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Fake or Defamatory Google Review? What a UK Dental Practice Can Do

How a UK dental practice should handle a fake or defamatory Google review: what Google removes, the legal test in England and Wales, and what to do first.

Review Your Doctor Team· Patient experience and clinic growth specialists 10 min read

A UK dental practice can ask Google to remove a review that breaks Google's content policy, such as a fake review, a competitor's attack or an unsubstantiated allegation of criminal wrongdoing, and can take legal advice if a review is a false statement that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm. An honest negative opinion about a real visit cannot normally be removed. It is better answered carefully, or left, than fought. The practical order is to work out what kind of review it is, report it to Google, keep evidence, take advice from the dental defence organisation before replying or acting, and only then consider legal action. This guide covers England and Wales. The Defamation Act 2013 mainly applies there, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. It is general information, not legal advice.

What kind of sources does this guide use?

Advice on removing bad reviews is often written by review-removal companies with something to sell. This guide uses five labels:

  • Statute: the Defamation Act 2013 and the Limitation Act 1980, from legislation.gov.uk.
  • Google policy: Google's own Maps and Business Profile Help pages.
  • Regulator guidance: the Ministry of Justice and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
  • Dental defence guidance: Dental Protection, MDDUS and Denplan.
  • Our inference: conclusions drawn from the above, marked as such.

What kind of review is it?

The right response depends on which of four kinds of review it is, and most negative reviews are the first kind.

  • An honest negative review. The reviewer describes a real visit and an unfavourable experience. Google's policy allows content that describes negative experiences in a respectful manner, so it will not be removed. The right response is a careful reply or no reply, and a look at what went wrong. See our guide to responding to negative reviews.
  • A review that breaks Google's policy. It may be removed if reported. Examples from Google's policy include fake engagement, conflicts of interest, unsubstantiated allegations of unethical or criminal behaviour, harassment, and personal information about others posted without consent.
  • A fake review. It is not based on a real experience, for example from a competitor or someone who never attended. It breaks Google's policy and may also fall within the fake review rules in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. See our guide to the CMA's fake review rules for dental practices.
  • A defamatory review. It makes a false statement of fact that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm. This is a legal test, covered below, and it is much narrower than "a review I disagree with".

A review can be in more than one category. A fake review from a competitor may also be defamatory. Our inference is that the first job is to decide which kind it is, because that decides everything that follows.

What will Google remove, and how does a practice report a review?

Google removes reviews that violate its content policy, and the practice reports them through the Business Profile. Google's contributed content policy says it does not allow fake engagement, which includes content not based on a real experience, or reviews posted to undermine a competitor. It also does not allow conflicts of interest, such as reviews by current or former employees or by competitors, offensive content including unsubstantiated allegations of unethical behaviour or criminal wrongdoing, harassment, and personal information about others posted without consent. The policy allows content that describes a negative experience in a respectful manner. The practice can report a review using Google's reporting tool for Business Profile reviews, and our guide to Google review policies for dentists explains the process step by step. Google does not guarantee that a reported review will be removed, so the practice should keep its evidence and plan for either outcome. Google's policy also says that merchants must not offer incentives in exchange for a review or for the revision or removal of a negative review. A practice should never offer a patient or anyone else a discount, refund or gift to change or delete a review.

What makes a review legally defamatory in England and Wales?

