Dental Hygiene Patients | Dental Practice Solutions

Enhancing Dental Practice Productivity: The Key to Reactivating Patients

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

July 9, 2024

One of the most direct methods to enhance productivity within a dental practice is through the reactivation of overdue or inactive hygiene patients, effectively bringing them back into the fold of routine dental hygiene appointments.

At Dental Practice Solutions, we understand the immense value of reconnecting with patients who have previously engaged with your dental practice. These patients already have a rapport with your team and perceive your practice as their trusted dental provider. Moreover, many of them likely have pending treatment needs.

Reactivating these patients not only helps keep a productive schedule but also strengthens patient retention and improves overall practice efficiency.

Continue reading and learn how to enhance your dental practice productivity with the keys to reactivating patients.

Dental Practice Solutions encourages dental offices to have specific ways to bring overdue-unscheduled hygiene patients back to your office. Your reactivation system must be automated so it works behind the scenes while employees complete other productivity tasks.

Only when automated systems do not motivate patients to schedule should you begin making phone calls. And of course, if you have patients that insist you only contact them by a phone call, do use the phone to communicate with these patients. Today’s population uses millions of text messages to communicate, and 90% of text messages are seen quickly, and respond much faster than a phone call or voice message.

Dental Practice Solutions has a Practice Growth System that includes Patient Retention. This is a white glove system that provides dental practices around the world to not only attract more new patients but it can be used to reactivate overdue hygiene patients, plus it will help schedule more cosmetic cases.

Phone Calls to Overdue Hygiene Patients

Most phone calls in our world today never reach the patient. Seldom do people answer a phone call when they don’t recognize the phone number calling. Even when do leave a voice message, that message many times, goes without the patient returning your call……not always but most of them time; isn’t that correct?

A few tips when you do make a phone call to schedule overdue/inactive patients:

Note: Most of our clients use a customized dashboard and we train them how to very easily generate a list of overdue hygiene patients and we can categorize by the type of unscheduled treatment needed (ex: Implants or Restorative $500 or greater), as well as specific insurance types.

Step 1. Generate a list and save this list of overdue hygiene patients who have unscheduled Perio therapy.

Step 2. Generate a list of patients who have been in the office within the last 6-9 months and do not have a next hygiene appointment.

Step 3. Generate a list of patients who haven’t been in the office for a hygiene appointment for 9-18 months.

Step 4. Next, is a list of patients who have unscheduled restorative and already have a next hygiene appointment.

We are now half way through 2024 and it’s important for these patients with insurance benefits to use it or lose it! Now it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and get these patients back on the schedule.

Step 5. Have one team member lead your hygiene patient reactivation system. This team member will support cross-training of the other employees so they can also participate in reactivating overdue hygiene patients and patients with outstanding treatment.

If you have this process automated, it makes this system less time-consuming and simple for the other team members to initiate a text message or email if needed. Make sure you have a specific process which includes your text and email message content as well as when and how often you will text or email your patients before a phone call is initiated or a letter mailed. Mailing a letter is another topic for another day but some we train our clients to do and it has yielded great results!

Use “Engagement” which is connected to the KPI dashboard to set up the various categories of the patients mentioned above. This allows you to easily automate text messages to your patients.

Step 6. When sending text messages make them short, sweet, and to the point. No more than 2 sentences. Make sure your office name and phone number are included in the text message. If you have a scheduling link, include this and make it super simple for patients to get back on the schedule with a click of a button.

If you would like to learn more about this, plan to join our Hygiene Reactivation Power Hour where we walk you through this process and provide implementation tools. You will also have access to a free snapshot of your hygiene departments untapped potential. When we look at a dental practice, there is always over 100k that is sitting there waiting for you to tap into.

If you never look, you will never know!

When you register for the Power Hour you have access to try out this dental practice system and check out for yourself how this works. Less work, more productivity!

We recommend you always follow-up with patients within 48 hours if they leave your office without a next appointment. As the patient is rushing out your office door make sure you tell them you will be calling or texting them a scheduling link to get them back on the schedule!

Create urgency around preventive care and saving money. Whatever you know is a possible objection to scheduling care, speak to that potential objection!

