How to Increase Patient Volume in Your Dental Practice

For various reasons, you might be looking to increase the number of patients who book appointments at your dental practice. Perhaps you’re starting out in the field or have recently moved to a new location. Regardless of the motivating factor for getting more patients in the door, take advantage of effective strategies to achieve your goals.

Advertise Safety and Wellness Practices

Many individuals are still cautious about being unmasked in enclosed indoor spaces. To alleviate this fear, let patients know that your practice is still taking precautions to protect against the transmission of diseases. To achieve the goal of growing your dental practice, be specific about what those precautions are. For example, tell patients about mask-wearing protocols, temperature checks, and sanitizing stations. Inform patients of this information when they schedule appointments. To attract new patients, articulate these protocols on social media and on the practice’s website. Put up signs on the door of the practice so patients are reminded of what protocols they must follow upon entering.

Establish a Social Media Presence

Social media is not only for restaurants, coffee shops, and tourist attractions. When people are looking for new service providers, they often head to social media to conduct research. Having a social media presence can directly connect your dental practice with individuals in the neighborhood who are looking for a new dentist.

Link to reviews of the dental practice so interested parties can see what other patients have to say. Some people are likely going to send messages to the social media account with inquiries, so appoint a staff member to be in charge of responding to these questions. Choose to create an account on the social media platform or platforms used frequently by members of your target used. 

Increase Appointment Availability

Some people may have tried to make appointments at your practice but found themselves unable to do so because of limited availability. While working in the evenings and on weekends is not necessarily ideal, you have to understand that doing so typically is part of being a dentist. Many of your current and prospective patients have jobs or go to school during the day, so they are simply unable to book appointments at these times. You don’t have to aggressively extend availability at first. Consider starting by adding on an extra hour or two for a couple of days per week.
 
Another thing you can do to cater to your patients is to use booking software. By implementing patient appointment scheduling, patients can book appointments at a time that suits them, without having to call up. Providing patients with your availability can save time and make it easier for families to book together. You can also add specialist appointment slots for things like cosmetic dentistry or emergency appointments. Helping you to cater to a wide range of patient needs.

Expand Services

Offering more services to patients, depending upon your areas of expertise, is likely to encourage additional appointments as well. Consider offering cosmetic or preventative dentistry. Another possibility is to expand into a family dentistry practice and to accept patients who are children. If you’re qualified to do so, providing consultations for braces is another way to attract more patients. Make sure to advertise the fact that the dental practice is going to start offering new services. This information is also vital to put on the practice’s website and social media page.

Increasing the number of patients seeking services at your dental practice is possible. Doing so may involve expanding both the services and hours offered. You also can work on communicating more effectively with prospective patients. Many individuals are afraid of going to the dentist, so they want to know that they are scheduling an appointment with a caring and experienced professional.