Mastering Dental Appointment Reminders: The Key to Retaining Patients and Maximizing Revenue

When considering revenue in dental practices, there’s often a strong focus on attracting new patients, sometimes at the expense of existing ones. However, it’s crucial to recognize that over 80% of your revenue comes from repeat patients.

Ensuring that patients stay up-to-date with their dental appointments and hygiene check-ups not only helps boost your practice’s revenue but also guarantees top-notch patient care. Implementing appointment reminders is a key strategy to keep patients engaged and ensure they don’t miss their visits. This creates a mutually beneficial situation for both your practice and your patients.

Appointment reminder text message

At MaxAssist, we specialize in patient retention strategies and frequently receive inquiries about the best methods to encourage patients to return for their appointments. One of the most effective methods is implementing and maintaining an appointment reminder system. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of dental appointment reminders and highlight the optimal timing for sending them to ensure maximum patient recall.

Why Send Appointment Reminders?

1. Maximize Revenue and Patient Retention

The primary reason to send patient appointment reminders is to keep your schedule full, maximize your revenue, and retain more patients. Patients lead busy lives, and it’s common for appointments to be forgotten. In fact, 44.8% of appointments are missed due to forgetfulness.

But this is something you can directly impact by implementing an appointment reminder system. By actively reminding patients of their upcoming appointments, you can expect to see attendance rates hit as high as 95%. This leads to better patient retention and maximized revenue.

Additionally, sending appointment reminder texts is a great way to promote your practice. When patients see that you care about their time and health, they’re more likely to recommend your practice to friends and family, driving more referrals.

2. Increase Productivity and Improve Office Culture

Preparing for an appointment takes time and effort from your staff. However, studies show that 42% of patients never make it to their appointments, wasting valuable time and resources.

Missed or canceled appointments can harm your staff’s productivity, and in some cases, lead to longer wait times for patients who are on time for their appointments. By sending appointment reminders, you’ll improve the workflow in your office and enhance your staff’s quality of life at work.

3. Enhance the Patient Experience

While patients value their health, they also highly value their experience at your practice. It’s not enough to manage their health alone; patients want to feel that you are with them every step of the way!

By sending appointment reminders, you show patients that you’re thinking of them and genuinely care about their well-being. This creates a stronger, more meaningful relationship with your patients.

4. More Opportunities to Manage Your Patients’ Health

Appointment reminders can have a domino effect that encourages better overall health management. Reminding patients of their upcoming appointments often serves as a gentle nudge for them to focus more on their oral health, whether that means brushing, flossing, or simply keeping their scheduled appointments.

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS SYSTEM

When Should You Send Appointment Reminders?

Timing Is Key: Research suggests that sending reminders closer to the appointment date, and sending multiple reminders, is more effective than sending just one. One study found that sending a reminder 3 days before the appointment, followed by another reminder 1 day before, yields the best results.

However, it’s crucial to avoid sending reminders too early, as they may be forgotten or ignored. Early reminders can lose their effectiveness, so always aim for timely follow-ups.

What’s the Best Method for Sending Appointment Reminders?

The best method for sending appointment reminders largely depends on your patients’ preferences. Some patients may prefer text messages, others may prefer email, and some may still prefer a phone call.

One of the first things you should do is offer your patients a variety of contact options. You can ask them after their appointment about their preferred contact method, so they can choose how they want to receive reminders. Popular methods include:

  • Text Messages: Quick, convenient, and efficient.
  • Emails: Ideal for patients who prefer written communication.
  • Phone Calls: Personalized, but may be more time-consuming.

MaxAssist makes everyday operations easier!

The reminder system in place helps take the load off of me and patients also appreciate the reminders.  I use this software every day and it connects seamlessly to Maxident (our software in the office).

Office Manager that uses maxassist's appointment reminders
Amanda C.Office Manager

General Tips for Effective Appointment Reminders

1. Less Is More

Sending reminders is a delicate balance. You want to remind patients without annoying them. Avoid bombarding them with multiple reminders every week leading up to their appointment. This can result in patients blocking your messages or ignoring them altogether.

Stick to 2 or 3 reminders—one a few days before the appointment and another 1 day before. Your patients will appreciate the space and clarity.

2. Content Is King

It’s not just about sending a reminder; it’s about sending a well-crafted reminder that resonates with your patient. Personalizing the message is crucial. Include their name, the treatment they are scheduled for, and the provider they’ll see.

A personalized message that feels genuine, rather than automated, will lead to 6 times better response rates. You’ll also foster a deeper connection with your patients, making them feel valued and cared for.

Need Help Getting Started?


Patient reminders are an essential tool for ensuring more patients show up for their appointments. If you’re looking for a new and innovative way to communicate with your patients, contact us today.

At MaxAssist, we specialize in helping dental practices set up an efficient appointment reminder system that works. Let us help you maximize your practice’s revenue, improve your patient retention, and enhance the overall patient experience!

Maxassist appointment reminders
About the Author

Leah Crites began her dental industry career in 2002, managing one of North America’s largest dental practices before founding her own consultancy firm specializing in system development and performance analysis. Now, as Vice President of Client Success at MaxAssist, she leverages her expertise to develop education programs and provide strategic guidance to dental practices across Canada and the USA. She is also a Founding Advisory Board Member at Women in DSO, supporting the growth of women leaders in the industry.

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