Fall Into Efficiency: 6 Front Desk Strategies to Boost Your Dental Practice This Season
As the seasons change and a new year approaches, there’s no better time as a dental office manager to take a closer look at the efficiency of your front desk operations. Your front desk team is the heartbeat of your practice, and with the right strategies, you can ensure that every patient interaction is seamless, productive, and profitable.
Inspired by Curve Dental’s® latest e-book, Mastering the Art of the Patient Visit, this article provides you with practical tools and proven strategies to boost your front desk’s efficiency.
Read on for essential strategies tailored to help your team “fall” into efficiency this season, driving both patient satisfaction and practice success.
6 Winning Strategies for Successful Office Managers and Their Teams
1. Answer the Phone with Confidence and Clarity
The phone is your front desk’s lifeline, and how calls are handled can leave lasting impressions on patients. Make sure your team follows these best practices:
- Answer within three rings to avoid long wait times.
- Smile while answering the phone—it creates a friendly tone, even over the phone.
- Address the patient by name at least three times during the call to build a personal connection.
- Actively listen for patient concerns and respond with clear solutions.
Your front desk staff should greet callers warmly, provide helpful information, and schedule appointments efficiently, ensuring that each interaction reflects positively on your practice and encourages patients to return.
2. Implement Online Scheduling to Free Up the Phones
One of the best ways to reduce call volume and streamline scheduling is by offering online appointment booking. A user-friendly online scheduling tool, like the one built into Curve Dental’s award-winning practice management platform, Curve SuperHero™, can significantly reduce the time your front desk spends on the phone, allowing them to focus on other important tasks.
Online scheduling offers:
- Real-time availability, so patients can see and select time slots that work for them.
- Automated reminders, reducing no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
- Pre-built tags, like CDT codes, to categorize appointments and ensure accurate scheduling.
By automating this process, your front desk can operate more smoothly, while patients enjoy the convenience of booking at their leisure.
3. Use Pre-Built Tags for Accurate Time Allocation
Efficient scheduling starts with understanding how long each appointment type should take. Pre-built tags allow you to automatically assign time slots based on procedure codes. For example:
- D0120 – Periodic oral evaluation: 10 minutes
- D1110 – Prophylaxis (cleaning): 20 minutes
- D0330 – Panoramic radiographic image: 10 minutes
Curve’s practice management platform provides pre-built tags that ensure your appointments are scheduled with the correct time allocations, minimizing bottlenecks and maximizing production. This automation allows your front desk team to focus on patient interactions rather than manual scheduling.
4. Maximize Patient Engagement During Phone Calls
While the primary reason for patient calls may be to schedule or confirm appointments, there’s always an opportunity to do more. Train your front desk to look for additional opportunities, such as:
- Scheduling recare or pending treatments.
- Setting up appointments for family members.
- Resolving outstanding patient balances.
- Updating patient information, like emails, for follow-up communications.
Consider gamifying this process with a weekly team challenge. Encourage your front desk to make every call count by rewarding points for each extra step they take, such as scheduling a family member’s appointment or resolving a billing issue.
Curve streamlines this step with its Sidekick, making it effortless for your front desk team to stay organized and efficient. Curve’s Sidekick ensures that no matter where you are in the platform, all the tools you need are right at your fingertips.
Detailed patient information—such as profile details, insurance info, claims, billing, notes, prescriptions, appointments (including family scheduling), and recare information—is always displayed on your screen. This means your team can manage patient calls without needing to switch between tabs, saving time and keeping every conversation smooth and productive.
5. Prioritize Emergency Patients
When emergencies arise, your front desk needs to respond quickly. Establish clear guidelines for handling emergency calls to ensure patients get the care they need. Ideally, emergency patients should be seen within 24 hours and, if possible, treated on the same day.
Train your front desk team to identify true emergencies and work them into the schedule without disrupting the flow of your regular appointments. This keeps patients satisfied and shows that your practice prioritizes urgent care.
6. Review and Prepare Daily Schedules in Advance
A proactive front desk team is a productive one. Make reviewing and preparing the schedule for the next day a daily habit. Here’s what your team should focus on:
- Verify treatment plans and procedures for scheduled patients.
- Confirm insurance eligibility using a resource like Curve’s advanced eligibility verification tool that gives detailed, code-level coverage information for accurate estimates and enhanced patient transparency.
- Ensure all necessary patient records are ready and up to date.
- Identify any special needs or requests noted during the initial appointment booking.
By preparing in advance, your front desk ensures a seamless flow throughout the day, reducing the risk of miscommunication or delays.
Setting the Stage for Success this Fall and Beyond
With the changing season, it’s time to prioritize your front desk efficiency, laying the groundwork for a thriving practice in the months to come. By implementing these six strategies, you can transform your front desk team into a powerhouse of productivity, ensuring each patient interaction is seamless and satisfying.
To dive deeper into actionable insights and proven strategies that will further streamline your operations and elevate patient engagement, be sure to download Curve Dental’s free e-book, Mastering the Art of the Patient Visit. Packed with checklists, team activities, and best practices, this resource is designed to empower you and your team.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to fall into efficiency—grab your free copy today!
About the Author
Chantelle Camareno
Chantelle Camareno is a dental industry writer at Curve Dental, a leading dental software company. She monitors and reports on trends shaping dental practice management, with a focus on the latest software innovations designed to empower dental professionals and create more efficient teams and seamless processes.
Outside of work, Chantelle balances being a busy mom of two toddlers alongside her wonderful husband Mark.
