How ‘Instant Appointments’ Helped a Dental Practice Succeed

I know a dentist who has had significant success in increasing his case acceptance, while providing better and timelier care to his patients, by using one simple little technique.

His secret? Offering surprise “instant appointments” to patients who need treatment.

The scenario goes something like this. In the course of doing a hygiene check, for example, he might say to the patient: “Remember that area of concern we talked about last time with this tooth? I can see it is continuing to deteriorate, and I really think the best option is for you to go ahead with a crown there.”

“Ok,” the patient says. “I guess I better make an appointment to get that dealt with.”

“How about right now?” the doctor will say.

Is this a dentist who just happens to have a lot of down time in his day that he needs to fill? Is it just a coincidence that he has an open spot for that patient at exactly that time? No. It is a simple matter of having awareness for a patient’s needs and using the schedule strategically.

Whenever there is a patient like this, with areas of concern or untreated conditions in the chart, the practice does its best to schedule that person’s next appointment just before lunch or at the end of a day. That way, if the patient is ready to go and accept treatment next time, the doctor is ready to make the offer to proceed right away.

It’s amazing how effective this can be in moving patients forward with treatment. First of all, let’s face it, dental appointments are not most peoples’ idea of fun. Even if they are not painful, they can be an inconvenience to fit into a busy life. Not to mention, this technique is a great way to deal with procrastinators or Event-Driven patients, saying in effect: “You’re here now; let’s just get it done.”

Sure, it might mean a late day at the office or sacrificing a lunch hour for a power bar sometimes, but look at the upside: You’ve got the patient moving forward with the treatment they need (without having to fill a spot in your future schedule), and you have provided them with the ultimate scheduling convenience of not having to schedule at all. That’s the kind of special attention that gets people talking.

(Want more dental practice advice from Imtiaz Manji? Click here for his set of free ebooks on dental practice management!)