I often remind dentists that they are in competition not with other dentists but with all the other discretionary spending choices their patients have. And in that battle for the mindshare and financial considerations of your patients, you have an important advantage: A recare model that practically mandates that they return.

After all, when you buy a new iPad at the Apple store, the person serving you does not ask you to make an appointment to return in six months to assess your electronic product needs. In that way, dentistry has a built-in relationship advantage.

But as with most competitive advantages, it only works if you really use it. Every patient that emerges from the chair either has treatment to be addressed or needs to come back for regular recare.

This means that every patient who leaves your office should walk out with an appointment to return.

This is something you must track and review at each day-end. Are all the patients you saw today appointed for their next visit? If the answer for anyone is no, follow up with these three questions:

  1. Did we try scheduling them? Was the next step unclear in the chart? Did a phone call or other patient distract us? Or did the person just slip out the door before we could get their commitment?
  2. If we did have a conversation, why didn't they appoint? Was it because they didn't have their calendar with them? Were they not prepared to commit to a specific date right now? If so, when will they know? In other words, even the patients who can't commit to an appointment should have an appointment to make an appointment. If they don't, only one question remains ...
  3. Who is going to call the patient this evening? This is not something you should let slide. Give the patient a call while it is fresh in your mind – and in theirs. Get their commitment on when they are coming back, or at the very least, get their commitment on when exactly when you will reconnect to confirm their return.

Your patients are the lifeblood of your business. And it's how adept you are at keeping them coming back that determines the pulse rate of your practice.


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