Example: “Mrs. Jones, I know money is a concern and it can potentially cost more if you leave the tooth untreated. Is tomorrow at 10 AM a good time to call and get you scheduled?

No? Ok, how about I text you a link and when you click that link? Now you can choose a day and time that works best. Does that work for you if I text that link to you?

Awesome! We will see you soon and get that hole taken care of before it causes more problems and costs you. more money! See you soon.”

We cover all of this information during the dental power hour, plus, a lot more so please be sure you register.

If you miss the date for our Hygiene Reactivation Power Hour plan to book a workshop for your office to learn and implement this important information.

You can contact us here to book a discovery call to find out more about a workshop or more that we offer.

Keep your back door closed and an additional 100k+ to your practices’ bottom line!

Dental Patient Loyalty: Leveraging Your Existing Patients for Dental Practice Growth

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

January 8, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of the dental industry, where competition is fierce and overhead costs continue to rise, finding innovative ways to grow your practice without breaking the bank is essential.

One often-overlooked strategy is to harness the potential of your existing patients, transforming them into loyal advocates and referral sources. By focusing on patient satisfaction, building trust, and utilizing routine dental hygiene appointments, you can not only retain your current patient base but also turn them into invaluable assets for the growth of your dental practice.

The cornerstone of patient loyalty lies in the quality of service provided. Exceptional dental care is not just about fixing teeth; it’s about creating an experience that exceeds expectations.

From the moment a patient walks through the door to the time they leave, every interaction should be marked by professionalism, empathy, and a commitment to their well-being. A satisfied patient is not only more likely to return but is also more inclined to share their positive experience with others.

One integral aspect of dental care that plays a pivotal role in patient satisfaction is the dental hygiene appointment. Regular preventive care appointments with the dental hygienist are not just about cleaning teeth; they are an opportunity to establish a strong connection with the patient.

Most patients visit their hygienist at least twice a year, providing a consistent touchpoint for building trust and rapport. During these appointments, hygienists can assess for any abnormalities and prevent disease.

This is a perfect time to educate patients on oral health and the relationship it plays in our total health. This is a time to ask about the patient’s smile goals. It’s a time to address the patient’s concerns, and reinforce the importance of routine preventive care.

To leverage the dental hygiene appointment for practice growth, it’s crucial to enhance the patient experience during these routine preventive care visits. Creating a comfortable and welcoming environment, personalized care plans, and effective communication can go a long way in making these appointments memorable.

When patients leave with a positive impression, they are more likely to view their entire dental experience in a favorable light.

Follow-up communication is another key component in solidifying patient loyalty. This can include monthly emails, phone calls when patients have unscheduled hygiene appointments and restorative care.

It’s also helpful to engage with your patients through social media; Facebook and Instagram posts. Use this as a way to show how much you value their well-being beyond sitting in your dental chair. Use these methods and patient engagement systems (Examples: NexHealth, SolutionReach, etc.) to gather feedback, share special information about your office, and express gratitude for their continued trust in your dental practice.

Sending birthday messages via videos (Ask us how to create one video you can send via text/email to all patients) and email is a great way to WOW your patients! This is a secret tip that is proven to have a lot of new patients call and schedule. Book a quick call below and I’ll tell you how to quickly create this.

Building a referral system is a natural progression from satisfied and loyal patients. Encourage your patients to refer friends, family, and colleagues by emphasizing the benefits of your practice. Using the Smile Club, loyalty program is a great way to create buzz around your dental office. Word-of-mouth recommendations carry significant weight in the dental industry, as potential patients often rely on the experiences of those they trust.

Consider implementing a referral program that rewards both the existing client and the referred patient. This can range from discounts on future treatments to small tokens of appreciation. By incentivizing referrals, you not only express gratitude to your loyal clients but also motivate them to actively promote your practice.

In conclusion, leveraging your existing patients is a cost-effective and powerful strategy for growing your dental practice. By prioritizing patient satisfaction, focusing on the value of dental hygiene appointments, and implementing a robust follow-up and referral system, you can create a thriving practice that not only retains its current patients but also expands its reach through the positive experiences of satisfied patients.

Remember, the key to sustainable growth lies in the relationships you build with your patients – turning them into loyal advocates who contribute to the success of your dental practice.

Book a call and ask us about The Smile Club Loyalty Program.