Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions

Why Your Best Patients Sometimes Get Your Worst Appointment

By: Guest Writer

September 10, 2026

Guest Blog Author: Jennifer Hunter, Marketing Advisor at Advice Well

You know the feeling. It’s 3:40 on a Thursday, the schedule is backed up since lunch, and the patient in chair four just asked a genuinely good question about their treatment plan. Would you like to sit down and talk it through? Please give the two-minute version, as chair five is waiting. Nobody decided to rush that conversation. It just happened, and that's the real problem.

Patient care quality in dentistry isn’t really about clinical skill; it’s about consistency, whether every patient gets the same attentive experience regardless of the day or provider. Most practices don’t have a competence problem. They have a consistency problem, and it shows in the gap between your best appointment and your average one.

Where the cracks actually show up:

Here’s the part that stings a little. The inconsistency usually isn’t dramatic. It’s quiet, and it
compounds.

● Rushed appointments that leave no room for a real conversation about a patients
concerns
● Treatment recommendations that shift slightly depending on which team member
explains them
● Patient education that comes out sounding memorized instead of tailored to the person
● Follow-up that gets mentioned verbally but never scheduled or tracked
● New hires improvising their own version of how we do things here

None of these are failures of the team. They’re system gaps, and systems are fixable in a way personalities aren’t. The habits that actually move the needle. You don’t need a full overhaul to raise the floor on patient care. You need a handful of habits repeated until they’re boring, in the good way.

Start with pre-appointment chart review. Five minutes before a patient walks in, someone glances at their history and opens treatment conversations from the last visit. It sounds simple, but knowing what happened last time changes the tone of the whole appointment.

Patient education matters too, and it shouldn’t sound like a script. The information can be standardized. The delivery shouldn't be. Reviewing dentist-patient communication research makes clear that tone shifts how well patients actually retain what they’re told.

Follow-up is where good appointments quietly go to die. A recare and maintenance guidelines protocol someone actually owns is tracked the same way as an appointment, not left to memory. Ongoing training matters more than most practices budget for, not just clinical CE but training on how the team talks to patients. Continuing education requirements are a starting point, but the value comes from applying it daily.

A quick reset checklist for your team
● Review patient history and last dental appointments before you begin the day
● Confirm treatment language is consistent across hygienists and all providers
● Build a five-minute follow-up review at the end of each day, before you end your day.
● Track every promised follow-up the same way as scheduled appointments
● Set morning huddles on your calendar daily to discuss recent unscheduled treatment and communication gaps, etc, etc.

The Hygiene Team is the Carotid Artery in Your Dental Practice

Hygiene departments carry more weight here than most practices credit them for. Coaching and consulting businesses like Dental Practice Solutions work directly with practices to tighten these gaps, since the hygiene chair is often where trust is built or lost. Strengthening patient education communication tools across the team helps, and for practices juggling records digitally, another resource worth having on hand speeds up sorting through documents.

A hygiene recare and reactivation system must be maintained, not just consistently worked on. This is often the difference between retaining patients and having to replace them.

Frequently asked questions

Why do patients get inconsistent care even at good dental practices? It’s rarely about skill. It’s usually rushed scheduling, shifting messaging between team members, and follow-up that depends on memory instead of a system.

Does patient education really affect treatment acceptance? Yes, patients accept recommendations they understand and trust far more readily than a rushed script. Personalizing the delivery makes a measurable difference. How much does follow-up actually affect patient retention? Quite a bit. Patients notice a promised follow-up that never happens, and it quietly erodes trust even when the clinical care was fine.

Consistency is the whole game here, not talent, not marketing, just whether every patient gets the version of your practice your best patients already get. Build the small habits, track the follow-up, and keep training the team on how to talk to people. Do it consistently, and patient care becomes the reason people stay and refer others.

Conclusion

Your best patients should never receive your worst appointment.

Consistency in patient care is not about being perfect. It is about creating systems that help every team member communicate clearly, follow through reliably, and deliver the same high level of care from one visit to the next.

When your team consistently:

prepares for patients before they arrive,
communicates treatment in a personalized way,
follows up on unscheduled care,
maintains hygiene recare and reactivation systems, and
uses daily huddles to identify gaps before they become problems patients notice.

Your patients feel more understood. They trust your recommendations. They are more likely to accept treatment, remain loyal to the practice, and refer others. That is where patient care becomes a true competitive advantage. The practices that grow sustainably are not always the ones doing more marketing. Often, they are the ones doing a better job of delivering a consistent patient experience every single day.

Consistency builds trust. Trust drives treatment acceptance, retention, referrals, and long-term practice growth.

Thank you to Jennifer at Advice Well Dental Marketing for this blog.

Jennifer can be reached at: https://advice-well.com/

How to Retain Patients as Well Build Loyalty in Your Dental Practice?

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

July 25, 2024

Do you aspire to take your dental hygiene department to the next level? Interested in boosting your team’s efficiency, improving patient satisfaction, and driving up your practice’s profitability? Your solution is right here! Dental Practice Solutions is dedicated to providing top-notch training, consultation, and coaching for your dental hygiene department, helping dentists achieve greater productivity and success.

But let’s face it: retaining patients and building patient loyalty in your dental practice is more than just the numbers. It’s about creating a relationship, a connection, and a sense of trust. So, how can you achieve this?

Let’s dive in!

Building a Comfortable and Inviting Atmosphere

First impressions are crucial. When a patient steps into your dental practice, they should feel comfortable. This starts with a friendly receptionist who greets patients with a warm smile and ends with a dental hygienist who takes the time to explain procedures and answer questions. Remember, your practice’s atmosphere sets the tone for the patient’s entire experience. Make it a pleasant one!

Quick Tip: Adding a personal touch, like remembering a patient’s name or asking about their family. Understand what is important to your patient sitting in the chair. This will go a long way in making your patients feel valued.

