Helping Patients Follow-Through: You Can’t Bill What You Don’t Schedule!

When patients have treatment planned during their consultations but don’t get their treatment done, it causes many problems in a dental practice, from worsening treatment results to limiting production opportunities for the dentist. Increasing patient acceptance ratios (the percentage of total treatments prescribed compared to the number completed) not only improves patient outcomes but also makes it easier to maintain a full schedule — and a profitable dental practice.
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Three Major Reasons Why Patients Don’t Follow-Through 

• Lack of perceived urgency, either because of misunderstanding the condition or a lack of symptoms.
• Unfamiliarity with the treatment process, especially for patients with dental anxiety.
• Cost of the treatment and patient’s inability to pay in-full.

Improving Patient Follow-Through

Provide Comprehensive Treatment Explanations 
Choose effective language when counseling patients. Use terms patients can relate to, and emphasize the risks associated with postponing treatment. Encourage the dental staff to take their time when discussing patient concerns. Talk nervous patients through the entire treatment process, and always give openings for patients to ask their own questions.

Follow Up with Patients
Proactively contacting patients helps them understand the importance of the treatment and shows that the dentist really cares. Additionally, reaching out to unscheduled patients demonstrates reliability and professionalism, increasing their confidence in the care they’ll receive. Additionally, following-up on unscheduled treatment can help fill gaps in the dentist’s schedule, improving efficiency and revenue.
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Offer Financing Options
​Endodontic treatment can cost a pretty penny, which can cause financial difficulty. But with managing dental insurance companies, dental claims, patient statements, and offering in-house financing can feel like too much work for a dental practice. But they don't have to figure out financing options alone! SB Dental Solutions will bill patient portions, manage patient payment installments, and offer additional repayment options. These options often enable patients to complete otherwise cost-prohibitive procedures, which benefits both the patient and the dentist.