Cosmetic dentistry is one of the most heavily marketed areas of dental practice, and one of the most closely watched by regulators. Since 2 September 2025, new Ahpra and National Board guidelines on non-surgical cosmetic procedures have applied to registered health practitioners other than medical practitioners, including dental practitioners. They sit on top of the long-standing advertising rules in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.
This guide summarises what the rules mean for how dental practices consult on and advertise cosmetic treatments such as veneers, whitening and smile makeovers, and how to check your website, social media and AI tools.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Read the current guidelines on the Ahpra and Dental Board of Australia websites, and get advice from your indemnity insurer or a health lawyer.
Key takeaways
- Since 2 September 2025, Ahpra's non-surgical cosmetic procedure guidelines apply to dental practitioners. Their definition covers procedures that change appearance by altering body tissue, including teeth.
- The guidelines set expectations for consultation, informed consent and written information, including total costs, and a seven-day cooling-off period for patients under 18.
- The advertising guidelines ban influencer testimonials, prohibit advertising to under-18s, require ads to identify the practitioner, and restrict unrealistic or manipulated imagery, such as AI-generated before-and-after photos.
- Testimonials, misleading claims and unreasonable expectations remain prohibited under the National Law.
- Ahpra has previously found that many dental practitioners appeared to breach the advertising guidelines, including misuse of specialist titles such as "cosmetic dentist".
Which procedures are in scope?
The guidelines define non-surgical cosmetic procedures broadly, as procedures to change appearance that may involve piercing the skin or altering other body tissue, with teeth given as an example. For dental practices, that can include treatments primarily for appearance, such as veneers and some smile design treatments, as well as cosmetic injectables if your practice offers them. Check how the guidelines apply to each service you provide.
Consultation and consent
The guidelines expect practitioners to:
- Hold a verbal discussion with the patient and provide written information
- Explain alternatives, likely outcomes, risks, follow-up and total costs
- Not glamorise procedures, overstate results or minimise risks or complexity
- Say if a procedure is new or experimental
- For patients under 18, wait seven days after informed consent before performing the procedure or accepting payment
Practical step: create a standard written information pack and consent process for each cosmetic treatment you offer, including a clear breakdown of total costs.
Advertising: what to avoid
Testimonials and influencers
Testimonials about clinical aspects of care are banned in advertising for regulated health services. The cosmetic guidelines strengthen this for social media influencers. Don't use influencers or paid endorsements to promote cosmetic procedures, and don't repost patients' praise of their results.
Before-and-after images
Images must not be misleading. Avoid edited, filtered or AI-generated images, inconsistent lighting or angles, and images that suggest typical results when they aren't. Make sure you have consent to use any patient image.
Unreasonable expectations
Avoid claims like "perfect smile", "guaranteed results", "painless" or "life-changing", and anything that implies a cosmetic procedure will improve someone's confidence, relationships or career.
Targeting under-18s
Don't direct cosmetic advertising at people under 18.
Identifying the practitioner
Advertisements should make clear who performs the procedure, with accurate qualifications.
Titles and specialist claims
There's no recognised specialty of cosmetic dentistry in Australia. Describing a dentist as a "cosmetic dentist" or as "specialising in" cosmetic dentistry can mislead patients into thinking they're a registered specialist. Use accurate titles and registration types.
Discounts, offers and finance
Offers and inducements must state their terms clearly, and the cosmetic guidelines restrict promotional offers and promoting finance for cosmetic procedures. Review any "limited time" or payment-plan promotions carefully.
Audit your marketing
Check every channel:
- Website: service pages, galleries, team bios and titles
- Social media: posts, reels, stories, comments you've pinned or shared, and influencer content
- Google Business Profile: service descriptions and photos
- Ads: paid search and social ads
- Email and SMS campaigns. See the Spam Act and dental SMS
- AI chatbots and receptionists: what they say when asked about veneers, whitening or results. See Ahpra advertising rules and AI chatbots
Ahpra provides self-assessment tools for checking advertising. Use them, and keep a record of your review.
Setting up your AI tools
If an AI receptionist or chatbot answers questions about cosmetic treatment, its knowledge base should:
- Describe cosmetic services factually, without outcome claims
- Never quote patient reviews or testimonials
- Explain that a consultation is needed to discuss suitability, risks and total costs
- Hand clinical and suitability questions to the dental team
Frequently asked questions
Do the guidelines apply to teeth whitening?
They can apply to procedures primarily intended to change appearance. Check the guidelines and your indemnity insurer's advice for each service.
Can we still show before-and-after photos?
The guidelines restrict misleading and manipulated images and AI-generated images. If you use any, they must be genuine, consented, representative and not misleading. Many practices choose to remove them.
Can we describe a dentist as a cosmetic dentist?
Avoid it. There's no recognised cosmetic dentistry specialty in Australia, and the wording can mislead patients.
Next steps
Audit your website and social media against the checklist above this month, and update your cosmetic consultation and consent materials. For the wider rules on chatbots and AI tools, read Ahpra advertising rules and AI chatbots. To make sure your AI receptionist answers cosmetic enquiries safely, book a demo of IntelliDent.