Consistent and Effective Communication

Effective communication is vital in a relationship; the same goes for your patients. Regular follow-ups, appointment reminders, and updates about their treatment plan can make a huge difference. But it’s not just about the frequency of communication but the quality. Ensure that your messages are clear, concise, and patient-focused.

Ask Yourself:

Do you have hundreds of patients who need to schedule a hygiene appointment?
Do you find it hard to fit hygiene patients into your schedule?
Does your hygiene schedule have a lot of open holes?
Do you feel like your hygiene department is not productive?

If you’re nodding your head, saying yes to the above questions, you’re not alone. Many dental practices face these challenges. But the good news is solutions exist!

Providing Exceptional Patient Care

Patients are more likely to return when they feel they received exceptional care. This doesn’t just mean being good at what you do (though that helps!). It also means being empathetic, patient, and responsive to their needs and concerns. Exceptional patient care means taking the time to explain procedures, discussing treatment options, and ensuring patients feel heard can significantly enhance their overall experience.

Fun Fact: Studies show that patients who feel a strong personal connection with their dentist are most likely to accept their treatment plan and routinely return for their preventive care appointments.

Implementing Patient Loyalty Programs

Who doesn’t love a good loyalty program?

Offering incentives like discounts, a free whitening pen when patients are loyal to your dental practice. Even a simple thank-you or birthday card will encourage patients to remain a patient in your dental office. These small gestures show that you appreciate their business and will go the extra mile to keep them happy.

Pro Tip: Taylor your loyalty program to fit your patient’s needs. For instance, a reward program, such as The Smile Club offers free whitening to patients who consistently return for hygiene appointments is proven to be a great motivator.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

In today’s digital age, leveraging technology will significantly enhance patient retention. Online scheduling systems, digital reminders, and patient portals make it easy access their patient record. Enhanced technology shows that your practice is modern and up-to-date.

Did You Know? Many patients prefer a dental practice that offers the convenience of online scheduling services. It’s all about making their life easier!

Training and Empowering Your Team

Your team is your greatest asset. Investing in their training and development can impact patient satisfaction. Dental Practice Solutions offers specialized training to optimize your team’s performance and enhance patient satisfaction.

Ask Yourself:

Do you have systems for your team to follow that will support a productive hygiene department?
Do you wish you had more cash flow?

If these questions hit home, it’s time to consider how your team can be better supported and trained.

Addressing Patient Concerns Proactively

Sometimes, patients leave because their concerns aren’t addressed. Addressing these concerns can prevent patients from seeking care elsewhere, whether about the cost of treatments, discomfort during procedures, or any other issue. Be open to feedback and show you’re commitment to providing an outstanding experience.

Quick Solution: Implement a patient feedback system where they can easily share their thoughts and suggestions. Act on this feedback to show patients that you value their input. Using Google Reviews will also help with new patients finding your dental office. Google Reviews boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and helps new patients find your office more easily when they are searching for a dentist on the internet.

Trust Dental Practice Solutions: Your Partner in Success

If you’re facing similar issues, don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Dental Practice Solutions is here to help you retain patients, build loyalty, optimize your hygiene department, and ultimately boost your dental practice productivity without working harder.

By creating a friendly environment, communicating effectively, providing exceptional care, implementing patient loyalty programs, utilizing technology, training your team, and addressing patient concerns, you can ensure that your patients return and refer others to your practice.

So, are you ready to take your dental practice to the next level? Let Dental Practice Solutions be your guide. Together, we can make your dental practice a place where patients feel valued, cared for, and loyal to your dental practice. After all, isn’t that the ultimate goal?

For more info visit her: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/survey/ivQnWLt2d1Bqwoa7qkZe

Reactivating Hygiene Patients for Dental Practice Growth

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

July 16, 2024

Every dental practice has patients who leave without scheduling a next appointment or haven’t booked an appointment in over 3 plus months. Despite your busy schedule, patient retention remains crucial for sustained success. With a targeted strategy for reactivating hygiene patients, you will bring patients back to your office, keep them on the schedule, and experience consistent dental practice growth.

There is an easier way to do hygiene patient reactivation than ever before. Hygiene patient reactivation does not need to be boring, time consuming or tedious. There are simple ways to automate this patient activation process. Every member of your team should be cross-trained to participate in this simple process.

Below, we’ll discuss essential steps and provide advice on managing this critical task with a simplified, proven way to keep patients on your schedule.

Active vs. Inactive Patients

Active patients are those who have received dental treatment within the last 18 months and are marked as active in your practice management software. Inactive patients, on the other hand, either haven’t had an appointment in the last 18 months and should be marked as inactive in your practice management software.

Tips and Advice on Dental Reactivation Campaigns

Patient reactivation is the process of bringing back unscheduled patients for treatment. Each successful reactivation not only boosts your practice’s production and profits but it’s an opportunity to build patient loyalty and keep your backdoor closed.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s imperative that you have this hygiene patient reactivation system automated. The Smile Club is one system created many years ago proven to keep patients on your schedule.

The Importance of a System to Reactivate Overdue Hygiene Patients

It’s important to note that retaining existing patients is far more cost-effective than acquiring new patients. Marketing research shows that it can cost up to five times more to attract a new patient than to retain an existing one.

Initial Reactivation Efforts

Use practice management software to research inactive hygiene patients and patients with unscheduled restorative treatment
Begin by compiling a comprehensive list of patients who haven’t visited in the last 30 days to 24 months.
Dental Practice Solutions clients use a robust reactivation system to easily find unscheduled hygiene patients. Some hygiene patients also have unscheduled restorative treatment.
Triage the order in which you will contact these various patients.

Include details such as patient names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, insurance coverage, preferred contact methods, and the date of their last appointment.

*Register for our Hygiene Patient Reactivation Power hour and watch how we do this! During the power hour (Webinar) we will show you how to turbocharge your patient reactivation system.

5. Utilize Text Messages and Email

Rarely do people answer a phone call when they don’t recognize the phone number calling them. 90% of all text messages are responded to very quickly vs. a phone call or email.

