We Audited 20 Los Angeles Dental Practices on Perplexity. Here's What We Found.
By Edgar Lucas, Founder, Guey Lab
· 7 min read
Why we ran this audit
We wanted to know the truth about AI search visibility for dental practices in Los Angeles.
Not theory. Not predictions. Real data.
So we ran a structured audit: 20 dental practices across Los Angeles, tested across three search queries on Perplexity AI.
- "Best dentist in Los Angeles."
- "Best dentist in [specific neighborhood]": Pasadena, Downtown LA, and others.
- "Dental implants in Los Angeles."
What we found should concern every dental practice owner in this city.
The result that stopped us
Across all three queries, Perplexity surfaced 4 practices per answer.
Out of 20 audited practices, and the thousands operating in LA, only a handful appeared at all.
Most of the 20 we audited were completely invisible.
No mention. No link. No image. Nothing.
A potential patient searching on Perplexity would never know they existed.
Google Maps rank means nothing here
This was the finding we kept coming back to.
When we cross referenced Perplexity results against Google Maps rankings for the same queries, the lists didn't match.
One practice sitting at #4 on Google Maps appeared at #2 on Perplexity.
Several practices ranking in the top 3 on Google Maps didn't appear on Perplexity at all.
Two different platforms. Two different algorithms. Two different sets of winners.
If your entire digital strategy is built around Google, you're optimized for only one of them.
What the practices that showed up had in common
The 4 that made it into Perplexity's answer weren't random. The pattern was clear.
Review volume across multiple platforms. Not just Google. The practices Perplexity surfaced had consistent, recent reviews on Yelp, Healthgrades, and other directories. Perplexity pulls from all of them.
Ratings at 4.7 or above. Volume alone wasn't enough. High review count with a mediocre rating didn't make the cut.
Content that directly answered the search. For the "dental implants" query, the practices that appeared had pages and content specifically addressing implant questions. Not keyword stuffing, actual answers to what patients type.
The practices that were missing one or more of these? Invisible.
How Perplexity delivers results
When a patient searches "best dentist in Pasadena" on Perplexity, they get a synthesized answer, not a list of links to scroll through.
That answer includes practice names, ratings, locations, and images.
Below the main answer is a links section. That's where patients click to learn more or book directly.
The entire patient journey is compressed. They're not comparing 20 options. They're choosing from 4.
If your practice isn't in those 4, you're not in the running.
What this means for the other 16
Out of the 20 practices we audited, 16 were invisible on Perplexity for at least one of the three queries we ran.
These aren't bad practices. Many of them rank well on Google. Some have strong reputations in their neighborhoods.
But on AI search, they don't exist.
Patients using Perplexity to find their next dentist, and that number is growing, will never encounter them.
The window is still open
Most dental practices in Los Angeles haven't thought about AI search visibility yet. That's actually an opportunity.
The practices that act now, building multi platform review presence, creating content that answers patient questions, and monitoring their AI citations, will own that visibility before it becomes crowded.
The ones that wait will be playing catch up in a space their competitors already claimed.
Where do you stand?
Start by running the audit yourself.
Search "best dentist in [your city]" on Perplexity. Search your specific services. See if your practice appears.
If it doesn't, that's the gap. And it's a fixable one.
Guey Lab helps dental practices get visible on AI search, so you're the practice patients find when they ask AI engines for a recommendation.
Book your free AI visibility audit, click below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my dental practice show up on Perplexity?
The only way to know is to search. Open Perplexity and type "best dentist in [your city]" and "[your service] in [your city]." If your practice name doesn't appear in the answer or the links section, you're currently invisible on that platform.
Why does Perplexity show different results than Google Maps?
Perplexity uses a different algorithm than Google. It pulls from multiple sources, your website, review platforms, directories, and third party mentions, and synthesizes them into a single answer. A strong Google Maps ranking does not guarantee visibility on Perplexity.
How many practices does Perplexity show for a dental search?
In our audit of Los Angeles dental searches, Perplexity surfaced 4 practices per query in the main answer. Additional listings appear in the links section, but the top 4 in the main answer receive the most patient attention.
What makes a dental practice show up on Perplexity?
Three factors consistently separated the practices that appeared from the ones that didn't: review volume across multiple platforms (not just Google), high ratings (4.7 or above), and content that directly answers patient search queries.
Does Perplexity show links to dental practice websites?
Yes. Below the main answer, Perplexity includes a links section where patients can click through to a practice's website. This is where consultation bookings typically happen.
How is AI search different from regular Google search for dental patients?
On Google, a patient sees a list and does their own comparing. On Perplexity or ChatGPT, the AI does the comparing for them and surfaces a curated answer. The patient's decision making process is compressed, they're choosing from 4 options, not browsing 50.
What should I do if my dental practice isn't showing up on AI search?
Start with three things: build review volume across Yelp, Healthgrades, and Google (not just Google); ensure your ratings are 4.7 or above; and create content on your website that directly answers the questions patients ask AI engines. If you want a step by step plan, book a free AI visibility audit with Guey Lab.
Is AI search visibility important for dental practices right now?
The shift is happening now, before most practices are paying attention. The practices that build AI search visibility today will own that real estate before their competitors realize the game changed. Waiting means catching up in a space others already claimed.
Edgar Lucas is the founder of Guey Lab, AI search visibility for dental practices in Los Angeles. He helps practices get found and recommended on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews through citation engineering, entity signals, and answer structured content.