Sick Season Survival: How to Keep Your Dental Schedule Full Despite Cancellations

Seasonal slumps can hit dental practices hard, especially during the colder months when illnesses are spreading around. This can often result in no shows and cancellations wreaking havoc on your schedule, and in turn, your production goals. And that’s something your practice owner is also paying close attention to and possibly asking how it’s being addressed. According to the 2023 Jarvis Analytics study, industry average for no-show rates is around 7% and the goal is 3%. To help you manage the no shows and cancellations, here are some practical tips to keep your schedule full and patients accountable.

1. Proactively Communicate with Patients.

When you get sick, it’s hard to do even the simplest of tasks. And unfortunately, your patients won’t always remember to cancel their appointment ahead of time. That’s where you come in. Clear, consistent, and proactive communication can go a long way in preventing scheduling gaps. Plus, it also protects you and your team from the occasional patient who might claim, “they didn’t see your messages” or “they weren’t aware of your no-show and cancellation policy.” You’ll have the receipts to prove that you’ve been proactive in your communications.

• Send Frequent Appointment Reminders: Utilize text, email, phone reminders, or even direct mail 1-2 weeks, and again, 24-48 hours before the appointment. Many patient engagement systems, including RevenueWell, have automated and customizable appointment reminders that allow you to set the frequency, content, and channel so you’re more likely to get in front of patients. The trick is to figure out what frequency works best for patients, especially the ones who tend to no show or cancel regularly.
• Personalize Messages: Tailor reminders with specific details about the patient’s appointment to make it feel more personal and engaging. For example, mention the patient’s name, time and date of their appointment, and/or the importance of their regular check-up. ‍
• Set Clear Expectations: Include cancellation policies or a link to the policies in every communication. A friendly reminder like, “We kindly ask for 48 hours’ notice if you need to reschedule. Learn more about our rescheduling and cancellation policies” can encourage patients to notify you in advance.  
• Send a Follow Up for a No Show or Cancellation: If a patient cancels or no shows without notifying you, be sure to follow up the same day to invite them to reschedule. Even though they didn’t show up that day, there’s still an opportunity to get them back on the schedule and keep them active.

2. Incentivize Reliability.

We live in an incentive-driven world. And sometimes you have to give patients a reason to stay committed to their appointments. If you’re seeing a high rate of no shows and cancellations, then it might be worth considering offering incentives to patients. Be sure to check your practice policies and any state and dental association policies to make sure you’re adhering to guidelines related to incentives.

• Create a Loyalty Program: Reward patients who consistently keep their appointments. Offer small perks like discounts on elective procedures or dental products. ‍
• Implement a "Show Up and Save" Program: Offer a free fluoride treatment or discounted teeth whitening touch-up for patients who attend all scheduled appointments within a given period. ‍
• Seasonal Giveaways: Enter patients who attend their appointments on time into a monthly raffle. Prizes could include gift cards to local restaurants and/or shops or dental care kits.

3. Build a Backup Plan for Last-Minute Cancellations.

Even with the best planning, last-minute cancellations happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a plan b and even c to manage them.  

• Maintain a Standby List: Keep a list of patients who are flexible and willing to fill last-minute openings. Offer incentives, such as a discount on your dental products, for stepping in. You may even have a tool in your patient engagement system that does this. Use it to automatically pull patients from a list and allow you to send a quick message notifying them when an appointment becomes available.  ‍
• Use Social Media: Post about last-minute openings on your practice’s social media channels. A simple post like, “We have a last-minute opening today at 2 PM for a cleaning! Call now to book,” can fill gaps quickly. If you have an active audience, this is a good way to fill your schedule and get a sense of whether social media is another way to generate more appointments. Your patient engagement system should have ready-made social media templates and a way to post from the system, so you don’t have to build them from scratch.  

4. Educate Patients on the Impact of No-Shows.

Some of your patients won’t realize how their missed appointment affects the practice. Use thoughtful messaging to increase awareness.  

• Share Visuals in the Office: Display signs or use your waiting room TV to show how missed appointments impact the team and other patients. You can highlight your policy to reinforce it in patients’ minds.  ‍
• Highlight Community Impact: Remind patients that cancellations prevent others who need care from being seen. For example, “Your timely cancellation allows us to care for someone who needs urgent attention.” Remember the goal isn’t to guilt-trip them, but to increase self-awareness so they’re more likely to notify you the next time it happens.  

