How Dentists Should Communicate Their Scheduling Game Plan Post COVID-19

Dental professionals are preparing for a new normal as they begin to open their practices again. Naturally, dentists feel the necessity to start seeing patients again considering the role dental health plays in overall public health.

While every dental practice will be abiding by their individual state regulations and their own personal judgment, there are things every practice should implement to secure a stable reopening. Keeping patients and followers in the loop on social media is one of them.

If you’re like many dental practices across the country, you have been forced to cancel routine dental appointments. As a consequence of the guesswork surrounding the current pandemic, most of these canceled dental appointments have had to wait to reschedule.

As soon as your practice has a reopening date, even a “soft” reopening, reach out to the patients who had to cancel their appointments. To build trust and strengthen your relationships, we recommend that dental practices reach out to every patient with a canceled appointment individually.

Dental practices can instill confidence in their patients and provide direction by keeping in touch online. Encourage interaction and communication with your patients by using your dental social media pages as a place to update patients about your practice’s re-opening. Post details regarding your rescheduling plan on your dental social media pages. The more clarity and information you can give to your patients, the better. Having a social media marketing plan for re-opening after COVID-19 is vital to your practice success.

Thanks to the amazing people in the dental community, there has been significant support and information to help dental practices navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, there has not been much information given to the patients of dental practices regarding what is going on and what their experience will look like moving forward. Use your voice as a healthcare professional to reassure and comfort your dental patients.

Address common questions and concerns on your social media pages

• Will you reschedule canceled appointments first?
• What treatments are being prioritized?
• How long should patients expect to wait before being contacted by your practice?
• Can patients expect a different reception or operatory experience?
• Validate concerns and address unnecessary anxiety and stress.

Create a sense of urgency

• Communicate the importance to schedule an appointment. Stress that appointments are filling up fast and to schedule soon!
• Express the importance of taking care of tooth damages that may have occurred during the quarantine.
• Explain the significance of good oral health and its impact on overall health. 

Utilize this time to sharpen your dental practice’s social media pages. Social media provides a way to maintain strong relationships with current patients and reach new ones online.

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