Dental Restorative Scheduling Barriers Include Time
Dental restorative scheduling barriers pop up as we schedule our patients. Time is often a big consideration. It is understandable.
People have busy lives. And the dental office offers care during their work hours too. So, how do we best manage this? We ask our patients what dates and times work best for them. And then we work to make it so.
Restorative Scheduling Tips
Complete as much treatment as we can in one visit. Offer same day dentistry whenever possible. And ask our patient if they are available for schedule changes.
Work to get our patient in as soon as we possibly can. And avoid long delays in completing dental treatment. The less time between scheduling and the appointment the better.
Offer Special Appointment Times
Consider an early morning time for specific patients. Those who absolutely cannot make their schedule work with yours. Or perhaps a day of the week for late evening patient care.
Perhaps a Saturday morning as well. And make one slight change. Payment is required to reserve these special times at the time of scheduling.
No-Show Management
Require payment in advance to prevent a “no show”. And then ask the patient to call the dentist’s cell phone directly to confirm. Explain this is a special time reserved just for this patient.
It’s okay to let them know that it’s a very special consideration. And that the team is committed to help the patient complete their needed dental treatment.
Financial Barriers for Dental Appointments
Money is another frequent barrier to dental treatment. Offer a variety of options for patients. A small discount for treatment paid in full at scheduling is a huge motivator.
Even if a patient has dental insurance. The practice can bill the insurance and ask the insurance to send the benefit check to the patient for out-of-network or private indemnity plans.
Dental Restorative Scheduling Barriers For Insured Patients
This is also a great practice for patients who exhaust their yearly benefits. And for treatment that is beyond or outside insurance benefit considerations. Or offer to apply recent charges to their restorative care.
For example, a patient has had a full series of x-rays and comprehensive exam. To help the patient step into a treatment plan, offer to discount their service for the amount of the exam and x-rays.