "pain-free".
- Advertising for a third party: an implant brand, a laboratory, a company, including lending your name to a testimonial for a supplier.
The gray areas
Google reviews
You do not control them. No article of the code prohibits asking for one, but in 2025 the Dental Council called for reviews of practitioners to be removed, and reusing them in your communication would turn them into third-party testimonials, which is prohibited. You can reply to them, briefly and courteously, without ever confirming that the person is your patient or discussing their treatment: patient confidentiality applies. A review that is clearly false or defamatory can be reported to Google.
The title of "specialist"
Only recognized titles (for example qualified specialist in orthodontics (dentofacial orthopedics), oral surgery or oral medicine) may be displayed as such. A dentist who practices implantology can say so, without presenting themselves as a "specialist in implantology".
The name of the practice
A practice or clinic name is possible, provided it is neither misleading nor promotional. If in doubt, your departmental Dental Council will answer questions before you publish.
SEO itself
Working on where your website ranks on Google is not advertising: it is making permitted information easy to find. On the other hand, no one can guarantee you a ranking, and a provider who promises one puts you in a difficult position. We never promise a ranking, we measure.
What this means for you
A website built within this framework is not a timid website. It is a complete, precise, honest website, with your treatments, your fees, your team and the way you work. That is exactly what Google ranks best and what AI tools cite. See how we build a dental practice website and how we work on your Google Business Profile.
This guide is a practical reading of the code of ethics, not legal advice. For a specific situation, your departmental Dental Council remains the right contact.
Sources
This guide is based on the following official texts and documentation (in French), last checked on September 27, 2026.
- Légifrance: Decree No. 2020-1658 of December 22, 2020 on dentists' professional communication
- Légifrance: Article R.4127-215-1 of the French Public Health Code
- French Dental Council (Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes): Dentists' professional communication
- Conseil d'État (France's highest administrative court): Decision No. 420225 of November 6, 2019
On the blog
Our articles on this topic.
Social media ethics for dentists: what the Dental Council writes, article by article
The code of ethics articles that govern a practice account, quoted in full, the exact weight of the Dental Council's three sources, and the list of what is written nowhere.
Read the article ArticleWhat to post on a dental practice's Instagram: the list of what is allowed
Ten posts a dental practice can publish on Instagram, why each one complies, and the common advice that puts the dentist in breach.
Read the article ArticleDentist influencer: what the Dental Council allows, and what crosses the line into misconduct
The Dental Council's framework for a dentist influencer: yes in a strictly private capacity, yes with conditions in a professional capacity, no as soon as one of the listed practices appears.
Read the article ArticleDental fees on your practice website: what the law requires and how to present them
The duty to inform patients about fees, the procedures to list under the 2018 order and Dental Council guidance, and a model for a clear page with a dated table.
Read the articleFrequently asked questions
What dentists ask us about this.
Is a dentist allowed to have a website?
Yes, with no restriction in principle since the decree of December 22, 2020. The website must present fair and honest information, with no third-party testimonials, no comparisons and nothing that encourages unnecessary treatment.
Can a dentist display their fees online?
Yes. Informing patients about fees is mandatory, and displaying them on the website is good practice: it reassures patients and helps Google and AI tools understand the care you offer.
Can a dentist advertise on Google?
No. Article R.4127-217 II prohibits obtaining, for payment or by any other means, a listing that gives your information priority placement: a paid Google ad falls squarely into that category. The decree of December 22, 2020 removed the general ban on advertising from the code, but not that one. Information, on the other hand, is allowed: it is what organic SEO is built on.
Can a dentist ask patients for reviews?
No article of the code of ethics prohibits it, contrary to what you often read. What the code prohibits is featuring third-party testimonials in your communication, and in 2025 the Dental Council called for reviews of practitioners to be removed. The prudent course is not to organize anything, and to reply to existing reviews while respecting patient confidentiality.
What's next
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