Utilize text (SMS) messaging. Ensure that SMS messages are only sent to patients who have opted in for texting. Be sure that your SMS messaging system is HIPAA compliant and two-way communication is enabled.

6. Personalize Your Messaging

Tailor your communications based on factors like the length of inactivity, insurance coverage, and specific dental needs. Personalized messages with clear calls to action (CTAs) improve engagement rates.

Use no more than two sentences in a text message to patients. Make it a short sweet messaging and be sure it includes your office name and a phone number for a call back. Make it easy for patients to schedule their next hygiene appointment by offering a scheduling link.

7. Enhance Engagement with Interactive Content

Incorporate links to your online scheduling portal, website, and social media in your emails. Visuals like animations, infographics, and QR codes offering incentives can further increase patient response.

Check with your stateBOD legal marketing guidelines when sending SMS because many states have stiff penalties for various types of marketing SMS, they consider unethical.

8. Offer Unscheduled Patients an Incentive for Scheduling

Unfortunately, many patients thinks they have something better to do than sit in a dental chair.

Offer a special incentive, a carrot, and reward patients who keep their scheduled and pre-scheduled dental appointments.

One system that has proven to keep patients returning to their dental appointments and works well as an incentive to get patients back on the schedule is The Smile Club.

Keep Your Practice Thriving

At Dental Practice Solutions, we understand the importance of patient reactivation in maintaining dental practice growth. Alongside patient retention, are important factors such, as case acceptance and enhanced patient care services. Explore how our robust solutions will support your dental practice’s growth—book an opportunity call today!

One area of our expertise includes hygiene patient reactivation. Dental Practice Solutions ensures that your dental practice continues to grow and thrive with the creation of The Smile Club. This is an innovative way to support practice growth while keeping patients on your schedule.

Don’t overlook your dental practice growth potential by creating a system to reactive overdue hygiene patients. Reconnecting with them can significantly impact your dental practice’s success.

Be sure you register for our Hygiene Patient Reactivation Power Hour happening on Tuesday July 23rd at 5 PM Pacific. Twice, each month, we share important systems and steps you can take to boost profitability in your dental practice. Check back each month for our latest topics to grow your dental practice and without working so hard!

After Scaling and Root Planing Should we Bill a Prophy or Perio Maintenance?

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 26, 2024

After performing Scaling and Root Planing, the question arises: can we bill for a Prophy or do we need to continue billing for Perio Maintenance?

In some cases, the choices may seem straightforward, such as billing for a Prophy when a patient has healthy gingiva, however, determining the correct code to bill after Scaling and Root Planing can be a bit more nuanced, as it depends on the specific needs and circumstances of the patient.

Never should we diagnose or bill simply because the patients insurance will or will not cover a specific procedure or service.

First, let’s break down the two options:

Prophy (D1110)

A Prophy is a routine dental cleaning that is recommended for patients with healthy gums and minimal plaque or tartar buildup. This type of cleaning is typically performed every six months to maintain good oral health and prevent periodontal disease.

Perio Maintenance (D4910)

Perio Maintenance (D4910) is more than just a cleaning. When a patient has been treated for active gum disease with scaling and root planing this procedure is typically performed every three to four months to help manage and stabilize the disease.

Our overarching goal is to halt oral inflammation which will also support total health.

*Read the AAP Parameter for Periodontal Maintenance in resources listed below.

When a patient has oral inflammation, year-after-year, we know (evidence based research) that this patient is now at high risk for other systemic diseases such as, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease, etc.

The Question

Which CDT code should we bill after a patient has completed a D4341 or D4342 (Scaling and Root Planing)?

The answer to this question largely depends on the total health of each individual patient.

In general, if a patient has completed Phase I therapy (D4341 or D4342), and ‘if” they have high blood pressure (or any systemic inflammatory condition), diabetes, etc, – any systemic inflammatory disease, you will have the patient return in three months for D4910 if they present healthy at the 4-6 week re-evaluation appointment (AKA: Periodontal Maintenance D4910).

When a patient has systemic risk factors, i.e. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc, this indicates that they are at risk for life-altering conditions such as: stroke or heart attack, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, etc, etc.

Imagine, in today’s world of dentistry, we no longer “treat a tooth,” we are treating the whole body and our goal must be “halt oral inflammation” and “help patients live a longer-healthier life.”

“Inflammation in the oral cavity year after year, typically creates a cascade of other systemic diseases.”1

In order to accomplish this goal of total health, closely monitor patients and schedule more frequent preventive care – hygiene appointments. It is beneficial to the patient when you include laser bacterial reduction (LBR) at routine preventive care appointments. LBR affects the cells at the mitochondrial level. It is one important piece to helping our patients live a longer – healthier life.

When your patient has a history of inflammatory systemic disease use code D4910, Perio Maintenance and LBR (If legal for a hygienist to use) to ensure that your patient receives the necessary care to manage complete health.

On the other hand, if a patient has completed a D4341 procedure but does not have a history of gum disease or other systemic health issues, it may can be appropriate to bill for a Prophy D1110.

It’s important to note that dental billing can be complex, and it’s crucial for dental providers to accurately code and bill for services to ensure proper reimbursement and compliance with insurance guidelines. As such, it’s recommended to thoroughly review the patient’s treatment plan, medical history, and oral health status before determining the appropriate billing code.

In addition to considering the patient’s individual needs, it’s also essential to communicate openly and transparently with the patient about their treatment and benefits to routine preventive care maintenance. Communicate and continue educating patients about optimal oral health will lead to a longer, healthier life.

Consistently communicate to your patients, “Prevention costs a little money and treating disease costs a lot of money. Oral disease affects your total health!”

Speak with empathy and passion/enthusiasm to help them live a longer, healthier life. Understand your patient’s values. Is money an objection?

If you don’t believe you can help them live a longer, healthier life, neither will they!

Help your patients who use money as an objection, understand that spending money to treat their disease means less money spent in the future when they return for preventive services. Help patients understand the value of spending money on prevention to save money on treating oral and systemic disease.

