What the NMC guidelines say (doctors)
- Clause 8.1 v: shall not publish cases for promotional purposes, advertise surgical results, display "before and after" photographs, publicise celebrity patients or promote personal success stories, unless published strictly for scientific or educational purposes with anonymised patient consent.
- Clause 6.1: patient photographs, videos, clinical images and other identifiable information shall not be used for advertising except where permitted by law and with the necessary consent and safeguards.
- Clause 6.2: patient consent shall not, by itself, make permissible any before-and-after depiction or success claim that is otherwise prohibited.
- Clause 6.3: where consent is legally required, it shall be specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification.
- Clause 6.4: even where disclosure is lawfully permitted, names, birth marks and identification marks are to be cropped, blurred or blacked out.
What the NDC advisory says (dentists)
The advisory of 14 October 2026 names publishing patient testimonials and before-and-after photographs among potentially unethical promotional activities on social media (para 1).
Questions
- Does patient consent make a before-and-after photo allowed?
- Clause 6.2 of the NMC guidelines says patient consent shall not, by itself, make permissible a before-and-after depiction that is otherwise prohibited.
- Is there any exception?
- Clause 8.1 v makes an exception where publication is strictly for scientific or educational purposes with anonymised patient consent.
Sources
- NMC public notice R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, 6 October 2026: Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication (PDF, nmc.org.in)
- National Dental Commission advisory, File No. 2/Advisory/EDRB/NDC/2026/M-2672, 14 October 2026: Unethical Social Media Promotion and Advertising by Registered Dentists (PDF, dciindia.gov.in)
Rules change. Check the latest notice from the National Medical Commission, the National Dental Commission or your State Council before you act.