{
  "title": "The State of Dental Practice Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/dental/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-13T05:46:05.857Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-13T05:46:10.860Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-13T05:46:10.860Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 13). The state of dental practice websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/dental/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to independent dental practices",
  "sampleSize": 135,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 8.4,
  "medianScore": 77,
  "meanScore": 76,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 3.7,
  "questionCount": 8,
  "findings": [
    "Only 28% of the 135 independent dental practice websites we scanned say which insurance they take.",
    "A typical site answers four of the eight questions patients ask before choosing (mean 3.7).",
    "The median overall score is 77 out of 100 (mean 76).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"Are you taking new patients?\" (22%), \"What will it cost?\" (23%) and \"Do you take my insurance?\" (28%).",
    "The best-answered are \"When are you open?\" (79%) and \"Can I book online?\" (62%).",
    "General and family have the highest median score (78), against 77 for orthodontics, 77 for pediatric and 74 for cosmetic and implants.",
    "91% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP).",
    "84% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "59% fail \"Dentist or MedicalClinic structured data\" (Schema.org · Dentist).",
    "Kinds of practice differ in median score by at least 3 points."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "newpts",
      "question": "Are you taking new patients?",
      "label": "Says whether it is taking new patients",
      "standard": "Patient question 1",
      "passPct": 22
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "question": "What will it cost?",
      "label": "Shows prices or a membership plan",
      "standard": "Patient question 3",
      "passPct": 23
    },
    {
      "id": "insurance",
      "question": "Do you take my insurance?",
      "label": "Says which insurance it takes",
      "standard": "Patient question 2",
      "passPct": 28
    },
    {
      "id": "anxiety",
      "question": "Will it be comfortable?",
      "label": "Comfort or sedation options explained",
      "standard": "Patient question 8",
      "passPct": 44
    },
    {
      "id": "sameday",
      "question": "Can I be seen today?",
      "label": "Emergency or same-day care stated",
      "standard": "Patient question 5",
      "passPct": 49
    },
    {
      "id": "dentist",
      "question": "Who will treat me?",
      "label": "Dentists named, with their training",
      "standard": "Patient question 6",
      "passPct": 60
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "question": "Can I book online?",
      "label": "Appointments can be booked or requested online",
      "standard": "Patient question 4",
      "passPct": 62
    },
    {
      "id": "hours",
      "question": "When are you open?",
      "label": "Opening hours stated",
      "standard": "Patient question 7",
      "passPct": 79
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 91
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 84
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "Dentist or MedicalClinic structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · Dentist",
      "failPct": 59
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 10
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "gen",
      "name": "General and family",
      "sites": 37,
      "median": 78,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "ortho",
      "name": "Orthodontics",
      "sites": 33,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "peds",
      "name": "Pediatric",
      "sites": 31,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 3
    },
    {
      "id": "cosm",
      "name": "Cosmetic and implants",
      "sites": 34,
      "median": 74,
      "weakPct": 3
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 91,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero image, defer scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on the phone of someone in pain.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 84,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "newpts",
      "label": "Says whether it is taking new patients",
      "standard": "Patient question 1",
      "failPct": 78,
      "question": "Are you taking new patients?",
      "fix": "Say plainly on the home page that the practice is welcoming new patients, with one line on what the first visit involves.",
      "pitch": "A new patient cannot tell from your site whether you would even see them.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Shows prices or a membership plan",
      "standard": "Patient question 3",
      "failPct": 77,
      "question": "What will it cost?",
      "fix": "Publish prices for the common visits (exam, cleaning, X-rays) or a membership plan with its monthly cost.",
      "pitch": "Patients without insurance fear the bill most. Your site gives them no number at all.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "insurance",
      "label": "Says which insurance it takes",
      "standard": "Patient question 2",
      "failPct": 72,
      "question": "Do you take my insurance?",
      "fix": "An insurance page that names every plan the practice is in network with, or says clearly that it is fee-for-service, linked from the home page.",
      "pitch": "\"Do you take my insurance?\" is the first question a new patient has, and your site makes them call to ask.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    }
  ]
}