How specialty type changes your review benchmark: dental vs derm vs medspa
Why a 4.6 average is exceptional in family medicine but average in a medspa, and how to set the right competitive target for your specific practice type.
The most common mistake we see practices make when setting a review target is benchmarking against an out-of-specialty industry average. A 4.5 star rating in general dentistry sits slightly above the local median. The same 4.5 in a medspa context puts the practice in the bottom third of competitors — medspas average closer to 4.8.
Specialty matters because review behavior varies sharply by patient intent, visit type, and emotional load. BrightLocal's healthcare segment data, ReviewTrackers reports, and our own field benchmarking across hundreds of practices all confirm the spread. Below are the 2026 benchmarks we use.
General dentistry
Typical rating: 4.4–4.7
Top-quartile: 4.7+
Healthy review velocity: 12–20/month per location
Dentistry sits in the middle of the range. Patients are motivated to leave reviews after positive experiences (clean cleanings, painless extractions, friendly staff) and after negative ones (long waits, billing disputes). The five-star intent is high but evaporates fast — most patients are un-reachable within 72 hours of the visit.
Cosmetic dentistry
Typical rating: 4.6–4.9
Top-quartile: 4.9+
Healthy review velocity: 8–15/month per location
Cosmetic dental skews higher because patient outcomes are more emotionally salient (a smile transformation) and patients self-select for higher willingness to share. Lower volume per month, higher per-review weight.
Family medicine / primary care
Typical rating: 4.0–4.5
Top-quartile: 4.6+
Healthy review velocity: 10–18/month per location
Primary care ratings are lower on average than other specialties for structural reasons: insurance friction, wait time frustrations, billing disputes, and the broader range of patient ages (more elderly patients leaving phone-call complaints, fewer leaving Google reviews). A 4.4 in family medicine is a competitive position.
Urgent care
Typical rating: 3.9–4.4
Top-quartile: 4.5+
Healthy review velocity: 20–40/month per location
Urgent care has the highest variance and lowest typical rating. High volume, patients in distress, often paying out of pocket and surprised by costs. Top performers focus heavily on structured outreach to capture the happy patients before they forget. Volume of reviews matters more than average rating in this category.
Dermatology
Typical rating: 4.4–4.7
Top-quartile: 4.8+
Healthy review velocity: 8–14/month per location
Derm bifurcates: medical derm patients (acne, eczema, skin checks) leave fewer reviews than cosmetic derm patients (Botox, fillers, laser). Practices that do both can drive overall rating up by structuring outreach more aggressively for the cosmetic side. Per AAD practice benchmark data, cosmetic patient lifetime value is also 2–3× higher, justifying the focus.
Medspa & aesthetic
Typical rating: 4.7–4.9
Top-quartile: 4.9+
Healthy review velocity: 10–18/month per location
Medspas have the highest typical rating across healthcare adjacent. The work is elective, patients select for it, satisfaction is high, and emotional engagement is high. A 4.6 medspa is actively losing share to 4.8+ competitors. The ceiling here is real but not low.
Orthopedics / specialty surgery
Typical rating: 4.2–4.6
Top-quartile: 4.7+
Healthy review velocity: 5–10/month per location
Surgical specialties have lower review volume per visit because most encounters are pre-op or post-op follow-ups rather than standalone experiences. Outcomes drive ratings heavily — patients are willing to leave detailed reviews months post-surgery if the outcome was positive.
How to use these benchmarks
Three practical takeaways:
- Don't set your target against the wrong specialty. A 4.5 dental practice is in good shape; a 4.5 medspa is losing share.
- Always benchmark against your top-5 local competitors. National averages mask huge regional spread. In a competitive urban zip code, the median may be 0.3 stars higher than the national one.
- Pick a velocity target that maintains your competitive position, not just your absolute rating. The right number is whatever it takes to consistently out-pace your closest 3 competitors on monthly volume.
For more on how velocity beats absolute count in Google's local algorithm, see why review velocity matters more than total count.
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