A review is defamatory only if it is a false statement that has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to the reputation of the person or business, and for a business that trades for profit the harm must be serious financial loss. Section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 sets out the serious harm test, and section 1(2) applies the serious financial loss test to a body that trades for profit. Dental Protection puts it in plain terms in The Dentist: to make a claim, an online review must be false or dishonest and cause serious harm to the reputation of the business. The Act gives reviewers defences. Under section 2, a statement is not defamatory if it is substantially true. Under section 3, honest opinion is a defence if the statement was an opinion, indicated at least in general terms the basis for it, and an honest person could have held that opinion on the facts that existed. Our inference is that this protects most negative reviews. "The wait was long and the reception was rude" is an opinion based on an experience. The difference is easier to see with an illustration, which is ours and not from the Act. A review that says "the dentist is not registered with the General Dental Council" is a statement of fact that can be checked, so if it is false it may meet the test. A review that says "I felt rushed and I was not happy with the result" is an opinion about an experience. There are practical limits. In England and Wales a defamation claim generally has a time limit of one year from when the claim arose, under section 4A of the Limitation Act 1980. And the claim is normally against the author of the statement. Section 10 of the Defamation Act says a court does not have jurisdiction to hear a claim against someone who is not the author, editor or publisher unless it is not reasonably practicable to sue the author.

Can a practice make Google remove a defamatory review?

A practice can ask, but it cannot make Google remove a review, and the legal route usually needs a solicitor. Google's Legal Help Center says a request to remove content you believe is illegal goes through a webform, and that defamation is one of the common legal reasons. It adds that where content breaches a specific local law, Google typically removes or restricts it only in the country where it appears to be illegal.

Two parts of the Defamation Act matter here. Section 5 gives a defence to the operator of a website that hosts user-generated content if it follows a set process after a complaint, which the Ministry of Justice guidance explains. Section 13 allows a court that has given judgment for a claimant to order the operator of a website to remove the statement. Whether Google follows the section 5 process for Maps reviews was not confirmed in the sources reviewed, so a practice should use Google's own forms and take advice.

Law firms writing about this commonly report that Google tends to want a court order or clear evidence before it removes a review for defamation. That comes from commentary, not from Google's pages, so treat it as a caution and not a rule.

Our inference is that for most practices the cost, time and publicity of legal action will outweigh the benefit unless the review contains a serious and provable falsehood. That is a question for the dental defence organisation or a solicitor, not for a blog post.

What should a practice do in the first week?

Slow down, collect evidence and take advice before replying. Dental Protection, writing in The Dentist, describes three broad options: do nothing, respond online, or take legal action. It suggests that where a negative review is an isolated one among many positive reviews, ignoring it may be best, because responding can bring more attention to it. A sensible order of steps, which is our inference from that guidance and the sources above:

  • Do not reply the same day. An angry or defensive reply is hard to undo.
  • Preserve evidence. Take dated screenshots of the review, the reviewer's profile and the page address.
  • Check your records privately. One person should check whether the reviewer appears to be a patient. Do not share the result publicly or with the reviewer.
  • Report the review to Google if it breaks the content policy, and keep the report reference.
  • Contact the dental defence organisation. MDDUS advises having a policy for online feedback, and Denplan says never to disclose patient information online, even indirectly.
  • Decide whether to reply. If so, use a neutral reply that does not confirm the reviewer is a patient, such as the templates in our guide to responding to negative reviews. Our Google Business Profile guide explains how to build a reply policy.
  • Look for the cause. If the review reflects a real problem, handle it through the complaints process. Our guide to handling patient complaints explains how.
  • Monitor the outcome. Check whether Google acts and note the date.

What if the review comes from a competitor or a former employee?

Google's policy treats reviews from competitors and from current or former employees as conflicts of interest, and the DMCC Act bans fake reviews. A review posted to undermine a competitor, or by someone with a conflict of interest, can be reported under Google's policy. The CMA's fake reviews guidance explains the banned practices under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and in March 2026 the CMA opened its first formal investigations into fake and misleading reviews. Our CMA guide covers this in more detail. Keep any evidence that links the review to a competitor or former employee, but do not accuse anyone publicly. Our inference is that an accusation without proof is itself a legal risk. Ask the defence organisation or a solicitor whether further steps are justified. Do not respond by posting fake positive reviews or asking staff, family or friends to do so. That is a breach of Google's policy and the same banned practice the CMA is investigating. Our guide to what review gating is explains why selective review activity causes problems.

What should a practice avoid?

Six reactions make a bad review worse.

