The best review software for new dental practices (2026)
Full disclosure: we make Patientell, so yes, we're biased. A new practice is where reviews matter most, because you're starting from zero next to offices with hundreds. It's also where you have the least money and the most vendors calling. Here's what we'd actually do.
TL;DR
Your first 50 reviews will come from patients who like you personally, so ask every single one. Start with the free Google link on day one. If you're buying a phone system anyway, Weave's bundle may make sense. Otherwise, wait until you have steady patient flow before paying for automation, and don't sign a 12-month contract in your first year.
- Best on day one: your free Google review link
- Best if you're buying phones anyway: Weave
- Best once you have steady patient flow: Patientell (ours), no contract
- Best if you want a free trial first: Swell
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Price | Review sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your free Google review link | Your first patients | Free | |
| Weave | New offices buying a phone system anyway | ~$250–$450/mo + setup | Google, Facebook |
| Patientell (ours) | Offices ready to automate, no contract | Quote, no contract | |
| Swell | Affordable automation with a free trial | ~$179–$249/mo per location | Google, Facebook, Healthgrades and more |
Why new practices are different
- You're compared to offices with years of reviews. A new office with 12 reviews next to one with 400 looks risky, even if you're better.
- Your early patients are your best reviewers. They chose a new office, they met the doctor, they want you to succeed. Ask them in person.
- Cash is tight and plans change. Your PMS, phones and even your hours may change in year one. A long contract on top of that is a bad bet.
1. Your free Google review link
- Best for
- your first patients, starting on opening day
- Price
- Free
- Effort
- All on your team. Easiest when patient volume is still low.
Every Google Business Profile has a free review link and QR code. Print it on a card, put it at checkout, and have the front desk ask every patient before they leave. It costs nothing and it works better than most people expect, as long as your team actually asks.
The problem is consistency. On a busy Monday nobody asks, there's no follow-up text, and you have no idea who was asked and who wasn't.
In a new office, the doctor asking personally works better than anything. "We just opened, and a Google review would honestly mean a lot to us."
2. Weave
- Best for
- new offices that need to buy a phone system anyway
- Price
- Quote. Third-party reports put most dental offices around $250–$450/mo per location, plus a setup fee.
- Connects to
- Dentrix (including Ascend and Enterprise), Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Denticon, Curve, SoftDent and more.
You need phones, texting, reminders and forms on day one. Weave bundles all of that with review requests, and it connects to most dental PMSs. If you were going to buy those things separately, one vendor can be simpler.
Watch the setup fees and contract length, and negotiate. New practices are a big market for every vendor in this space.
3. PatientellOurs
- Best for
- new offices with steady patient flow
- Price
- Quote. No contracts, no setup fees.
- Connects to
- Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Dentrix Enterprise, Open Dental, Oryx, Eaglesoft, Denticon, Curve Hero, eClinicalWorks and many more.
This is ours. Once you're seeing patients every day, asking in person stops being consistent. Patientell texts every patient after their appointment, straight from your practice software (Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Oryx and many more), and our patent-pending flow is built for detailed reviews that make a new office look established.
No contract and no setup fee, which matters in year one. Reviews only, so you'll still need phones and reminders from somewhere.
4. Swell
- Best for
- new offices that want to try automation free first
- Price
- Per location. Dental association offers have run $179–$249/mo, often with 30 days free.
- Connects to
- PMS/EHR integration included in every plan.
Swell is dental-focused, includes PMS integration, and dental offers have run $179–$249/month with 30 days free. That free month is a genuine advantage when cash is tight.
Our pick
Opening day: the free link, and the doctor asks in person. Buying phones: consider Weave's bundle. Around the time the front desk gets too busy to ask every patient: automate. For the most detailed reviews and no contract, try us. For a free month first, Swell.
What we'd do today
- Claim and fully fill out your Google Business Profile: hours, photos, services, providers.
- Print your review QR code for the front desk and the treatment rooms.
- Set a goal of asking every patient for the first 90 days, and track your count weekly.
Questions
Can we ask friends and family for reviews?
Only if they're actual patients writing about a real visit. Reviews from people who haven't been patients, or from staff, can break Google's policies and the FTC's 2024 rule on fake reviews.
Can we offer a discount for a review?
Don't. Google prohibits incentivized reviews, and the FTC rule bans paying for reviews that express a particular sentiment.
Can we only send review requests to happy patients?
No, and you shouldn't want to. Google's review policy says businesses must not selectively ask happy customers for reviews (called review gating), and the FTC's 2024 rule on consumer reviews cracks down on suppressing negative ones. Ask every patient. Any vendor that offers to filter unhappy patients away from Google is putting your profile at risk.
Does Patientell work with my practice management system?
Very likely. Patientell connects to Dentrix through a direct on-prem agent, Open Dental through its API, and Oryx through a cloud report sync. We also support Eaglesoft, Dentrix Ascend, Dentrix Enterprise, Denticon, Curve Hero, eClinicalWorks and many more. If your system isn't listed, ask us. Where there's no integration, the QR flow at checkout works on any system.
Try Patientell
Patent-pending review system for dental practices. Works with Dentrix, Open Dental, Oryx, Eaglesoft and many more. No contracts, no setup fees, live in under 24 hours.
We checked prices and features for every product here in October 2026. Most of these vendors don't publish prices, so ranges come from third-party reports. This stuff changes constantly, so confirm with each vendor before you sign anything. And we're not your lawyer or compliance officer.