Among the 20 dentists we read around Naperville, the three listings with the most Google reviews are also the three answering the most of their recent ones. Smile Obsession - Naperville carries 1,192 reviews, Naperville Dental Specialists 1,182 and Ogden Dental 1,042. Looking only at each one's 10 most recent reviews, Naperville Dental Specialists and Ogden Dental had answered 10 of 10, and Smile Obsession - Naperville had answered 8 of 10. That is a reply on nearly every recent review, on listings of that size.
The median dentist we read carries 349.5 reviews on its listing, with a median rating of 4.85. Those two figures cover the whole history of each listing. They say what a typical listing among these 20 holds, not how any single practice compares, and they carry no information about replies.
Among the 20 orthodontists we read, the pattern does not repeat. The median orthodontist listing carries 211.5 reviews and a median rating of 4.9, and the three most-reviewed carry 836, 701 and 695. The two orthodontists answering the most of their recent reviews are not among those three. Frey Orthodontics had answered 9 of its 10 most recent reviews, on a listing of 399. Innovative Orthodontic Centers had answered 3 of its 10 most recent, on a listing of 611.
For a reference point beyond these two trades: across the 63 businesses we measured around Naperville, not only dental ones, the typical one had answered 74 percent of its recent reviews. All of these counts describe the businesses someone searching in Naperville, IL is shown, which is a catchment rather than a list of every practice inside the city limits.
What to do about it
If you run a dental or orthodontic practice here, the number to check is your last 10 reviews, not your total. Open your listing, count how many of the 10 most recent carry a reply from you, and set that beside the 10 of 10 shown by Naperville Dental Specialists and Ogden Dental, or the 9 of 10 shown by Frey Orthodontics on a listing of 399. Then answer what is missing, newest first.
The review is the customer's; the reply is the part you write. Keep each one to thanks and to whatever the patient raised themselves. Do not confirm that the reviewer is a patient, and do not add details of their care or treatment that they did not write. After that, make it a standing task: when a new review lands, answer it.
Dentists
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naperville Dental Specialists | 10 of 10 | 1182 | 4.6 |
| 2 | Ogden Dental | 10 of 10 | 1042 | 4.6 |
| 3 | Smile Obsession - Naperville | 8 of 10 | 1192 | 4.9 |
Orthodontists
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frey Orthodontics | 9 of 10 | 399 | 4.8 |
| 2 | Innovative Orthodontic Centers | 3 of 10 | 611 | 4.8 |