Connect with Patients the Smart Way

Reduce missed appointments and build patient loyalty with smart messaging tools in the Dentrix Communication Manager.

Two important goals of a growing dental practice should be to increase appointment attendance and maintain patient loyalty. One of the best ways to accomplish these goals is to enable your patients to communicate with you using the same technology they use every day, like text messaging.

According to research done by the Pew Research Center in 2014:

  • 67% of cell owners find themselves checking their phones for messages, alerts, or calls–even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.
  • 44% of cell owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn’t miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night.
  • 29% of cell owners describe their cell phone as “something they can’t imagine living without.”

Leverage Two-way Text Messaging

Communication Manager, available to Dentrix practices, sends automated text message reminders to patients with scheduled appointments. You can send text message reminders to patients using whatever schedule you choose: 1 day before the appointment, 2 hours before, and so forth. You can even include customized messages. Your patients can confirm the appointment with a simple reply, which posts automatically to the Dentrix Appointment Book. When patients reply to text messages, Communication Manager opens a live chat box on your desktop.

Take Advantage of Smart Messaging

The “smart messaging” feature in Communication Manager helps you market to existing patients more effectively by communicating appointment and continuing care reminders at the appropriate time and through the appropriate delivery mechanism (email, text messaging, or postcard) based on your preference and available patient contact information. This reduces the likelihood of missed appointments and over-communication to patients.

Stay Top of Mind

When combined with other smart message types offered in Communication Manager, such as new patient welcome, thank you for scheduling an appointment, and happy birthday messages, you can further enhance your ability to create a positive and professional impression of your practice throughout the year.

  • New patient welcome messages create a great first impression and build confidence in the patient’s choice of dental health care provider.
  • Thank you messages instill confidence by thanking patients for scheduling their appointments. These messages are automatically distributed when a new appointment is scheduled.
  • Happy Birthday messages are an excellent way to stay in contact with patients in between appointments without being salesy.

With Communication Manager, you can effectively and efficiently connect with your patients, using the technology they use every day, to improve appointment attendance and maintain patient loyalty.


Learn More

To learn more about the Communication Manager features in this article, visit  www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/ecentral/communication-manager/features or call 800 734- 5561, option 2.


By Bruce Herbert, Product Marketing Manager

Originally published in Dentrix Magazine, Spring 2016