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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.

Posted in Cancellations, Dental Hygiene Patients, Recare System

The Smile Club: Enhanced Patient Care and Dental Practice Growth

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

February 27, 2024

Teeth Whitening Mrs Arizona America

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:

  1. Grows New Patient Numbers
  2. Builds Loyal Patients
  3. Reduces Last-Minute Cancellations
  4. BOOSTS Cosmetic Cases
  5. Adds a 70k + Net Profit Annually (No additional patients or overhead!)
  6. 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. 

Posted in Business of Dentistry, Cancellations, Continuing Care, Dental Hygiene Appointment, Dental Hygiene Coaching, Dental Hygiene Department, Dental Hygiene Department Services, Dental Hygiene Patients, Dental Hygiene Services, Dental Hygiene Services, Dental Hygiene Treatment, Dental Patient

Effective Strategies for Dental Hygiene Patient Reactivation and Retention

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

August 31, 2023

Patient appointments. Dental Hygiene Patient Reactivation

Maintaining a steady stream of patients is crucial for any dental practice’s success. One of the most valuable segments of your patient base is those seeking dental hygiene services. 

This blog will guide you through effective strategies to reactivate and retain dental hygiene patients, ensuring the growth and profitability of your practice.

  1. 1. Segment Your Patient List: Start by segmenting your patient list into different categories, such as active, inactive, and overdue patients. This will help you find the best patients to contact first.
  2. Personalized Communication: First begin with a personal phone call to the patients best contact phone number.
  • When patients don’t answer your phone call (Which happens often!) do leave a very brief message with your name and office phone number.
    • Your message will sound something like this:
      • “Hello (Patient Name), This is Angie calling from ABC Smiles about your dental appointment, please give me a call back at (Your office #). Thank you and have a great day!
    • Why this brief message?
      • Your goal is to get patients to return your call and #2 is HIPAA compliance. You don’t want to leave any personal information.
    • Next is to text patients who have not answered their phone.
      • People are most likely to see a text message faster than listen to a voicemail message.
    • Your text message will appear like this:
      • Hello (Patient Name), please contact our office at your earliest convenience. We miss you and hope to talk to you soon. Then sign your office information and include your office phone number.
  • When patients don’t respond to your text message do send an email. In your email you should send content that is valuable.
    • It works well to send video content. Possibly a video created by the dental hygienist talking about why preventive care is important and then add a message to click a link and call to schedule their hygiene appointment.
    • If you have patients who need to schedule for gum treatment find a video message (find this inside your patient engagement software) and add this to your email. 
      • In the subject line be sure to add [Video] and a few more words that you believe add value to your patients so they will call and schedule their appointment.
    • If you are open to having patients schedule online it will work well for hygiene preventive care appointments to click and schedule.
      • Be sure you have blocked out hygiene appointments that are specific to preventive care on your hygiene schedule.
  • If all else fails, send a letter to the patient with a place where they can check off why they are not scheduling and enclose a SASE so they can send back a reason why they are not scheduling. Inside your letter have them let you know (add a checklist so they can easily respond) they won’t be returning to your office.
    • This has worked well for patients who are overdue by 18 months or more. Some patients will call your office immediately and let you know the exact reason they are not scheduling. 
    • Many patients will tell you they want their records transferred. This is a great way to eliminate patients in your database that won’t be coming back. Edit these patients and mark them as inactive.
  1. Send Reminders and Offers: Utilize email and SMS reminders for upcoming dental hygiene appointments. Offer special discounts or promotions to incentivize patients to return. Limited-time offers can create a sense of urgency.

This one thing has worked very well to keep patients on your schedule. The entire system helps to add more new patients and will grow your cosmetic cases. To learn more about this, I have added a link at the end of this blog so you can learn more.

  1. Social Media Engagement: Use your practice’s social media platforms to engage with patients. Share oral hygiene tips, success stories, and showcase your team. Share specific incentives here. Encourage patients to follow your accounts for updates and useful information.
  2. Educational Content: Create blog posts or videos about the importance of regular dental hygiene – preventive care visits. Address common concerns and dispel myths. Educated patients are more likely to prioritize their oral health.
  3. Loyalty Programs: Implement a loyalty program where patients earn rewards for consistent hygiene visits. Rewards can range from discounts on future visits to free dental products. Check that link at the end of this blog to learn more about this ONE THING,
  4. Surveys for Feedback: Send out surveys to understand patient preferences and areas for improvement. Use their feedback to enhance the patient experience and show that you value their opinions. Ask patients to give you 5 Star Google Reviews. This will help you with SEO and more new patients will find your office.
  5. Flexible Scheduling: Offer flexible appointment scheduling options, including evenings and weekends. This can accommodate patients with busy schedules, making it easier for them to commit to regular visits. If you’re a new office you will do well if you offer evening and weekend appointments.
  6. Telehealth Consultations: Introduce virtual consultations for dental hygiene advice and quick check-ins. This can foster a sense of care and accessibility, encouraging patients to stay connected.

They say there is a big economic decline ahead of us. We don’t want to run business around fear but there are so many valuable ways to use Telehealth Consultations and in the One Thing (See link below) you can use this via Telehealth appointments.

  1. Showcase Patient Results: With patient consent, share before-and-after photos showcasing the positive outcomes of regular dental hygiene visits. This visual evidence can motivate patients to maintain their oral health. Share these on your social media posts and also have a portfolio on a coffee table in your office to show off case studies and your awesome dentistry!
  2. Stay Updated with Technology: Invest in dental technology that enhances the patient experience, such as digital records, online appointment booking, and chairside education tools. We recommend various apps such as Dental intel to track KPI’s and help the team drive your productivity.

We also recommend patient engagement videos to easily send emails with videos and sms messages. See our list of recommendations at the end of this blog.

  1. Create a Referral Program: Encourage current patients to refer friends and family by offering referral rewards. Word-of-mouth recommendations can significantly boost patient acquisition.

Conclusion.

Reactivating and retaining dental hygiene patients requires a combination of personalized communication, engaging content, and strategic initiatives. By implementing these strategies, you can strengthen patient relationships, foster loyalty, and ensure the long-term profitability of your dental practice. 

Remember, a healthy patient-dental practice relationship is built on trust, excellent care, and consistent communication.

Resources.

1.Dental Intel. #1 ranked KPI System. Please contact us here for a discount and One Free Month. In your message write: Dental Intel Info

2. Patient Engagement. Click here and find out more about this #1 rated system

3. Discover your hygiene departments true potential. Schedule Here

Posted in Dental Hygiene Appointment, Dental Hygiene Patients, Dental Hygiene Recare, Dental Hygiene Services, Dental Hygiene Treatment, Dental Marketing, Hygiene Appointment Reactivation

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