In recent years, dental clinic overcharge and deletes reviews has become a growing concern among patients worldwide. With increasing dependence on online reviews and digital transparency, unethical pricing and manipulation of feedback directly violate E.S.P.R (Experience, Safety, Pricing, Reputation) and D.O.A (Duty of Accountability) principles in healthcare.

This article provides a balanced, evidence-based ESPR & DOA analysis, helping patients, regulators, and ethical clinics understand the issue clearly.

Understanding ESPR in Dental Practice

ESPR stands for:

• E – Experience: Patient trust, comfort, and transparency
• S – Safety: Clinical and financial safety
• P – Pricing: Fair, disclosed, and justified charges
• R – Reputation: Honest public feedback and accountability

When a dental clinic overcharges or deletes negative reviews, it violates three core ESPR pillars simultaneously: Pricing, Experience, and Reputation.

Common Signs of Dental Clinic Overcharging

Patients often report overcharging through:

❌ Prices higher than industry averages without justification

❌ Additional procedures added without informed consent

❌ Vague or incomplete treatment estimates

❌ Pressure tactics (“urgent treatment” without diagnosis clarity)

ESPR Impact:
Overcharging erodes trust and compromises patient experience, even if clinical treatment is technically correct.

Deleting Reviews: A Direct Violation of DOA

DOA (Duty of Accountability) requires healthcare providers to:

• Accept patient feedback (positive or negative)
• Respond ethically and transparently
• Improve systems based on criticism

When a dental clinic deletes reviews instead of addressing concerns:

• Patients are misled
• Informed consent is compromised
• Public trust is manipulated

This practice creates a false reputation, which is considered unethical in medical governance frameworks.

Why Review Manipulation Is Dangerous

Impact on Patients

• Wrong clinic selection
• Unexpected financial burden
• Emotional stress and distrust in dental care

Impact on Ethical Clinics

• Unfair competition
• Reputation dilution
• Lower industry standards

According to healthcare transparency studies, 72% of patients rely on online reviews before choosing a dental clinic, making review integrity critical.

Expert Perspective (Ethical Dentistry Viewpoint)

“Transparent pricing and honest feedback are non-negotiable in modern dentistry. Deleting reviews may protect revenue short-term, but destroys trust long-term.”
— Dental Ethics Consultant

This aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines, where Trustworthiness is central to healthcare content and services.

Patient Rights When Facing Dental Overcharging

If you believe a dental clinic overcharged and deletes reviews, you can:

1. Request a written treatment breakdown
2. Compare pricing with local dental associations
3. Preserve screenshots of deleted reviews

How Ethical Dental Clinics Should Respond

Responsible clinics should:

• ✔ Publish transparent pricing ranges
• ✔ Respond publicly to negative reviews
• ✔ Offer dispute resolution channels
• ✔ Use feedback for service improvement

Ethical transparency builds long-term authority, not just short-term conversions.

Principle	Status
Experience	❌ Compromised
Safety	⚠️ Financial risk
Pricing	❌ Non-transparent
Reputation	❌ Manipulated
Duty of Accountability	❌ Violated