Patient loyalty is immensely valuable for dental practices, as it determines the success of a practice. Providing high-quality and affordable oral care is not enough to attract new patients and retain existing ones. As today’s patients not only expect quality care, they also expect information transparency, convenient location, quick appointments, customized treatment options, insurance coverage, and friendly dental staff.

You need to put in every effort and think outside of the box to please your patients and make their experience comfortable and satisfactory.

Here are a few ways that will help to maximize your patients’ loyalty:

1. Make Appointment Scheduling Easier

Make it easier for your patients to schedule appointments either online or by phone. Also, send an appointment confirmation or reminder message to your patients through an email, text, or call. This will help them be on-time, reducing late arrivals, last-minute cancellations, or no shows.

2. Reactivate Dormant Patients

You can increase your revenue and productivity by reactivating dormant patients. However, checking through the patient charts to see who has not visited recently and then contacting them can take more time. Use software that automatically contacts dormant patients, and encourage them to schedule an appointment with you.

3. Add New Patient Forms to Your Website

Include new patient forms available for download on your website. This will help new patients to complete the form prior to their appointment. Also, they can prepare in advance and spend less time in your office, reducing wait times for other patients.

4. Personalize Patient Communication

Patient communication is the key to maximize your practice’s efficiency and productivity, but make sure to personalize it. Greet your patients, help them understand your treatment and services, keep them informed about your insurance coverage options, ask them about their experience, and thank them for visiting your practice.

You can also use patient communication tools to text patients from your dashboard, initiate two-way communication, and send birthday greetings and customized messages based on their interests. These small gestures can make a big difference and can strengthen your relationship with your patients.

5. Keep Your Waiting Room Comfortable

The atmosphere in your waiting room can impact what your patients think about your practice and whether they will return. Make sure your waiting room is clean and includes Wi-Fi connection, comfortable seating, and entertainment like a TV, magazines, or an aquarium. These will keep your patients engaged and will show you are concerned about them while they wait.

6. Request Feedback from Patients

Ask feedback from patients at the end of the visit. You can ask them whether they are satisfied with your treatment or have any complaints. This will help you implement the improvements that your patients expect. For example, if they expect extended working hours during the week or weekend, you can analyze the possibility of being available beyond your standard working hours and act accordingly.

7. Create a Loyalty Program

Reward your regular patients with a loyalty program. You can offer them discounts on medication, VIP membership cards, access to valuable resources that help improve their oral health, free parking, and other rewards that encourage your patients to keep coming back to you.

Investing a small amount of time and care can have a big impact on improving your patients’ loyalty toward your dental practice. Following these seven ways can keep your patients satisfied and coming back to you.

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