Discuss the importance and the benefits of ongoing preventive maintenance so your patients will better understand the value of preventive care, and the significance of routine hygiene (AKA: “preventive care”) appointments in maintaining their total health.

Conclusion

Determine the appropriate billing code after a patient has completed Scaling and Root Planing (D4341/D4342), at the next appointment, when they return for the 4-6 week re-evaluation.

Your 4-6 week re-evaluation will be billed as D4910. If you have treated your patient using soft-tissue diode laser, include LBR in the Periodontal Maintenance appointment. If you are able to use soft-tissue diode laser (LBR/D9997) in your state, you will use this all future hygiene preventive care appointments.

Should we bill a Prophy (D1110) or Perio Maintenance (D4910) after our patient completes SRP, really depends upon:

Your patients total health
What your patient’s insurance will pay for

And as always, know that we have an ethical responsibility to do what is in the best interest of our patient; not what their insurance will pay for!

At Dental Practice Solutions we recommend Perio Assisted Laser Therapy when treating patients with SRP. At the 1st appointment (D4355) Gross Debridement and the 1st Periodontal Maintenance Appointment (4-6 week re-evaluation) we recommend including Laser Bacteria Reduction.

The Scaling and Root Planing procedure includes careful consideration of the patient’s total health status. While both a Prophy and a Perio Maintenance are valid options at the end of Phase I therapy, it’s essential to select the appropriate service and CDT code that best aligns with the patient’s individual circumstances to ensure they receive the necessary care and support to maintain their total health.

By prioritizing patient-centered care and clear communication, dental providers can improve patient outcomes and overall satisfaction with their dental experience.

Does your office feel challenged by the sequencing and billing of gingivitis and periodontitis treatment?
Do you have questions about this blog? We understand it can be confusing and we are hear to clear up any confusion.

Consider booking a quick call. We can help!

Check out our most popular 30 Day Hygiene Department Training Here.

Resources

Six Tips for Hygiene Patient Reactivation and Unscheduled Treatment

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 18, 2024

Reactivating hygiene patients and following up on unscheduled treatments can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can effectively bring patients back into your practice.

Here are Six Tips for Hygiene Patient Reactivation and Unscheduled Treatment to help you improve your patient outreach and increase patient engagement.

Let’s explore these actionable steps to ensure your patient engagement and follow-ups are successful.

1. Cultivate a Positive Mindset

Summer is upon us. That means patients are on vacation, holidays are near and patients may think they are too busy to schedule a dental appointment.

But wait! Let’s check our mindset and get over any negative thoughts such as, “no one wants to come in” or that “it’s the 4th of July and no one wants to come in!”

Approaching calls with these negative assumptions makes it harder to achieve your goal of getting patients back into the office. Take a deep breath. Create positive thoughts as you make phone calls to patients. Your mindset is crucial for successful patient reactivation and all patient engagement.

2. Evaluate Your Outreach Efforts

Keep track of how many calls, emails, texts, and letters your employees are sending to existing patients. Review the volume and effectiveness of these outreach efforts and your patient engagement system. If outreach is high but responses are low, consider the message being conveyed and the manner in which the team members are attempting to engage with patients. A team member who sounds bored or disinterested will not engage patients effectively. Patient engagement can be a boring task. Automate as much of this as possible.

We suggest automating short and sweet text messages. We teach clients to use a specific rhythm to send message and how often to send these messages.

3. Personalize Your Message

Using a script can be helpful, but it’s important that it doesn’t sound robotic. Patients can tell when someone is reading from a script versus speaking genuinely. Train your team to use scripts as guidelines, allowing them to personalize their messages and sound more natural.

Utilize a specific template for various types of text messages when reactivating overdue hygiene patients.

Example: Text 1 is sent to patients today.

Text 2 is sent in 5 days when there is no response to text message 1.

After a 3rd text without a response we do suggest a phone call be made.

Most patients are not as likely to quickly respond to your phone message so make it short and sweet. Basically let patients know, “It’s time! Please give us a call about your dental appointment.”

Be prepared to have patients respond, “I don’t have an appointment.” With your patient on the phone you need to click on their electronic chart, look at their necessary unscheduled treatment for restorative and/or hygiene care. You must speak with words that create urgency to schedule.

Example: “Doctor asked me to call. She is concerned this tooth is going to cause you pain.”

Talk about putting a halt to “inflammation”, “lose a tooth”, “more cost for a tooth that has a hole”, etc. Use words that paint a picture and create urgency.

4. Train and Practice

Team training is imperative if you wish to continue growth and your current level of success. Practice makes perfect and it’s crucial for the team members who are making calls practice to make patient calls effective. Ensure your employees feel confident sending text messages and emails each week, month, etc, by providing regular training and role-playing different scenarios.

Pair less experienced team members with seasoned team members to practice handling various phone situations, starting with simple scenarios and progressing to more complex ones.

Use an expert coach, a trainer to make sure this practice occurs and it can make it more fun to work with an expert who routinely works with teams on these skills. Schedule a half-day workshop or a few hours of ZOOM coaching with an expert who can offer expert guidance.

5. Clarify Your Purpose

Beyond getting patients back on the schedule, the purpose of keeping your patients on the schedule is to ensure optimal oral health leading to a longer-healthier life. Demonstrate genuine care for the patient’s well-being and you will significantly impact the outcome of your patient engagement and the amount of scheduled patient appointments which will decrease the time spent on reactivation of unscheduled patients.

Understand what your patient values and always make everything you say and do benefit the patient.

6. Vary Call Times and Use Multiple Communication Channels

If you’re having trouble reaching a patient by phone, try calling at different times of the day. You never know when a patient might be available.

We recommend that you 1st send a text message and if there is no response after a 2nd text message that week, make a phone call to your patient. Patients in todays world respond to a text message much faster than a voice message.

If you must leave a voice message make it short and sweet with a phone number to call back your office about their dental appointment. Do not leave long-winded voicemail messages.