  • Offering a refund, discount or gift to have a review changed or deleted. Google prohibits incentives for revising or removing reviews.
  • Replying with any patient information. Confirming that someone is a patient, or mentioning their treatment, can breach confidentiality. Denplan advises never to disclose patient information online, even indirectly.
  • Accusing the reviewer publicly of lying or being a competitor. Without proof this can create a new dispute.
  • Posting counter reviews, or asking staff, family or friends to. This is a policy breach and a banned practice.
  • Paying a service that promises guaranteed removal. Google decides, and no third party can guarantee the outcome.
  • Threatening legal action without advice. Our inference is that a legal letter to a patient can escalate a situation, so take advice first.

What is the fake or defamatory review checklist?

This checklist follows the order of the steps above.

  • I have decided which kind of review this is: honest negative, policy breach, fake or possibly defamatory.
  • I have not replied in anger or on the same day.
  • I have saved dated screenshots of the review, the profile and the page address.
  • One person has checked privately whether the reviewer appears to be a patient, and nothing has been shared.
  • If it breaks Google's policy, I have reported it and kept the reference.
  • I have contacted the dental defence organisation.
  • Any reply is neutral, confirms nothing about the reviewer and discloses no patient information.
  • I have not offered anything to have the review changed or removed.
  • If the review reflects a real problem, it has gone through the complaints process.
  • If legal action is being considered, a solicitor has advised and the one year time limit has been noted.

Summary

A UK dental practice cannot remove a review just because it is unfair. Google removes reviews that break its content policy, such as fake reviews, conflicts of interest and unsubstantiated allegations of criminal wrongdoing, and the practice can report them. A review is legally defamatory in England and Wales only if it is a false statement that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm, with serious financial loss required for a business trading for profit, and truth and honest opinion are defences. A legal route usually needs a solicitor and is subject to a one year time limit. In every case, replies must not disclose patient information, and nothing should be offered to change or remove a review. For how this fits into the rest of a practice's online reputation, see our complete UK guide to dental reputation management.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can a dentist get a fake Google review removed?

A dentist can report a fake review to Google through the Business Profile, and Google removes reviews that break its content policy, including fake engagement and conflicts of interest. Google does not guarantee removal, so the practice should keep evidence, contact its dental defence organisation and, if the review is also defamatory, consider legal advice. Nothing should be offered to the reviewer to change or remove the review.

Can a dental practice sue over a negative Google review?

Only if the review is defamatory. In England and Wales that means a false statement that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm, and for a business that trades for profit, serious financial loss. Truth and honest opinion are defences under the Defamation Act 2013, which protects most negative opinions about a real visit. A practice should take advice from its dental defence organisation or a solicitor before taking any step.

How long does a practice have to take legal action over a defamatory review?

In England and Wales, the time limit for a defamation claim is generally one year from when the claim arose, under section 4A of the Limitation Act 1980. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. A practice considering legal action should take advice promptly and note the date the review was first published.

Should a dental practice reply to a fake review?

It depends. Dental Protection has suggested that where a negative review is an isolated one among many positive reviews, ignoring it may be best, because replying can bring more attention to it. If the practice replies, the reply should be neutral, should not confirm that the reviewer is a patient and should not mention treatment, because Denplan advises never to disclose patient information online, even indirectly.

Are reviews from competitors or former staff allowed on Google?

No. Google's policy treats content posted to undermine a competitor, and reviews by current or former employees, as policy violations, and they can be reported. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also bans fake reviews. A practice should keep evidence and take advice before accusing anyone, because an unproven accusation can create a legal risk of its own.

Does Google remove a review for defamation?

Google's Legal Help Center lists defamation among the common legal reasons to ask for content removal, and requests go through a webform. Google says it typically removes or restricts content that breaks a local law only in the country where it appears to be illegal. Law firms commonly report that Google tends to want a court order or clear evidence, but that is commentary, not a statement from Google.

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