Few things are more frustrating than holes in the dental hygiene schedule. Betty Hayden shares ideas for some quick fixes for those holes. But if it happens often it's time to figure out why.
Why do we dread holes in the dental hygiene schedule so much? Because unfilled, canceled, or missed appointments all kill the profitability of the dental practice.
So what do you do? You’re probably desperate for a quick fix, right? I’ll help you by sharing some ideas, however, I must say a quick fix is typically just a temporary fix. If holes in the schedule are becoming the norm in your office, you need to figure out why this is happening and work to prevent the hygiene schedule from looking like Swiss cheese every week.
Now on to the ideas for that quick (temporary) fix. Note: if at all possible, avoid moving patient appointments around to fill in gaps because this can aggravate patients. It’s always best to keep appointments as scheduled. Also, this isn’t the time to point fingers and blame others for the holes in the schedule. Work together as a team to fill them. Ideally, the hygienist should be involved in making these calls to patients. Patients are more likely to respond when it’s their beloved hygienist who calls them.
So the ideas I’ll share are directed to the hygiene department with the goal of making them productive, happy, and profitable.
- Call list—Do you have any patients who would like to come in on an earlier date for their hygiene appointment? Call and let them know you have an unexpected change in the schedule and can see them sooner.
- Cancellation/missed appointment list—Do you have any patients on these lists who can be called?
- Family members—Check for other family members due for their hygiene appointment. Is there someone coming in with hygiene who has family members who are also due in hygiene who might want to take one of those open slots?
- Doctor’s schedule—Check the doctor’s schedule for any patients who may be due for their hygiene appointment who are coming in around the same time as the hygiene holes. Invite them to take care of their hygiene appointment at the same time.
- Incentives—Offer an incentive for accepting a last-minute appointment. For example, complimentary fluoride, teeth whitening, a small gift, or gift card. Use your social media platforms to advertise this awesome opportunity.
- Continuing care/past-due list—Get on the phone, and with an enthusiastic and positive tone make some calls to the patients who are due or past due in hygiene. (Vary the times you make these calls. You’ll reach more patients this way.)
- Social media—Engage with your patients, potential patients, and local businesses on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. For ideas, visit social media content.
- Spend more timewith your patients—If you have open time that could not be filled, take this opportunity to discuss better home care tools, update their information and medical history, do some perio charting, talk about cosmetic services, place sealants, apply a desensitizing agent if needed, take impressions for whitening trays, review incomplete treatment, ask if they’ll kindly leave a review on Google, Facebook, or Yelp, or mention how dental gift certificates make great gifts.
Before making any calls, it would be a good idea to check the patient’s account balance, insurance benefits, and review their clinical notes. Also, be sure to document all calls, conversations, and correspondence made with the patient.
If the holes in your schedule are a few weeks away, try these ideas:
- Reactivate patients—Send out “We miss you” letters to patients who haven’t been in for a year or more. Visit Reactivation/ We miss you letter.
- Special offers—Focus on a particular service or group of patients to target with special offers or prizes on a day that has a lot of holes. For example, mouthguards, teeth whitening, sealants, desensitizing agents, bback-to-school, kids’ day, or senior day.
- Themed days—These can include superheroes, luau, barbeque, Disney, and sports.
Despite your best efforts to fill the schedule, you may still end up with some holes that just cannot be filled. That’s alright. There’s plenty to do to stay productive.
ALSO BY BETTY HAYDEN: How your dental practice can make back-to-school fun and profitable
How to successfully collect payment from your dental patients at time of service
During downtime:
- Make continuing care calls.
- Pull an incomplete hygiene treatment report and call, send postcards, emails, texts, or letters to patients.
- Make calls, send emails, postcards, or letters to patients who are due, past due, or almost due in hygiene.
- Thoroughly clean and stock treatment rooms.
- Visit with area businesses. Introduce the practice by taking a small gift and a “let’s get acquainted” special offer.
- Discuss some marketing ideas for the office.
- Take in some continuing education. Watch a webinar or video, or read a manual. Improve your clinical skills, knowledge of new technology and procedures, phone scripting, office protocols, and more.
- Take a tour of the office and look for areas that could use some improvements. Visit First impressions and tips to improve your office for ideas.
I hope these ideas provide you with a quick fix to fill those holes in your schedule. Please let me know how they work for you.
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