Always follow up at least 48 hours when a patient leaves without scheduling for restorative care or a next hygiene appointment. When patients do not respond to your text messages or phone calls use a patient engagement system to email your patients. Most patient engagement systems will have specific templates with informative videos about your patient’s specific care needed.

Always personalize your text messages and emails. These emails and text messages can be automated when you use robust dental office patient engagement solutions.

Need a patient engagement solution?

We are happy offer a few great suggestions to get this system automated and working effectively.

Let us know!

Summary

These tips should help improve your patient reactivation and even reduce the need to chase patients to get them back on your schedule.

For further assistance, consider registering for one of our Summer 2024 Dentist Power Hours when we are discussing patient reactivation and retention.

Are you wondering if you have untapped potential? Tired of working so hard?

Consider booking a no-cost opportunity ZOOM call here.

Or contact us at: 623-252-1941.

Fill Openings on the Doctors & Hygienists Schedule

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 13, 2024

In today’s fast-paced dental industry, maintaining a full schedule is crucial for the success and profitability of your practice. Open holes in your schedule leads to significant revenue losses and disrupts the workflow in your dental practice.

This blog will guide you through effective strategies to fill openings on the doctor’s & hygienist’s schedule, ensuring that your practice runs smoothly and efficiently. From leveraging modern technology to implementing proactive patient communication, discover the best ways to keep your dental chairs filled with patients who want your care and keep your business thriving.

Preventing cancellations helps keep your patients remain healthy! The problem is that people think they have more important things to do than see their dentist!

Why Do You See Cancellations?

Let’s look at common reasons cancellations occur and how to mitigate them.

Legitimate Reasons for Cancelling

Life happens, and sometimes patients have valid reasons for cancelling:

Illness
Car troubles
Family emergencies
Work meeting

These reasons are understandable, and there’s little you can do to prevent them. Let’s also be aware that sometimes these last minute cancellations might be a cover-up for other issues.

Patients Forget Their Appointments

When patients claim they forgot their appointment, the real issue might be elsewhere. Genuine forgetfulness isn’t the problem, implementation of reminders is the problem.

Do you implement any of all of the following?

Calls
Texts
Emails

Overbooking Far in Advance

While being booked months in advance may seem like a good problem to have, it often indicates a shortage of providers and missed production opportunities.

This can be a good problem to have and offers opportunities to grow your dental practice. If you find yourself in a bottleneck with patients waiting weeks or months to see a provider plan to book a quick call so we can help redirect this situation which is costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars annually!

This is a different challenge than we will focus on in this blog.

When patients have to wait for weeks or months to get an appointment, you increase the likelihood of cancellations due to:

Changes in personal schedules
Financial shifts
Illness
Forgetting the importance of their treatment

Aim to schedule restorative and perio patients within 2-7 days. This will to minimize the above mentioned risks and keep your schedule running smoothly.

The real reason patients fail to keep their dental appointments is because they do not value their oral health.

It’s our role as a dental professional to help our patients understand that “Prevention costs a little money, and treating disease costs a lot of money.”

Urgency is key.

Think about the words you use when speaking to your patients.

Do you use words like “tooth decay and cleaning?”

Use words that paint a picture in your patients mind.

Change your words to these, for example: “hole in your tooth,” or “preventive care” or “gum disease.”

Make it easy for your patients to understand what they need. Never think patients truly understand the urgency of completing dental treatment. Imagine telling your patient their out-of-pocket payment will be $1500 a tooth with decay and a “deep cleaning” when they are thinking, “my gums always bleed”.

Now flip this conversation around a hole in their tooth and bacteria is sneaking in. Show patients the hole in their tooth and bleeding gums. Talk about health and saving money on treating disease. Explain that you are helping them put a halt to inflammation in their mouth and explain how inflammation (over the next five, ten yrs.) will cause other systemic problems. Know what systemic diseases are related or oral inflammation.

You must speak with passion about the topic and show enthusiasm in your voice as you talk about saving them money and putting a halt to disease!

If you don’t feel passionate about changing your patients life, neither will they.

Most patients will sit up, listen, and take action when you talk about helping them live a longer, healthier life, and explain how they will save money once they focus on prevention of disease.

Everything you say and do must benefit the patient.

Make it easy for your patients to “own their disease.”

Take away the stress of getting patients to “pay” for something. Guide your patients to make wise decisions that benefit them.

Once patients understand how your care will save them money, create a healthier, longer life and/or eliminate pain, they most likely “want” what they need.

It doesn’t matter what insurance pays for, maybe they are on state-aid, and they arrived to their appointment with a Gucci purse and maybe they drove to your office in a Mercedes! They most likely have an iPhone or mobile device that cost them a few hundred dollars.

You know this is a true fact, yet your patients do not want to accept your care!

Use words that create a picture.

Speak about benefits to them. Understand their values and know what their objections may be before they even have a chance to object to accepting care.

People will buy what they want, not what they need so get your patients to want your care! Motivate your patients to want a healthy mouth and a body that is healthy.

Patients who value their oral health, are far less likely to cancel or change their appointments last minute.

Filling Last-Minute Openings

Use these strategies to fill the holes:

Maintain a Short-Notice / ASAP List: Keep a list of patients willing to come in on short notice. Reach out to them as soon as an opening occurs.
Leverage Technology: Use automated systems to notify patients of last-minute availability. This can be done via text, email, or through your patient portal.
Optimize Your Recare System: Ensure your recre system is robust , dynamic, and up-to-date. Patients due for their routine hygiene appoihntments (“preventive care” NOT a “cleaning”!) may appreciate the opportunity to come in sooner. Ask us how to implement a cost-effective “engagement system to reach out to patients fast. Let us show you how to reach patients who need a hygiene appointment and another type of appointment such as an implant or bridge. We will show you how to quickly fill open holes with the best per patient production. Book a 15 min ZOOM call so we can show you howt this works.
Offer Incentives: Provide small incentives for patients who fill last-minute holes, such as your Smile Club membership, a discount on “INVISALIGN,” etc, or a free whitening pen.
Engage Your Team: Train your front desk staff to handle cancellations proactively and to efficiently manage the short-notice list.

