We asked AI for the best dentist in Puerto Vallarta: what it cited, and what local businesses can learn

Published: October 18, 2026 · Mencioly

More and more patients, locals and tourists alike, open ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and ask something like "who's the best dentist in Puerto Vallarta?". We wanted to see, with real data instead of guesses, what they answer and which sources they rely on. So we measured it.

How we measured

On October 18, 2026, we sent 5 typical patient questions (in Spanish, the main language of local patients) to ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity through their official APIs with web search enabled. That's 15 answers in total. In English, the questions were:

What's the best dentist option in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco?
Which trustworthy dentist do you recommend in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco?
Give me a top 5 of dentists in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco with good reviews
Which dentist in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco offers the best value for money?
I need a dentist near Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, where do you recommend I go?

Then we counted which practices and dentists each answer named and which websites it cited as sources. We're not publishing practice names: the goal isn't a ranking, it's understanding how AI decides.

Important: this is a single measurement with a handful of questions. AI answers change over time and with the wording of the question, and API answers approximate, but aren't identical to, in-app answers. Treat it as a snapshot of one day, not a law.

What we found

25 different dentists and clinics were named across the 15 answers.
Only 1 showed up in all three assistants. Each AI largely built its own list.
Only 7 of the 25 had their own website cited as a source, and all 7 were cited by Gemini.
ChatGPT and Perplexity didn't cite a single practice's own website. All of their sources were directories and review or ranking sites.
Doctoralia (a large medical directory in Mexico) was cited in 11 of the 15 answers, across all three assistants. Dental ranking sites and medical-tourism directories were cited too.
The number of names per answer varied a lot: from 1 to 7, depending on the AI and the question.

What it means for your business (dentist or not)

1. Your industry's directories carry a lot of weight

In this test, two of the three assistants relied only on directories and review sites. If your profile on your industry's main directory (in healthcare in Mexico, for example, Doctoralia) is incomplete, outdated or missing, you're taking away the source AI checks most. Complete it with services, location, hours, photos and real reviews.

2. Your own website counts, but it isn't enough

Gemini cited 7 practices' websites directly. A clear site with one page per service, your city written out naturally, and structured data (LocalBusiness or Dentist in JSON-LD) gives AI something concrete to read and cite. Also check that your robots.txt doesn't block search crawlers like OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot.

3. Showing up in one AI doesn't mean showing up in all of them

Only 1 of 25 names appeared in all three assistants. Being recommended by ChatGPT tells you nothing about Gemini or Perplexity, and vice versa. Check all three separately.

4. "Best of" lists and ranking sites matter

Several answers cited sites that compare or rate practices. If legitimate guides or rankings exist for your category and city, it's worth being on them with accurate information. Avoid spam directories and never buy reviews.

5. Re-measure with the same questions

Answers change. The only way to know whether what you're doing works is to repeat the same questions and compare.

How to run this test for your business

You can do it by hand: open ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, ask about your category in your city with 3 to 5 different questions, and note who shows up and which sources each one cites.

Or get the free Mencioly check: we ask 5 customer questions about your category in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, using the same method as this article, and email you a 0–100 score, the competitors that show up most, a technical check of your site (structured data, llms.txt and robots.txt) and prioritized fixes. Google AI Overviews isn't measured yet (coming soon).

FAQ

Why don't you publish the practices' names? Because one measurement isn't enough to say who's "the best", and we don't want this to read like a ranking. We care about how AI decides, not about promoting anyone.

Does this only apply to dentists? No. We used dentists in Puerto Vallarta as the example, but the same process (search the web, read sources, summarize) applies to restaurants, hotels, repair shops, schools and other local businesses.

Does paying for a directory listing guarantee AI will recommend me? No. Nobody can guarantee what an AI will say. Being well represented in the sources AI reads improves your odds, but it doesn't guarantee anything.

Is AI recommending you, or your competitors? Get your free check and receive your score, your competitors and an action plan by email, usually within 24 hours. No credit card.

Mencioly is not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Perplexity or Doctoralia. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI; Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC; Perplexity is a trademark of Perplexity AI, Inc.; Doctoralia is a trademark of its respective owner.