NDC Social Media Rules for Dentists 2026: What to Stop

Based on the official NDC advisory of 14 October 2026 and the Revised Dentists (Code of Ethics) Regulations, 2014. Not legal advice.

On 14 October 2026, the National Dental Commission (NDC) issued an advisory to all registered dentists on "Unethical Social Media Promotion and Advertising". It names seven practices the Commission has noticed on social media, and it takes effect immediately.

If your clinic posts on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or WhatsApp, read this before your next post.

In short: stop posting patient testimonials, before-and-after photos, videos of consultations or procedures, "best dentist" style claims and treatment promises. A factual website with your treatments and fees is still allowed, and so is accurate patient education.

What the advisory says

Who: all registered dental practitioners, and dental establishments.
What it flags: seven practices on social media (listed below).
Legal basis: Chapter VI (Unethical Acts), clauses 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 of the Revised Dentists (Code of Ethics) Regulations, 2014. These cover advertising, patient solicitation, confidentiality, publicity and signage.
Consequences: any established violation "may invite appropriate disciplinary action, including issuance of a show-cause notice, suspension or removal from the State and National Register of Dentists."
From when: immediately.

File No.2/Advisory/EDRB/NDC/2026/M-2672. Read the official advisory (PDF).

The 7 practices the NDC flags

#	Practice the advisory names	What it means for your clinic
1	Recording and broadcasting consultations and dental procedures	No filming patients in the chair or procedures for reels and stories
2	Publishing patient testimonials	No patient reviews, quotes or video testimonials on your page or website
3	Before-and-after photographs	No before-and-after smiles, aligner or implant results
4	Misleading treatment claims	No promises of results, such as "guaranteed", "permanent" or "100% painless"
5	Inaccurate health information	Patient education must be accurate and backed by evidence
6	Self-aggrandising publicity	No "best dentist", "No. 1 clinic", patient counts or boasting about cases
7	Disproportionately large signboards	A sign only big enough to show where your clinic is

Why these, in the 2014 code's own words

Self-promotion: a dentist "shall not make use of himself (or his name) as subject of any form or manner of advertising or publicity" that would "result in his self-aggrandizement", "nor shall he boast of cases, operations, cures or remedies" (clause 8.2).
"Best" and "first": announcing new equipment or services is allowed, but "without boastful claims of being the 'best' or 'first'" (clause 8.2.7). Any "claim to superiority or special skills over others" online is unethical (clause 8.2.8).
Health opinions: publishing your opinion on a procedure or equipment in lay media is unethical "except when validated or supported by evidence based studies" (clause 8.1.7).
Signs: only a sign "such as may reasonably be required to indicate" the location and entrance of your practice (clauses 8.1.5 and 8.3.2). Your own photograph on a letterhead or signboard counts as self-advertisement (clause 8.3.1).
Specialist titles: you may not call yourself a specialist on signs or stationery unless you hold a recognised qualification in that specialty (clause 8.3.3).

What is still allowed

The advisory is not a ban on being online. The 2014 code explicitly allows:

A factual clinic website. A website "where all information is factual" is not unethical, and it "can also carry details of treatment facilities available and the fees for the same" (clause 8.2.9).
Online listings. Directory and internet listings are allowed as public information, without claims of superiority (clause 8.2.8).
Announcements: starting practice, changing address, a long absence or return, or new equipment and services, without calling them the "best" or "first" (clauses 8.2.1 to 8.2.7).
Diagrams and illustrations: sketches, diagrams and pictures of the human system are not treated as unethical (clause 8.3.1).

So your social media can still explain conditions and treatments, share accurate oral-health tips, and tell patients your timings, address and services.

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Your 10-minute social media check

Open your Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and website, and tick through:

☐ No photos or videos of patients in the chair or during procedures
☐ No patient testimonials, review screenshots or reposted reviews
☐ No before-and-after photos
☐ No "best", "No. 1", "first", "top" or "most trusted"
☐ No patient counts like "10,000+ happy smiles"
☐ No promises: "guaranteed", "permanent", "painless" as a promise
☐ Health tips are accurate and evidence-based
☐ "Specialist" only if you hold that recognised qualification
☐ Signboard only as large as needed to find the clinic
☐ No personal photo on your letterhead or signboard

Old posts count too. Archive or delete anything on the list, not only new posts.

If you use Vaidya OS: the dental clinic website template included with your plan has no testimonial, star-rating or patient-count sections. It shows your treatments, timings, fee, address and a Book button, which is the factual website the 2014 code allows.

Frequently asked questions

Can I post before-and-after photos if the patient consents?

The advisory lists before-and-after photographs as a practice to stop and does not mention a consent exception. Consent does not make them allowed under this advisory.

Can I share my Google reviews on Instagram?

The advisory flags publishing patient testimonials. Reposting reviews on your own page is publishing them, so stop. Patients can still leave reviews on Google themselves.

Can my website show treatment fees?

Yes. The 2014 code says a factual website "can also carry details of treatment facilities available and the fees for the same" (clause 8.2.9).

Can I still post educational content?

Yes, if it is accurate and evidence-based. Keep the focus on the condition or treatment, not on your clinic's results.

What happens if I don't comply?

The advisory says an established violation may lead to a show-cause notice, suspension, or removal from the State and National Register of Dentists.

Does this apply to MBBS doctors?

No. This advisory is from the National Dental Commission. Doctors follow the National Medical Commission's own rules: see our guide to NMC advertising guidelines for doctors.

NDC Social Media Rules for Dentists 2026: What to Stop, and What Is Still Allowed