Among the orthodontists someone searching in Orinda, CA is shown, Smile Power Orthodontics answered 10 of its last 10 Google reviews, on a listing of 272. The Orthodontic Center answered 9 of its last 10, on 156 reviews, and Cobain Orthodontics answered 5 of 10, on 152. Among the dentists in the same search, Aloha Pediatric Dentistry answered 3 of its last 10, on a listing of 306. That 3 of 10 is the highest reply figure among the dentists we could measure, while the orthodontists we could measure reach 10 of 10.
The listings themselves are built up in both trades. The median dentist we read carries 110 reviews and the median orthodontist carries 100. The three most-reviewed dentists carry 607, 576 and 306 reviews; the three most-reviewed orthodontists carry 306, 272 and 211. The median rating is 4.9 in both trades. Those are whole-listing totals. The reply figures in the paragraph above cover something narrower: only each practice's most recent 10 reviews.
We read 20 dentists and 20 orthodontists from the businesses someone searching in Orinda is shown. A Maps search covers a trade area of a few kilometres, so some of these practices may sit in neighbouring towns. The figures describe what that searcher sees, and the reply figures name only the practices we could measure answering.
The benchmark measured here is 68: a typical measured business answered 68% of its recent reviews. That figure is measured across 42 businesses of all trades together, not dental practices alone. Smile Power Orthodontics at 10 of 10 and The Orthodontic Center at 9 of 10 are both above it on their most recent reviews.
What to do about it
Start with your own Google listing: count how many of your last 10 reviews have your reply under them. It is the same count behind each reply figure above. Smile Power Orthodontics answered 10 of 10 and The Orthodontic Center 9 of 10; the benchmark measured here is 68%, across 42 businesses of all trades together.
If your count is lower, start with the next review that arrives and answer each one after it. Keep the reply short: thank the patient, mention something specific they wrote, and leave out anything about their treatment, their visit or the fact that they are a patient. When a review is critical, answer it calmly and offer a way to reach the office directly. Of everything in that exchange, the reply is the only part you write.
Dentists
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aloha Pediatric Dentistry | 3 of 10 | 306 | 4.9 |
Orthodontists
| # | Business | Answered | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smile Power Orthodontics | 10 of 10 | 272 | 5 |
| 2 | The Orthodontic Center | 9 of 10 | 156 | 4.8 |
| 3 | Cobain Orthodontics | 5 of 10 | 152 | 4.9 |