The title implies that
Google is the culprit. The article paints a more nuanced picture. It blames Google for providing marketing results for a query about the validity of some dental procedure. It also shares some blame with the dentist for advising the procedure in the first place. However, consider the ending of the story. The author saw the marketing for what it was and turned to academic search engines for more reputable sources. Isn't that what we want?
I dislike Google for many reasons and generally avoid their products and services, but are they really to blame here? Google is a general purpose search engine whose business model fundamentally relies on including marketing in its results. It isn't a flaw in the algorithm; it's a feature. It's how they make money - and a lot of it at that[0]. If you want academic results, go to an academic search engine. That's exactly what the author did and it worked out fine. I'm down for an argument that we need academic works to be more accessible and digestible, but that's not really a problem with Google.
The other accused subject was the dentist, but I'm not so sure about that one either. There is a lack of consensus among medical professionals on many treatments and procedures, and this story could simply be another example of that. Medical professionals are humans, each with their own experiences and biases. Besides, it's not like the academic results cited by this article determined that the treatment was snake oil. Maybe the author's dentist had her own experience with the procedure and honestly concluded for herself that it was worth the $400. Maybe she was biased by anecdotal evidence or her own theories. Maybe she doesn't value $400 as highly as the author. Maybe she simply values dental hygiene more than the author. This is a great example of why it's important for medical professionals to act as consultants and for patients to make the final decision.
IMO, the big problem here isn't Google or the dentist. The problem is how much trust people have in those two as sources of accurate, unbiased medical information. If you're making a significant medical decision, you shouldn't accept a single source of information - even if it is academic - and you certainly shouldn't trust marketing material. Get second opinions. Do a little academic research. It's easier than ever before.
That said, if a $400 laser treatment for your gums isn't a "significant medial decision" to you, then feel free to just follow your dentist's advice. That's up to you.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31172475