Understand the reasons patients cancel and have a recare and cancellation strategy in place to keep your practice running efficiently.

We have solutions at your fingertips and offer white glove implementation. Check out the SMILE CLUB which is a proven strategy to keep patients on your schedule.

BOOK a quick no-cost opportunity call.

Take your hygiene department to the next level. Enroll in our course.

Grow Cosmetic Cases in Your Dental Practice

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 1, 2024

Boosting Case Acceptance and Per Patient Production

Dental offices that experience high profitability from cosmetic procedures typically have a substantial patient base originating from general practitioner (GP) services. This extensive patient base is crucial for generating cosmetic cases.

The emphasis is on “generating” these cosmetic cases because they won’t be magically scheduled. While cosmetic cases may naturally be scheduled, you miss out on many opportunities when you aren’t proactively discovering that your current patients want a more beautiful and confident smile..

The first priority is to increase general patient volume through hygiene appointments, hygiene patient reactivation, and attracting new patients. This increased volume provides a larger pool to present your cosmetic services. Presenting cosmetic cases to your existing patients is more cost-effective and yields better results than marketing to find more new patients.

This blog will delve into ways to more effectively grow cosmetic cases in your dental practice.

Present Cosmetic Services to Existing Patients

Don’t Assume Patients Know What Services You Offer

Many dentists are surprised to find that loyal, long-term patients often go elsewhere for services like clear aligners or veneers simply because they didn’t know these services were available at their usual practice. It’s ironic to see dentists spend heavily on community advertising while neglecting to inform their own patients about their offerings.

Increase Cosmetic Case Acceptance

Your Hygiene Department is the Mitochondria of Your Dental Practice

Most patients spend more time with their dental hygienist than any other clinician in your dental practice. Make certain your hygiene department is optimized to effectively communicate treatment needs and truly understand what your patients’ smile goals are.

It’s ironic to see dentists spend huge amounts of money on community advertising while neglecting to understand what they current patients’ smile goals are. Did you know?

Teeth whitening is an 11 Billion Dollar industry however, few people search for a dental office to buy teeth whitening.1

Dentists are missing out on easy profit solutions and a way to have more patients accept cosmetic dentistry.

Strategies to Boost Cosmetic Cases to Existing Patients

The Smile Evaluation. Cosmetic Questionnaires

Introduce a smile evaluation – a cosmetic questionnaire for all new patients and annually to every patient.

Learn what your patients’ smile goals are. People are more likely to pay money for what they want so find an easy what to know what your patient wants.

In-Office Promotions

Display promotional materials throughout your office—posters, flyers, videos, and before-and-after photos. Place these in high-visibility areas like the waiting room, in front of dental chairs, at the front desk, in hallways, and even restrooms.

Consider offering patients a patient rewards program like The Smile Club.

Patient Engagement

Encourage your patients of record to follow your practice on social media. Post informative videos, patient testimonials, plus, before-and-after photos. Always include a compelling offer such as The Smile Club where patients receive free whitening pens.

Give patients a reason to keep their dental appointments. Make dental appointments fun, not dreadful.

Team Training

Ensure your employees are well-informed about the cosmetic services you offer so they can educate patients effectively. Consider scheduling “lunch & learns” and implement consistent training with your team. Get everyone on your team, the same page.

It takes a patient 7 times to hear something new like information about ‘Gum disease and gum treatment.” Break down the words you use into words your patients easily understand. Understand your patients values and know how to attach a benefit to their values or objections.

Use words such as gum disease over periodontal disease. Explain they have infection, inflammation, a hole in their tooth or bleeding gums.

Consider scheduling a team training to elevate your cosmetic case acceptance. Your hygiene department is key to successfully getting patients to “YES!” and boost cosmetic cases.

New Patients

While marketing cosmetic services to new patients can be effective, it can also be costly and tricky. Using Google ads, targeted social media ads, implant marketing funnels, and direct mail can be expensive.

There are effective ways to use your website to attract more new patients looking for cosmetic dentistry such as: Teeth whitening, Invisalign, and implants, etc.

Reach out to us and ask for our template to use on your website – proven to attract more new patients.

Keys to Successful Marketing of Cosmetic Services

1. Manage and Track New Patient Leads

How you manage new patient leads is crucial. Make sure your front office employees promptly and repeatedly follow up with online form submissions and phone calls from potential new patients. Train your team to handle these calls effectively, and use call recording systems to monitor and improve performance.

2. Invest in Training

Never cut corners or expenses when building a strong-seamless team. Invest in training your team, consistently optimizing your patient care, services and technology. Ensure the best patient and practice outcomes. Understand your key performance indicators and train your team to drive their specific metrics. Doctor’s job is not to micro-manage but when your team understands what’s expected and how to monitor their expectations everyone stops working so hard!

3. Track and Manage Results Closely

Successful dental practices monitor their progress and growth or lack-of. Track cost per new patient lead, appointment scheduling rates, case acceptance rates, overdue hygiene patients, cancellations, etc, etc.

With our no-cost snapshot we will show you and your team exactly what opportunities lie in from of you and each team member understands their responsibility to drive profitability without working hard.

The doctor and entire team must stay actively involved in your success strategy. Doctor’s role is to inspect what they expect of their employees. We consistently hear that many employees simply do not know what their employer, the dentist, expects of them!

Conclusion

Boost Cosmetic Cases: Focus on reactivating overdue hygiene patients and market your cosmetic services to these existing patients first. When you reactivate many overdue hygiene patients, many will have restorative and cosmetic cases that are unscheduled. Now is your chance to get them scheduled.
Invest Wisely: Be prepared to invest on effective strategies to grow high-value patient services.
Monitor Results: Understand your key performance indicators and Track your progress. Train your team to ensure you have systems in place that will to help you work SMART and stop running on a treadmill.

