Optimizing your practice schedule is important for streamlining your daily operations and fostering a profitable business while caring for your patients. The goal is to maintain a productive schedule that will also allow for organic growth. This is an important topic in dentistry, and this article is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all options and potential strategies. Please use these suggestions as a guide to help your practice schedule for success.
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Downloadable form: Email template for scheduling
Build a template
Plan with the dentist and/or owner to determine what their ideal schedule looks like. Keep the ideal schedule template simple and easy to understand, but put some thought into how you design it. For example, if the dentist is in the middle of a large procedure, it wouldn’t be efficient to have them leave constantly for little follow-ups or a new patient, which would require their full attention.
It’s recommended to schedule high-production visits (crowns, bridges, implants, complex cases, etc.) in the morning and keep shorter visits afterward. Besides the energy required from the dentist, the other main idea behind this strategy is that if the schedule falls apart, you have still met your goal for the day. New patients should be given an appropriate amount of time and probably shouldn’t come in when the dentist will be easily interrupted with other appointments.
Emergencies should also be built into the template at strategic times. Remember that if a patient is truly suffering a dental emergency, they will be willing to come at the times you have available. Do not allow patients to dictate your schedule when it comes to emergencies. Also, try to avoid scheduling emergencies at the very end of the day, since that could easily turn into a procedure requiring the dentist, administrative team, and clinical personnel to all stay late. This will help keep morale in the office high and create respectful boundaries for you and your team.
If your dental software allows it, color-code and pre-block the template. This will help guide your team members on how to effectively schedule patients and create a smooth day for everyone. The template should be outlined in the standard operating procedures and all team members should be trained on how to use it, especially new team members during their onboarding process.
Schedule (reliable) hygiene patients in advance
You should be scheduling your hygiene patients upon checkout after each appointment. Preferably, have your hygienist do this, since they have built valuable relationships with their patients. This will allow patients to value their appointments more and be able to get onto your schedule at a time they will likely keep. For the patients who say they will call you back to schedule or that they do not know their calendar, try to encourage them to schedule something tentatively. Remind them that your practice is typically booked out for several months, so it’s in their best interest to get on the calendar early.
It is not recommended to pre-schedule patients who constantly cancel last-minute or break appointments for non-emergency reasons. They are taking up valuable time on your practice’s schedule, do not value your time or their appointments, and are in essence preventing your high-value, responsible patients from getting on the schedule. Place these patients on an “on-call basis” and have them call on a day they are free and you can try to get them in if the schedule allows. This will help you protect your schedule and save you the headaches that occur from habitual offenders.
Consider collecting a deposit
For high-production appointments, which are typically blocked for a longer time period on your schedule and during prime times, consider collecting a deposit to schedule the appointment. This deposit should apply to the patient’s copay estimate. This will help the patient value their appointment and will increase the chances that they keep their reserved time, as they have already invested in it.
Communicate effectively and proactively
When a patient reserves time on the schedule, let them know up front that appointments are considered confirmed upon scheduling. It is even better if this is communicated during the new-patient phone call and stays consistent during their time as a patient at your practice. Request a suitable amount of notice if they need to make changes to the appointment (after all, unexpected things do come up,) and still notify the patient to be sure to schedule at a time they are most likely to be able to come.
Also, set up your patient communication software to remind patients of their appointments at set intervals so they will receive appointment reminders. A combination of text and email reminders work well. Space reminders out and be mindful of how many they will be receiving and the time of day. If a patient does not use email or text, mark their account to get a personal phone call. This will help you cover all the bases so your schedule stays full.
Keep an active priority/ASAP list
It is inevitable that life will not go as planned and your practice will find itself with a last-minute cancellation to fill. Set yourself up to be prepared for the unexpected to help limit stress when this occurs. When scheduling patients, ask them if they would like to be placed on your priority list so you can contact them if something becomes available. This works extremely well for hygiene appointments, appointments patients need ASAP (e.g., extractions due to pain, crowns, root canals, whitening, fillings, etc.), and new patients who are eager to begin care. Utilize your practice software to keep this list and be as specific as possible. For example, if a patient is only available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can save time by knowing this ahead and not contacting them about a Thursday availability. If your software contacts the patients for you, then even better!
Greater efficiency through scheduling
Scheduling for success is vitally important to running a dental practice. By planning in advance and being intentional with your schedule, it will optimize and streamline your patient flow and you’ll be able to run a more efficient practice. Your team will be less stressed because you will have prepared for unexpected issues and have ready-made solutions available. Hopefully you’ll be more productive, profitable, and organized by implementing some or all of the suggestions outlined above. Happy scheduling!
Lan Alexander, BS, DAADOM, has a BS in behavioral neuroscience, and her passions include creating a fulfilling work culture and providing exemplary service to patients. She has been a national AADOM member since 2017, also serving as vice president of the Boston chapter. Lan received her FAADOM designation in 2019, her MAADOM in 2022, and her DAADOM in 2023. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband, watching movies, exploring new restaurants, playing board games, and going on walks.
