Posted by Amy Carbone on May 28, 2025 1:36:56 PM
Building a successful dental practice is hard work, so it's important that you continually work on your patient retention strategy to keep your schedule full.
Making sure your patients are thrilled is key. Here are some tips to help:
8 New Dental Patient Retention Strategies
To retain new dental patients, you need to consider their journey from their first contact with your office to scheduling follow-up care.
1. Offer Convenient Booking Options
For many patients, finding the time to call your office to schedule an appointment is inconvenient. For others, it's downright anxiety-inducing. It's important to consider the changing needs of today's dental patients and how your practice might accommodate them.
Flexible booking options, such as online booking, make it easy for your patients to schedule a time to see you at their convenience from their mobile device or desktop computer. Almost half of all patients surveyed report that they would prefer to schedule their appointments online versus calling the practice.
2. Consider Offering Flexible Payment Arrangements
Finances are an obstacle for many patients needing dental work, and it's not uncommon for them to wait until they're in extreme pain before visiting the dentist simply because they can't afford to.
Depending on the type of dental practice you own, consider offering flexible payment options. This could be as simple as being able to pay their bills online, or it could be a formal payment arrangement through your office. Some dentists choose to partner with third-party creditors to give patients the option of making payments without taking on the risk.
3. Make New Patients Feel Welcome
By the time a patient walks in your door, you've already invested in them. It's crucial that their initial experience with your dental practice be a positive one. From how you and your staff dress and other appearance factors to how you furnish your waiting room, you can make them feel welcome as soon as they arrive.
Your front desk staff should greet them within a few seconds, and if they're on a call or otherwise unable to attend to the patient, make sure that your staff smile and acknowledge them. Never allow your patients to be made to feel like they are inconveniencing your staff or that your staff would rather be doing anything else.
4. Use Your Patients' Names
Use your patients' names frequently. Even when patients are new, using their name often when speaking to them helps them to feel relaxed and cared for. Train all team members who work directly with patients to check the patient's chart and address them by name when first interacting with the patient and as they continue to engage.
It’s also important that your team makes eye contact with patients when speaking with them, showing respect and connection.
5. Make Eye Contact
While important for everyone in your chair, it’s particularly valuable to use your new dental patients' names often while also making frequent eye contact when speaking to them.
Avoid the temptation to review their chart or look at their X-rays while they're informing you about their chief complaint. Instead, face the patient and make eye contact, allowing your body language to communicate that you're listening to them and you're invested in their dental care.
6. Explain Procedures and Answer Questions
Many patients have moderate to extreme anxiety when visiting the dentist. Much of their anxiety comes from not knowing what to expect. Take the time to explain procedures to your patients and answer any questions they may have.
You can find ways to rephrase procedures that might sound frightening, especially if you work with younger patients. For example, you might let a patient know before numbing their gums that they should expect to feel a "quick pinch" sensation, versus using the word "needle" or "stick."
7. Ask Patients If They're Comfortable
Remember to assess patient comfort continually throughout their appointment instead of only at the start of the procedure.
Train your staff members to get in the habit of asking patients if they're comfortable. X-ray technicians should be making sure patients are comfortable after inserting the bite tabs, and hygienists can take a short break in the middle of long cleanings to confirm that the patient is still doing well.
Patients will appreciate the attention to not only their needs but also their comfort, which can help them to feel at ease during their appointment.
8. Simplify Check-out and Next Visit Booking
The check-out experience is the final impression of a patient’s first visit, so make it count. Ensure your team is friendly, efficient, and ready to help schedule follow-up care before the patient leaves.
A smooth, proactive check-out process reinforces trust and encourages return visits, making it one of the simplest yet most effective patient retention strategies you can implement.
The Value of Patient Retention
Acquiring new patients is often significantly more expensive than keeping them. So, from a marketing perspective, creating a great first experience may be in the best interest of your budget. Your patient base and their satisfaction could directly impact your bottom line. Going the extra mile to ensure your patients are happy with their care is more than just good manners: it's good business.
Wondering how to attract new patients to your dental practice so you can employ these strategies more frequently? Implementing proven strategies to grow your patient list is one of the most impactful steps you can take toward building a thriving dental practice.
Download our complimentary ebook, Strategies To Grow Your Dental Practice Patient List, today!
About Treloar & Heisel
Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.
Insurance products offered through Treloar & Heisel, LLC.