Implementing these strategies will significantly boost (cosmetic) case acceptance rates, enhance your per patient production, ultimately growing your practice and profitability.

For personalized direction on your practice growth, book a no cost opportunity ZOOM call with us. We’re here for you and want to see you get to your next level of success.

Contact us to grab our Smile Evaluation or Schedule a Team Training so your team knows exactly what’s expected.

Enhancing Dental Patient Loyalty for Dental Practice Success

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

May 22, 2024

Maintaining a dental practice that nurtures patient loyalty entails not only attracting new patients but also implementing strategies to ensure their continued engagement with your services and remain a patient for many years.

Build Patient Loyalty through Exceptional Care

1. Routine Hygiene Appointments: Loyal patients commit to routine preventive care hygiene appointments. They are less likely to call last-minute and cancel their dental appointments. These are patients committed to their total health.

In return, you will experience consistent revenue for your dental practice.

2. Communication: Open lines of communication ensures that new patients can easily find your website, call and/or swiftly schedule their appointment.

Create methods for auto-scheduling, text messages, etc.

3. Less No-Shows: Long-term patients who feel valued are less likely to cancel appointments. These patients rarely fail to show for pre-scheduled hygiene appointments they made many months ago.

Create patients who feel like a VIP.

Patient-centered care, knowing what your patient values and asking them about their smile goals, helps create “long-time patients”and raving fans.

Key Strategies to Enhance Patient Loyalty

To foster patient loyalty effectively, your dental practice must prioritize building strong relationships based on trust and mutual benefit. By providing top-notch customer service, respecting your patients’ time, and delivering exceptional care- patient-centered care, you will earn long-term patients.

Make patients feel like they are a VIP at each dental appointment, make them feel like they are the only patient in the office when they are present for their appointments., Create more raving fans.

Raving fan patients will continue returning to your dental office for a very long time. They rarely miss a scheduled dental appointment.

Raving fans share how great your dental office is with their family, friends and colleagues. In return, this helps build your new patient numbers.

What have you done today to make your patients feel enthusiastic about being a patient in your dental practice?

Visualize Patient Loyalty in Action

Imagine, one year ago you diagnosed necessary treatment to your patient and this patient left their dental appointment saying, “Let me think about it.”

Today, your patients bright smile and the resounding “YES, I want to pay and schedule.” reflects your hygienists’ motivational communication skills and also your dental practice’s exceptional patient-centered care with a VIP appointment process.

How different do you feel knowing more patients keep their dental appointments and they accept your care more easily?

When patients actually enjoy their dental appointments and feel valued, your dental practice experiences consistent revenue growth and a 5-start reputation.

What can you do differently to receive more “YES’s!” from those patients who have outstanding treatment plans.

How can you have more patients look forward to their dental appointments?

Let’s flip the dread and anxiety of dental appointments into excitement for a great experience in your dental office.

Yes, this can be how your patients view dental appointments in your office!

*Keep reading for the answer below.

The Business Aspect of Patient Loyalty

While patient satisfaction is paramount, it also impacts your dental practice’s financial health. Investing heavily in acquiring new patients becomes counterproductive if a significant percentage of patients never return.

What is the lifetime value of a patient in your dental practice?

Imagine how much time and money you invest to have a new patient schedule their 1st appointment.

What can you do to keep patients returning to your dental practice for many years?

There is a proven strategy.

The Answer. The Proven Strategy: Patient Loyalty

Enhancing patient loyalty directly translates to improved retention rates and an increase in the lifetime value for each patient. Prioritize patient satisfaction and engagement and watch your revenue grow consistently.

Motivate patients to consistently return to your dental office for their preventive care and any dental needs.

Let’s get patients excited about returning to preventive care appointments.

There is a way to do this!

Creating Patient Loyalty Will:

New patient numbers grow
Reduce cancellations
Increase payment for scheduled cosmetic cases
Increase per-patient production (Imagine $100-$500 more net hygiene patient production)
And more

Conclusion

Focus on patient loyalty through exceptional, individualized, patient-centered care, motivational communication, a great patient experience, and watch your dental practice grow for many years to come.

Embrace solutions like the Celebrity Smiles Club to enhance the patient experience, creating raving fans, which results in a thriving dental practice for many years.

*Curious about how the Celebrity Smiles Club Growth Strategy will build patient loyalty and more?

BOOK a quick call and find out how this patient rewards – loyalty system will:

grow new patient numbers,
boost cosmetic cases,
increase per-patient hygiene appointment production,
reduce cancellations,
and much more.

The Smile Club: Enhanced Patient Care and Dental Practice Growth

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

February 27, 2024

Ensuring a healthy, beautiful smile is not just about routine dental hygiene appointments; it’s about fostering lasting relationships between patients and dental care providers. At Dental Practice Solutions, we’re committed to revolutionizing the way patients experience dental care through our innovative Smile Club patient loyalty program.

The Smile Club isn’t just another patient membership program but it’s a gateway to a comprehensive dental experience designed to benefit both patients and dental practices alike. Let’s delve into how The Smile Club can transform your dental practice into a thriving business and elevate your patient care.

Less Last-Minute Cancellations

Last-minute cancellations not only disrupt your schedule but also the efficiency of your dental practices. Implementing The Smile Club, less open holes in your schedule. Members ofThe Smile Club agree to 1. Pre-schedule their future hygiene appointments and, 2. They agree to call during business hours 72 hours in advance when they do need to change an appointment.

In return patients receive one free whitening pen at their routine hygiene appointment and a discount on all other whitening products they may buy.

This proactive approach not only reduces the occurrence of cancellations but also fosters a sense of accountability and mutual respect between patients and dental professionals. Your patients are most likely looking for a way to brighten their smile so why not accommodate this desire by offering teeth whitening products as an incentive.

More Hygiene Appointments Scheduled

Maintaining optimal oral hygiene is paramount to preserving the health and appearance of your smile. Patients who become members of The Smile Club are prioritizing preventive care, which minimizes the need for invasive restorative procedures in the future.

