Dental Patient Hygiene Scripts Every Day
Dental patient hygiene scripts support our dental team members. And many of our dental conversations from day to day are pretty much the same. Although we may speak with different patients each day, we talk about the same types of things. This is especially true in administrative roles. At the dental front office we make appointments. We also discuss payment and collect money. And we reschedule appointments and fill open times each day.
Therefore, we want to script these basic daily conversations. And train everyone on our dental teams how to use our patient scripts well. Add a little of our own personality for flair. And then focus on our eye contact, tone, and body language. With the use of strong scripts, we see better daily hygiene schedules. And we can trust that the entire team can handle the daily hygiene challenges and conversations with confidence.
Hygiene Schedule Management Tools
Dental Patient Hygiene Scripts In Scheduling
We want to take control in our hygiene conversations. When we make an appointment, ask if our patient prefers morning or afternoon. Follow that up with their preference for the day of the week. And does our patient prefer a specific hygienist? We also want to know how flexible their schedules are. And is our patient available for other appointment options as well? The more information we can gather about our patient and their schedules, the better!
Dental patient hygiene scripts include conversations about money. It’s always best to have these discussions when we schedule an appointment. And to let our patients know what their estimated out-of-pocket expenses will be at their scheduled appointment. Because we never want to surprise our patients. And we avoid words like “insurance coverage”. But rather, say “insurance benefits” to help eliminate any misunderstandings.
Dental Patient Hygiene Scripts: Reschedule Policy
Many dental practices struggle through their reschedule policy. First and foremost, remove the phrase “it’s our policy”. Right away we set ourselves up for conflict and create division. Instead, let’s get our patients on our side. And even get a commitment from them. We can do this simply by using strong communication skills. And ask if they can please provide us with 2 business days’ notice should they need to reschedule (or whatever your policy is).
A secret trick? Allow a little pause as you request your patient’s compliance in a reschedule event. Give your patient time to respond and to assure you that they will call you with the requested notice to reschedule. Then even if they do need to reschedule short notice, this is a conversation they remember. And it all unfolds so much differently.
Schedule Changes
We will always see short notice reschedules in our dental offices. Life is unpredictable and always changing. It’s just the name of the game. And when we remain flexible, and have a plan, we are all happier. Because we know what to do. But we want to avoid words like “cancellation” or “holes” when we talk about our open appointment times. We do well to talk about “schedule changes”. Especially when speaking with patients.
Habits are hard to break. So, let’s start by talking differently within our team conversations. And we’ll find that soon our patient conversations begin to change too. The more positive our words and attitudes, the more positive the outcome. It too, is just the name of the game. Our actions and our words lead to our outcome. If you are in need of additional support or training in your practice or for yourself, please know I am here for you!
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