If you look at any successful company, large or small, you will find one thing happening consistently. They stay in communication with their customers. In dentistry, that same behavior is often seen as unnecessary or excessive.

The truth is that dental practices have a huge advantage. You can communicate more personally and more effectively than almost any other business. When you do it consistently, you see higher patient attendance, more case acceptance, better relationships, and a healthier practice overall.

Here are the three areas where communication matters most.

Direct Contact and Relationship Building

Direct contact is the foundation of patient attendance. You need consistent communication to get patients scheduled, confirmed, and back in the chair.

This includes calls, texts, emails, and even physical mail. Calls are especially important because they communicate effort, but people often screen unknown numbers. This is why you should always ask patients to save your office number in their phone. It immediately increases your reach.

Physical mail still works too. Most families only bring a few pieces of mail into the house, but anything that feels personal or clearly comes from the dentist usually makes the cut and gets opened. It may cost more than digital communication, but the impact is worth it.

Small personal touches make a major difference. A handwritten hygiene card sent after an appointment or a quick post-op check-in tells the patient that you were thinking about them. These simple actions significantly increase the likelihood that they return on time and accept future treatment.

Marketing to Your Existing Patient Base

Most practices spend heavily on new patient marketing while only 15 to 30 percent of their existing patients are actually active. These are people who already know and trust you, yet they are not coming in regularly.

Any successful business focuses first on its existing customers. Dental practices should do the same.

Rotate through educational or service-focused messages, such as:

• Smile surveys
• Whitening
• Periodontal health
• Oral cancer screening
• Importance of routine cleanings and exams

Once you create a small library of messages, you can reuse them year after year. It becomes a simple system that keeps your patient base informed, engaged, and more likely to schedule.

Marketing to existing patients is far more cost-effective and produces stronger results than relying primarily on cold new patient leads.

Goodwill Communication

Goodwill messages are the easiest and most natural way to stay connected with your patient base. People enjoy hearing about the good things their dentist is doing in the community.

This can include:

• Supporting local shelters
• Collecting toys or food for families in need
• Donating to community programs
• Providing free dentistry for veterans or first responders

Many dentists do wonderful things already but never talk about them. Sharing these activities helps patients feel proud to be part of your practice and builds a warm, lasting connection.

Goodwill outreach also gives you an easy way to communicate weekly without overwhelming patients or making everything feel like marketing.

Why This Matters for the Future of Your Practice

Low patient activity affects everything. It reduces production, lowers the quality of care, and decreases the value of your practice. When it comes time to sell, buyers are not focused on equipment or décor. They look for:

• Active patients
• Predictable revenue
• Goodwill
• A stable recall system

These are built through consistent communication.

When you reach out regularly, use the right channels, and maintain a friendly, caring relationship with your patients, you strengthen every part of your practice. Attendance improves, production increases, and patients stay loyal for years.

The Bottom Line

Most dental practices simply do not communicate enough. If you increase your communication, stay consistent, and keep it personal, you will see results quickly.

A stronger patient base, better relationships, and long-term practice growth all start with one simple habit. Stay in touch.

If you want to master this subject, we offer a two-day, live, interactive virtual course called the New Patient Workshop. For more information, fill out the form or call us at (800) 640-1140.