Your patients enrolled in The Smile Club feel like a VIP. These are patients who feel loyalty to your dental practice. They are happy to be a part of your dental family. Happy patients remain patients for many years. Happy patients refer their friends and family to your office.

More Cosmetic Cases

Your patients’ smile is their signature, and as a provider of The Smile Club, you have an opportunity to understand your patient’s smile desires. A 1st step to helping your patients enroll in The Smile Club is having every new patient complete a Smile Evaluation. Every adult patient should also complete the Smile Evaluation annually.

Seldom does anyone see their dentist and they are asked, for example: “Mr. Jones, What is one thing you want to change about your smile?” Do you offer a smile evaluation to each patient so you understand their smile desire?

Usually, offices “think” they are too busy to “ask” patients what they would like their smile to look like.

Let’s flip this negative connotation of “My dentist always finds something!” or “It costs a lot of money every time I see my dentist!” into a positive experience where patients enjoy coming to your dental office.

“Let’s make dental appointments a pleasure not a pain!”

In addition to these tangible benefits, when your patients join The Smile Club they become part of a supportive community dedicated to promoting oral health and overall well-being. Your proactive approach gives patients a special feeling like you care about them as a person and not just a tooth or a way to make money! How many times do patients “think” doctor is funding their next vacation home or European vacation?!

Use The Smile Club as a way to help patients take control of their total health and embrace the transformative power of a beautiful smile.

At Dental Practice Solutions, we believe that every smile has the potential to light up the world.

Benefits of The Smile Club:

Grows New Patient Numbers
Builds Loyal Patients
Reduces Last-Minute Cancellations
BOOSTS Cosmetic Cases
Adds a 70k + Net Profit Annually (No additional patients or overhead!)
More Teeth Whitening Services Without the Chair time

*Let us show you how to grow your dental practice at least 70k this year without working more days, see more patients or increase your overhead!

Book a call today or inquire about The Smile Club.

Exploring the Essence of Complete Health Dentistry

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

February 7, 2024

Complete Health Dentistry, though often under the radar, is one way to grow new patient appointments for your dental practice. Patients who understand you are treating their total health and not just a tooth are most likely to feel a sense of urgency when scheduling for dental care. These are the patients who have a strong commitment to their dentist.

Patients who embrace Complete Health Dentistry choose a specific dental office because they understand these dental professionals (Dentist- owner and the entire team) are in the business of helping them live a longer and healthier life!

Today’s dentistry must include the patients’ total health. Dentistry in our world today intertwines oral health with holistic well-being, transcending the mere treatment of teeth to encompass our patients’ total well-being.

Complete Health Dentistry embodies robust dental care with an all-inclusive approach to patient care. It transcends mere cavity checks and cleaning teeth to delve into lifestyle factors like systemic diseass, medications, supplements, nutrition, sleep patterns, and stress levels, etc, etc. Dentistry has moved from treating a tooth and “cleaning teeth” to a whole body approach.

This holistic approach goes beyond the routine dental appointment. For example when a patient presents with gingivitis, discussions extend beyond brushing techniques to encompass medications, health – disase history, family history, dietary habits, hydration levels, and stress-induced acidity. The patients appointment will include a discussion about systemic diseases associated with oral inflammation. These patients who seek Complete Health Dentistry, understand the consequences of untreated oral inflammation and disease.

The Complete Health Dentistry paradigm shift redefines the dentist-patient and dental hygienist-patient interaction, starting from the initial consultation, medical history review, a list of medications, systemic disease, heart attack, stroke, Crohns disease, etc. Today’s dentistry is about understanding the patients total health. Treatment diagnosis, recommendations, and specific products, all align with the patients total health.

Complete Health Dentistry includes evaluating saliva acidity, pH levels, and microbial analysis under the microscope. These are services and assessments crucial for understanding oral-systemic health connections.

Patient education plays a pivotal role in this paradigm. By elucidating how oral health influences systemic well-being, dental professionals empower patients to make informed choices. Discussions on how oral bacteria affect our systemic health, coupled with microscopic insights, foster patient engagement and accountability. In today’s world of dentistry we talk to our patients about inflammation and how oral inflammation can lead to other systemic diseases. We are treating the patients total health not just a tooth.

We explain oral inflammation in a way that helps our patient “own their disease” and want what they need.

Communication of health-related information and inspiring behavior change reinforces this partnership with our patients. Patients who understand this complete health module will heed our advise, make behavior changes and or maintain health journals, fostering a proactive approach to wellness. In this sense, dentists and dental hygienists transform into complete health coaches.

The choice of dental materials is pivotal. The importance of biocompatibility, considering patients’ varying sensitivities becomes paramount. Understanding our patients sensitivities to specific ingredients will guide our selection of the dental materials we use when treating our patients. Post-procedure following these protocols provides a more holistic approach that supports each patient’s individual health needs.

As a dental hygienist, I understand that many patients have a specific sensitivity to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. In this situation I have a list of recommended home care products that do not have this ingredient.

Among biocompatible composites, VOCO’s Admira Fusion emerges as a favored choice, backed by extensive patient testing. Its compatibility with diverse patient profiles makes it a reliable option. Using a product with hydroxyapatite or xylitol versus sodium fluoride for caries prevention can be beneficial to your patients and supports many of your patients needs and desires.1, 2

Beyond clinical excellence, Complete Health Dentistry serves as a practice catalyst. Patients appreciate the personalized care and holistic approach, fostering loyalty and positive referrals. Moreover, collaboration with medical professionals enhances patient care and boosts professional satisfaction, enriching the dental practice ecosystem. Elevated patient care leads to happy patients. Happy patients usually renders a thriving practice

In essence, Complete Health Dentistry heralds a new era in dental care, where oral health intertwines seamlessly with overall well-being, empowering patients to embrace a holistic approach to dental wellness.

References.

Register Here for the Biologic Dentistry webinar and February 29, 2024 and learn more about this interesting topic.