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Ahpra advertising rules for dental websites: a plain-English guide
A dental clinic's website is advertising under the National Law. This guide sets out what that means page by page, in plain language, with a link to the official source for each point.
The law
Five things advertising must not do.
Section 133 of the National Law says a regulated health service must not be advertised in a way that:
1. is false, misleading or deceptive, or likely to be;
2. offers a gift, discount or other inducement, unless the terms and conditions are also stated;
3. uses testimonials or purported testimonials;
4. creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment; or
5. directly or indirectly encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services.
Ahpra and the National Boards explain how these apply in the guidelines for advertising a regulated health service. The same guidelines apply to every registered health profession.
Page by page
Where each rule shows up on a website.
Home page. Slogans are the risk. The best, the most trusted and pain-free are claims that are hard to support.
Treatment pages. Claims need acceptable evidence, and the guidelines say understating risk is misleading. A good treatment page explains risks and alternatives as well as benefits.
Team page. Titles must match registration. The guidelines say specialist and specialises in are likely to mislead without specialist registration.
Reviews and stories. A positive statement about symptoms, treatment or outcomes is a testimonial and cannot appear on a site the clinic controls. See our guide to Google reviews for dentists.
Galleries. Before and after images must be genuine and unedited. See before and after photos.
Offers. Terms and conditions go with the offer. See offers, discounts and the word free.
Responsibility
Who answers for the website.
The guidelines place responsibility on the advertiser: whoever controls the advertising. For a clinic's own website that is the clinic, even when an agency or a web designer wrote the words.
That is why we read every line against the published rules before it goes out, and show you the source for anything we change (advertising rule checks).
This page is general information, not legal advice. Ahpra and the TGA publish the rules, and their own guidance is the place to check your situation.
Questions
Common questions.
Does a dental website count as advertising?
Yes. Ahpra's guidelines treat a practice website as advertising of a regulated health service.
Do the rules apply if an agency built the site?
Yes. Responsibility sits with whoever controls the advertising, which for a clinic's own website is the clinic.
Do the same rules apply to other health professions?
Yes. The advertising guidelines were developed jointly by the National Boards and apply to all registered health professions.
- Google reviews for dentists
- Can a dentist ask for Google reviews, reply to them or share them? A plain-English guide to Ahpra's testimonial rules and Google's review policy.
- Before and after photos in dental advertising
- When can a dental clinic use before and after photos on its website and social media? A plain-English guide based on Ahpra's advertising guidance.
- Advertising cosmetic injectables
- How dental and health clinics can advertise cosmetic injectable services under TGA rules: what not to name, and what the guidance says is acceptable.
Next step
Start with a practice check.
Tell us about your clinic and where you think it stands. Your first practice check is free. We reply within one business day, weekends excepted, and we meet every clinic on a video call before any work begins.