The patient recall is one of the key factors to the profitability and success of your dental practice. Sadly, getting your patients to schedule their appointment and keep it is usually easier said than done. For most people, a trip to the dentist is never a desirable experience. However, maintaining regular appointments is a critical step to help patients achieve consistently and quality dental health.
Below are some points to consider on how to get patients to schedule dental treatment:
Schedule Dental Treatment While Your Patients are Still in Your Office
Once a patient comes in for a dental appointment, make it a point to book their next schedule before they go out the door. It is most likely for them to book while they are in the office than once they left, wherein there is a possibility that they will forget about it or ignore your calls altogether.
When a patient schedules their appointment while in the office, see to it that you inform them that they can reschedule later on as needed. This way, the step feels less final to help the patient more at ease as well. Make sure that you follow up with your patients when they leave first without booking. However, make sure you don’t come off as pushy.
Offer an Option for Online Scheduling
Nothing beats convenience for patients, and this is among the main reasons why they decide to choose a particular dental practice instead of another. The process of scheduling their dental appointment must be as easy and seamless as possible for them. Offering patients the power of scheduling their appointments on their own is an outstanding way of giving them this simplicity.
Many people would rather avoid phone calls if they got the chance. This online self-scheduling not only provides this benefit but also cuts back the time that your team spent on the phone in the past trying to schedule patient appointments while freeing up their time for more essential tasks.
Ensure Your Patients Know the Reason for Their Appointment
Giving a clear explanation of the treatment to your patients and the reasons why they need to come back is a must. Patients who come back for teeth cleaning will feel more eager than those who need to return for more intensive procedures. However, everything must be clearly explained as to why they are visiting your dental office in the first place.
The following can improve if you educate your patients of the reason for their dental visit:
- Their comfort with your dental practice and their dental treatment plan
- Their level of trust in your dental practice
- Their likelihood of having their next appointment schedule without you asking
The main objective here is to let your patients see your genuine care about them and their oral health. It will motivate them to return.
Send Out Reminders
Dental appointments are usually scheduled months ahead and tend to be quickly set aside because of other scheduling priorities. By sending out reminders that lead to the appointment without coming off as annoying, it will keep their schedule on top of their mind to ensure that it won’t be forgotten.
Remember these tips on how to get patients to schedule dental treatment to achieve the goals of your practice.