Dos and don'ts for patient management: Make it easy for patients to become active again

Though many people may be unhappy with their status in the postrecession economy, most are learning to adjust to the new normal -- and that includes some level of oral healthcare. Patients who stopped coming to your practice for regular appointments may, in fact, be ready to come back if prompted. Make the effort to contact inactive patients and give them reason to come in for an appointment. You'll be able to return a high proportion of them to your active patient base.

Re-establish communication -- and offer a free exam. Have your front desk coordinator systematically contact inactive patients, indicating that, as their dentist, you're concerned about their oral health. If they're hesitant about coming in for a hygiene visit, the dentist could offer a basic exam as a courtesy -- to make sure there are no problems.

Don't make assumptions about inactive patients. Some dentists think their inactive patients will still come in if there's an obvious dental problem. Other dentists tend to believe their inactive patients are gone forever. Rather than assuming the best (or worst), take control of the situation by implementing a reactivation system.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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