Do you ever find yourself suddenly thinking about a patient you diagnosed several weeks ago – the one who agreed to your plan for a quadrant or smile makeover? Whatever happened to her?

Well, she may have said yes to you, but somewhere between the operatory and the front desk that "yes" became a "maybe," so she didn't book an appointment. Eventually, she lost interest in the idea and now she's avoiding her re-care visit because she's still not sure. This scenario occurs far too frequently in dental practices everywhere.

Doctors are fooled by "phantom" case acceptance while patients (and ideal treatment opportunities) are silently slipping away, often lost forever. It's one thing to pursue new patients, but as long as these case opportunities are falling through the cracks, you're taking one step forward and two steps back.

This is where the right strategies are important. Decisions and commitments about clinical care should be made at chairside. This is where value has to be created and where it has to be brought home. In situations where you need support for these large cases, bring the financial coordinator and the appointment coordinator into the operatory. Communicate with them in front of the patient what the patient needs and have them finalize with the patient and appoint it right there. Or after your explanation, the patient can go with them to the consultation room. The main thing is to ensure that the baton is passed correctly so it is not left up to the patient to complete the process.

Patient retention will always be the secret of success in a dental practice. When you can stop the cases you have in your grasp from getting away, that's when you really start to make strides. It's the most fundamental cornerstone of leadership, and it isn't hard to accomplish. It's just a matter of implementing a few key systems to ensure that every patient receives comprehensive value, every patient leaves complete for payment and – most important – every patient leaves with a firm appointment to return.


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Commenter's Profile Image Gerald Benjamin
May 29th, 2013
I actually like when the marginal patient fails to take the next step and schedule a Diagnostic Work Up appointment. My favorite patient is the patient who has a direct resin mockup on the consultation appointment and asks my secretary to help her schedule an appointment with my periodontist for an esthetic crown lengthening consultation. These patients are committed to having treatment. Many others are shopping price and want to name what the fee should be.