5. Be Flexible but Firm.

While empathy and kindness matter, you also have to find a way to be firm so there’s accountability. Even though you work in patient care, you’re still running a business. And patients need to take responsibility if they can’t make it to an appointment, particularly if it’s a regular occurrence.  

• Offer Rescheduling Options: For patients who are genuinely sick or facing emergencies, provide quick and easy ways to reschedule when you do your follow- up communications. When they’re feeling under the weather, they may not be able to decide on a day and time so give them specific options to make the decision easier for them.  ‍
• Enforce Cancellation Fees: Implement a clear no-show or late cancellation fee policy. Waive the fee for first-time offenders but enforce it for repeaters. Be sure it’s clearly stated on your website, at the practice, intake forms, and other places where it’s mentioned. You’re also covering yourself when you’re transparent about your policies.  ‍
• Require Deposits for High-Value Procedures: For costly treatments, consider requiring a deposit at the time of booking to encourage attendance. This way you’re recovering some costs. This might deter some patients, but if it’s impacting your schedule and production goals, then it’s worth considering. Patients who show up for their appointments regularly may not be as bothered by the deposit requirement.  

6. Stay Ahead of Seasonal Trends.

You can anticipate ‘sick season’ at this point because it usually happens during certain times of the year, so it helps to have a plan.  

• Look at Historical Data: Review data from previous years to identify periods with higher no-show and cancellation rates. You can typically find this information in the analytics tool of your patient engagement system. Use this data to create marketing campaigns and/or promotions to fill the schedule proactively.  ‍
• Plan Seasonal Promotions: With the data you have on hand, you can offer winter-themed promotions, such as discounted teeth whitening, to attract patients during slower months. At the start of the year, you can consider doing a campaign around ‘new year, healthy teeth.’ ‍
• ‍Communicate Wellness Tips: Send patients tips on staying healthy during flu season to reduce the likelihood of no shows and cancellations due to illness. You can include these tips in your newsletter, campaigns, and even in your office. But hopefully, sick patients won’t come to your office!

7. Engage Patients All Year Round.

Part of building a solid relationship with patients is staying engaged between appointments. Your campaign efforts should be ongoing to maintain that connection. Here are some ideas:  

• Send Regular Newsletters and Campaigns: Share practice updates, oral health tips, or seasonal promotions to stay top of mind and improve patient retention. Always include a call-to-action (CTA) for scheduling an appointment.  ‍
• Use Social Media: Post reminders about the importance of preventive care or showcase fun content like holiday-themed posts. ‍
• Follow Up Post-Appointment: A quick thank-you message after an appointment can leave a lasting impression and make patients more likely to prioritize future visits. You can send this via email, text, or even a handwritten note.  

8. Train Your Team to Manage Scheduling Gaps.

You and your team are the driving force behind getting patients back on the schedule, so it helps to get everyone involved so everyone is working towards the same goal.  

• Train Your Team to be Comfortable on the Phone: Teach your team how to confidently handle cancellation calls and encourage patients to reschedule. Develop and maintain phone scripts for common scenarios, like reminding patients of the cancellation policy or explaining the importance of their treatment.
• Assign a Schedule Champion: If you have team capacity, designate one person to monitor cancellations, maintain the standby list, and fill last-minute openings. You can also rotate this activity. Don’t forget to use tools to help you do this task. It doesn’t need to be manual.  

The best approach to keeping a full schedule during seasonal sicknesses is to control what you can. You can do that by implementing these tips to prevent future no shows and cancellations. Then it’s on the patient to follow through.  

Be sure to communicate your plan with the rest of the team and the practice owner so everyone is on the same page, can assist with addressing scheduling gaps, and so you’re setting the right expectations. Doing all this can help you feel at peace knowing you’ve done everything in your power to minimize it. Plus, some of these strategies can help you to recoup any lost revenue you might be seeing from no shows and cancellations so you can still meet your production goals.  

Next recommended read: How to Reduce Patient No Shows By Patient Types

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