Short answer: an Alberta dental practice has a lot of freedom online. You can publish your fees, and the College of Dental Surgeons of Alberta (CDSA) does not have a specific rule on testimonials or before and after photos. The lines that do exist are sharp, though. Nothing on the site can be untruthful or capable of misleading. Since the June 2026 Protected Titles and Representations Statement, a general dentist cannot use wording that implies a specialty. Prescription drugs like Botox and higher-class medical devices fall under federal advertising rules. And the dentists, not the agency, answer for every page.
This guide is for dentists and practice managers in Alberta. It is general information, not legal advice, and every source is linked so you can read the original wording. If you practise in another province, your college's rules are different.
The documents that apply
The CDSA's advertising information page (updated January 2026) lists what Alberta dentists must follow when they advertise:
- the Alberta Health Professions Act, including section 102 on misleading advertising
- the federal Food and Drug Regulations and Medical Devices Regulations
- the CDSA Code of Ethics
- the CDSA Advertising Statement (November 2023)
In June 2026 the CDSA added a Protected Titles and Representations Statement. It is the newest of these documents, and it is the one most likely to affect wording that sits on dental websites today.
Fees: allowed, if they are honest
The CDSA page says it plainly: "Dentists can advertise their services and fees but must do so in an ethical manner." Whether to show fees, and how you advertise the practice, is up to each dentist.
For a website, that means a fees page, a new patient exam price or a membership plan price is fine. What makes a price misleading is usually what is left out. If the exam price excludes X-rays, say so next to the price. If a whitening price is "from", show what changes it. A patient who books on a price and finds a different one at the desk is exactly what the misleading test is about.
Testimonials, reviews and photos
The CDSA Advertising Statement does not have a specific rule on testimonials, reviews or before and after photos. That is a real difference from Ontario, where the physiotherapy college sets detailed testimonial rules. A Canadian dental marketing guide updated in August 2026 reaches the same reading: Alberta and British Columbia have no college rule on testimonials, photos, superlatives or guarantees, while general misleading advertising law still applies.
No specific rule is not the same as no rule. The Health Professions Act says a regulated member "shall not engage in advertising that is untruthful, inaccurate or otherwise capable of misleading" the public, and the Code of Ethics asks dentists to be truthful and candid and not to exaggerate. The federal Competition Act also covers false or misleading claims to the public. In practice, for a website:
- Use reviews from real patients, unedited, and keep a record of where each came from.
- Show before and after photos of your own cases, taken in the same light and angle, and do not retouch the result.
- Do not present your best case as the typical result. A short line such as "results vary from patient to patient" next to a gallery is cheap insurance.
- Avoid "best dentist in Calgary" or "pain-free guaranteed" style lines. They are hard to prove, and proof is what the misleading test asks for.
Specialist wording: the June 2026 statement
This is where most Alberta dental websites will need a second look. The Protected Titles and Representations Statement says the goal is that a reasonable member of the public can tell a general dentist from a dental specialist. The key points:
- All registrants may use "registered", "dentist", and "doctor" and "Dr."
- Registrants may use only the titles, specialty designations and descriptors they are registered and authorized for under the Dentists Profession Regulation. Alberta recognizes nine specialty designations, including Endodontist, Orthodontist and Dentofacial Orthopedist, Periodontist and Prosthodontist.
- Registrants "must not use, permit, or be associated with any representation that expressly states or implies a specialization" they do not hold.
- Trade names must not imply a recognized specialty unless that is accurate and authorized.
- Where specialists and general dentists work together, the practice must not be presented as exclusively specialty-based, and patients must be told "at all material points of contact" whether a general dentist or a specialist is providing care.
- Registrants are responsible for representations, "including those created on their behalf."
What that means on the site. The statement does not list banned phrases, so this is our reading of the "implies a specialization" test:
| Wording on a general dentist's site | Why it needs a look | Safer version |
|---|---|---|
| "Implant specialist" or "cosmetic specialist" | States a specialty the dentist may not hold | "Dr. Lee places implants" or "Implant treatment" |
| "Specializing in orthodontics" | Implies specialist status | "Clear aligner and braces treatment offered by our general dentists" |
| A trade name like "Calgary Orthodontic Smiles" for a general practice | Trade name implies a recognized specialty | A name that does not use a specialty word |
| Team page that lists a visiting periodontist next to the owner with no labels | Patients cannot tell who is a specialist | Each bio states "General Dentist" or the specialty title |
| Booking form with "choose your dentist" and names only | A material point of contact with no specialist or general label | Add the role next to each name |
Botox, fillers and products: federal rules apply
The CDSA Advertising Statement points to two federal rules that catch dental websites more often than owners expect.
Prescription drugs. Section C.01.044 of the Food and Drug Regulations says that when a prescription drug is advertised to the general public, the ad cannot make any representation beyond the brand name, proper name, common name, price and quantity. If your practice offers facial esthetic treatments that use a prescription drug such as botulinum toxin, a page that explains what it does, shows results or promises fewer wrinkles goes past that line. A treatment page that names the service and the price is the safe shape.
Medical devices. The Medical Devices Regulations limit advertising of Class II, III and IV devices for sale, and Health Canada says those devices must be advertised within the scope of their authorized indications. If a page promotes a branded product, such as an aligner system or an implant brand, use the maker's approved claims and do not add your own promises about what the product treats.
Who answers for the website
The Advertising Statement says owner dentists, responsible dentists and associate dentists must make sure all advertising complies, including supervising office staff and third parties who help with promotion. So the agency that writes your service pages, the person who runs your Instagram and the booking platform profile all count. Ask for every new page to be sent to a dentist before it goes live, and keep a note of who approved what.
A 20-minute check for your site
| Check | Where to look | Pass if |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty words | Page titles, headings, bios, trade name, meta descriptions | "Specialist" or "specializing" only for a registered specialist |
| Role labels | Team page, booking form, appointment emails | Every dentist shown as General Dentist or a specialty title |
| Fees | Fees page, offers, banners | What the price includes and excludes is next to it |
| Prescription drugs | Esthetic or facial treatment pages | Only name, price and quantity for any prescription drug |
| Devices | Aligner, implant and whitening product pages | Claims match the maker's approved indications |
| Reviews and photos | Homepage, gallery, review widgets | Real, unedited, your own cases, not shown as typical |
| Superlatives and promises | Homepage hero, ads, Google profile | No "best", "guaranteed" or "pain-free" claims you cannot prove |
| Content made for you | Agency pages, social posts, directory profiles | A dentist reviewed it before it went live |
The rules leave plenty of room to win patients
None of this stops a dental website from bringing in new patients. People choosing a dentist want to see who will treat them, what the first visit costs, whether you take their plan, and a booking button that works on a phone. All of that is allowed in Alberta. Our teardown of three strong dental websites shows how good practices put that on the first screen.
If you also run a physio clinic in Canada, our guide to Ontario physio clinic website rules covers a stricter set of college standards. US practices should read our post on the Section 504 accessibility deadline.
If you would like someone to go through your practice site page by page, see how we work with practices on our dental websites page. Every project is planned and quoted after a short call, based on what your practice needs. Book a free 15-minute call whenever it suits you.