Dental Advertising Rules for Websites in Canada

Who regulates dental advertising

Each province and territory has a regulatory body for dentists. The Canadian Dental Association’s list of recognized specialties refers to the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation, the national group of these regulators.⁹ Three examples show how the names have changed in recent years.

• Ontario: the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO).
• British Columbia: the BC College of Oral Health Professionals, which began regulating on 1 September 2022 after the College of Dental Surgeons of BC amalgamated with the colleges for dental hygienists, dental technicians and denturists.⁵
• Alberta: the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta, the new name of the former Alberta Dental Association and College after Alberta required regulatory colleges to stop providing association functions by April 2023.⁶

In Quebec, dentists are members of the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. Other provinces and territories have their own bodies. If you are not sure which applies to you, the regulator that issued your licence is the one whose advertising standards you follow.

What regulators look at on a website

The details vary by province. Ontario’s rules are a useful reference point because the RCDSO publishes them clearly, so the sections below use them as the example.

Websites are advertisements

The RCDSO’s practice advisory lists websites among professional advertisements and says dentists must personally control all printed and electronic material about their practice that is available to the public.² That includes content written by a marketing agency, a web designer or staff.

Testimonials

The RCDSO prohibits testimonials, or any statement that can only be verified by a person’s personal feelings or views.¹ Review widgets, star ratings and patient quotes on a practice website fall into this area. See our guide to testimonials, reviews and before-and-after photos.

Superlatives and claims of superiority

Superlative or comparative terms, such as “state of the art” and “cutting edge”, are prohibited in Ontario.¹ The RCDSO’s July 2025 guidance repeats the warning against statements that claim uniqueness or superiority in service, and against statements that create unrealistic expectations.³ Words like “best”, “leading” and “painless” deserve a second look.

Results and expectations

The RCDSO prohibits statements that suggest or create an expectation of favourable results.¹ Treatment pages should describe what a treatment involves and what patients can expect from the process, not promise outcomes.

Incentives

Giveaways, contests, draws and free products or services are prohibited in Ontario advertising.¹ A “free whitening with every new patient exam” banner would not meet that standard.

Fees

Advertising a fee is allowed in Ontario, but the fee must be clearly stated. Unless otherwise specified, the advertised fee is the maximum fee, inclusive of all services including laboratory costs, and it applies to all patients whether or not they saw the advertisement or have insurance.¹

Titles and specialties

In Ontario, only dentists with a certificate of specialist registration may use the title “specialist”, and terms such as “cosmetic dentist”, “implant specialist” and “holistic dentist” are given as examples of impermissible descriptions.⁴ Advertising that refers to an area of practice must state whether the dentist is a general practitioner or a specialist.¹ Our guide to specialist titles online covers this in detail.

Memberships and qualifications

The RCDSO prohibits references to continuing education, College positions or society memberships, and to degrees or diplomas not required for registration.¹ Team bios should stick to what the regulator allows.

Staff and associates

The RCDSO’s 2025 guidance asks dentists to have staff seek approval before posting about them or the clinic, and says associates must advocate for professional advertising by the principal dentist and inform the principal or clinic owner when they become aware of a problem.³

Federal rules that apply to everyone

Provincial dental rules sit on top of federal consumer protection law. The Competition Act prohibits false or misleading representations. The Competition Bureau warned in January 2024 that businesses can be liable for online reviews by employees who do not disclose their connection to the business.⁷

Pricing is covered too. Canada added rules on drip pricing in 2022, treating a price that cannot be reached because of fixed obligatory charges or fees as a false or misleading representation, and amendments in 2024 narrowed the exemption for government charges, according to an American Bar Association summary.⁸ If you show fees, include all mandatory charges.

A pre-publication checklist

• Every dentist’s registration category is shown accurately.
• No titles imply a specialty the dentist does not hold.
• No testimonials, ratings widgets or patient quotes, unless your regulator allows them.
• No superlatives, comparisons or claims of superiority.
• No promises about results.
• No giveaways, contests or free services.
• Fees, if shown, are complete and clearly stated.
• The dentist responsible for advertising has approved the final text.

If your current site fails several of these points, a redesign with a compliance read can fix them in one pass.

Content written by others

Website content is not always written by the dentist. It may come from a marketing provider, a web designer, a family member or a staff member who is good with words. The responsibility still sits with the dentist. The RCDSO’s guidance makes the point directly by asking dentists to personally control all printed and electronic material about their practice.²

In practice, that means:

• Every page, post and profile description is approved by the dentist responsible for advertising before it is published.
• Providers receive a short brief that lists the rules: no testimonials, no superlatives, no promises of results, accurate titles and complete fees.
• Template content from a provider’s library is reviewed as carefully as new writing, because templates written for other provinces or countries may not fit your regulator’s rules.
• Changes made after launch, such as a new banner or blog post, go through the same approval.

Keeping a simple log of what was approved and when helps if a question is ever raised.

Frequently asked questions

Does my regulator review my website before it goes live?

Do not count on it. The responsibility for compliant advertising sits with the dentist. In Ontario, the RCDSO says you must personally control all printed and electronic material about your practice.

Are social media posts covered too?

Treat them as advertising. The RCDSO’s 2025 guidance asks dentists to have staff seek approval before they post about the dentist or the clinic, and says associates must advocate for professional advertising by the principal dentist.

Is this guide legal advice?

No. It is general information based on public guidance checked on 29 October 2026. Read your regulator’s current standards and ask them or a lawyer if you are unsure.

Sources

1. RCDSO: Advertising Guidelines Regulator
2. RCDSO: Practice Advisory, Professional Advertising (November 2012) Regulator
3. RCDSO: The dos and don’ts of advertising (28 July 2025) Regulator
4. RCDSO: Use of qualifications, titles, and designations (26 September 2023) Regulator
5. BC Health Regulators: Dental colleges amalgamate to create the BC College of Oral Health Professionals (September 2022) Regulator network
6. Canadian Dental Association, CDA Essentials 2023 Issue 3: Alberta’s new dental association Professional association
7. Competition Bureau Canada: Online reviews posted by employees, businesses could be liable (18 January 2024) Government
8. American Bar Association: Canada’s drip pricing regime Secondary source (legal publication)
9. Canadian Dental Association: Dental specialties Professional association

Checked on 29 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current version with the regulator before you publish.