A steady flow of new patients is great, but lasting success in dentistry comes from keeping the ones you already have. Undoubtedly, the experience the patient has is what determines whether they come back and refer their friends and family. But how do we ensure that the patient experience is awesome every time?
Today’s dental patients expect more than just quality care — they want convenience, personalization, and seamless communication. Practices that fail to meet these expectations risk losing patients to competitors.
As John Glaser for the Harvard Business Review writes:Â
“The medical care may be world-class, but if the experience is dreadful, the patient may seek care elsewhere or inform friends and family that they should avoid a condescending physician. The clinician may have developed a great plan for patients to help them manage a chronic disease, but if the motivational support is lackluster and the process of scheduling routine follow-up appointments is convoluted, adherence will likely fall by the wayside.”
By measuring patient retention, dental practices can identify trends, spot gaps in the patient experience, and make data-driven decisions to improve loyalty.Â
So, let’s explore the key tactics to enhance retention, from personalized patient engagement to proactive follow-ups and leveraging technology. Whether you're looking to strengthen relationships with existing patients or boost long-term growth, these strategies will help you create a practice that patients choose, and stay with, for years to come.
Patient retention refers to a dental practice’s ability to keep patients returning for ongoing care rather than seeking treatment elsewhere. While customer retention in other industries focuses on repeat purchases, patient retention is about maintaining long-term relationships built on trust, consistent patient care, and positive experiences.
Tracking patient retention helps practices measure loyalty, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies that enhance patient satisfaction.Â
Key metrics to monitor include:
Investing in patient retention is essential for long-term success because:
By tracking retention metrics and focusing on patient experience, dental practices can create a thriving, loyal patient base that supports long-term growth.
Check out our retention rate calculaor below:
Retention challenges aren’t unique to dental practices. Just like other businesses, dental offices must earn loyalty by delivering great service and meeting customer expectations. However, unlike a retail store or subscription service, dental care is deeply personal. Patients don’t just return because of convenience or habit; they stay because they trust their provider, feel valued, and experience a seamless, stress-free visit.
When patients leave, it’s often due to frustration rather than a lack of need. Some of the top reasons for dental patient attrition include:
Understanding why patients leave allows practices to make targeted improvements that prevent attrition.Â
Today’s dental patients expect the same level of convenience, personalization, and seamless service they experience in other industries. They don’t just want a great clinical outcome, they want a hassle-free, patient-centered experience that makes them feel valued.
From streamlining scheduling to enhancing communication and in-office experiences, these strategies will help build long-term loyalty.
The key to improving patient retention is understanding what matters most to your patients. Collecting and analyzing feedback at every touchpoint helps identify strengths, uncover pain points, and guide meaningful improvements.
Beyond just collecting feedback, it's essential to close the loop. Acknowledge patient concerns, communicate the changes you're making, and show that their input leads to real improvements. This builds trust, strengthens relationships, and ultimately enhances patient loyalty.
Patients want the flexibility to book and manage appointments without having to call during office hours. Online scheduling with real-time availability increases convenience and reduces friction in the booking process.
Missed appointments are a major source of revenue loss. Automated reminders help patients stay on top of their visits, reducing no-shows while keeping communication effortless for your team.
Long wait times are one of the top reasons patients leave a practice. Use scheduling optimization tools to reduce delays, provide accurate wait-time estimates, and create a comfortable, welcoming office environment.
Patients appreciate when their dentist remembers personal details, from treatment history to family updates. Training staff to use patient names, recall past conversations, and show genuine care fosters stronger connections.
Unexpected costs can erode trust. Offering clear, upfront pricing and flexible payment plans makes treatment more accessible and reduces financial surprises that may drive patients away.
A simple follow-up message, or call, after a procedure reassures patients and shows you care about their well-being. It’s also an opportunity to address concerns and reinforce the value of continued care.
Encourage word-of-mouth referrals and repeat visits by rewarding loyal patients. Discounts on future cleanings, referral incentives, or membership plans for uninsured patients can drive long-term retention.
The first and last interaction at your practice often happens at the front desk. Friendly, efficient staff who greet patients warmly, handle scheduling smoothly, and resolve concerns quickly make a lasting impression. Rewarding patient-facing teams when they get it right is the key to success.Â
Retaining patients starts with understanding their experiences and expectations. AskNicely makes it easy for dental practices to collect real-time patient feedback, analyze insights, and empower frontline teams to deliver an exceptional experience at every visit.
With AskNicely’s patient experience platform, dental practices can:
Leading dental organizations, including Delta Dental, use AskNicely to streamline patient feedback and improve retention rates. By integrating real-time insights into their daily operations, they’ve enhanced patient satisfaction and built lasting relationships.
Innovative tools like digital impressions, laser dentistry, and AI-assisted diagnostics improve treatment outcomes and create a more comfortable, efficient experience that patients appreciate.
A happy, motivated team translates to better patient experiences. Investing in staff training, recognizing achievements, and fostering a positive workplace culture enhances service quality and retention.
By implementing these strategies, dental practices can build stronger patient relationships, improve satisfaction, and drive long-term success. A practice that prioritizes convenience, communication, and personalization will keep patients coming back year after year.
Improving patient retention isn’t a one-time effort, it requires ongoing measurement and refinement. Here’s how to measure and monitor retention effectively:
Retention starts with data. Monitor essential KPIs such as:
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By benchmarking these metrics, practices can assess trends and set goals for improvement.
Regularly collecting patient feedback helps uncover what’s working and what needs improvement. Use tools like post-appointment surveys, net promoter score, or sentiment analysis to gauge satisfaction. AskNicely can automate feedback collection and provide real-time insights for action.
High no-show or cancellation rates may signal issues with scheduling convenience, appointment reminders, or patient engagement. Identifying patterns such as specific time slots or appointment types with the highest drop-off rates, can help practices refine their approach.
Online reviews are a direct reflection of patient satisfaction. Regularly checking platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Healthgrades can provide insight into recurring complaints or standout strengths. When it comes to online reviews it is best to take a proactive approach — collect patient feedback internally and invest in improving the experience to prevent issues escalating to public forums.
Retention strategies should evolve based on data. Reviewing KPIs, patient feedback, and industry best practices quarterly or annually ensures the practice stays ahead of patient expectations and remains competitive.
AskNicely isn’t about collecting data; it’s about giving feedback meaning. We take patient feedback in small, actionable soundbites after each service, and deliver it straight to your clinicians and frontline staff.Â
Armed with this feedback, every patient-facing staff member, from the receptionist to the dentist gets clear next steps based on what they’re doing a great job at and what their patients see as areas for improvement. They know exactly what they need to do to improve the patient experience, instead of waiting for annual performance reviews or the results from regulatory surveys to finally arrive.Â
An awesome patient experience starts with an awesome frontline experience. With AskNicely, clinics can see and celebrate the biggest movers and shakers at both the practice manager, clinician, and dentist levels. The clinics at the top of the leaderboard (those with the highest NPS scores) receive shoutouts, recognition, and kudos which reinforce positive behaviors and create a culture of empowerment, support, and friendly competition. Daily huddles are filled with recognition and big grins, and as the experience of the employees improves, so does the experience of their patients.Â
With large dental clinics, achieving a consistently patient awesome experience across multiple branches and locations is a mighty challenge. AskNicely is the simple solution. At a glance, managers can see which branches and individuals are killing it and need extra recognition, and who requires further coaching to reach the desired level of performance. With this overnight, clinics can finally start to reach a consistent level of awesomeness at scale, across large teams with multiple branches and locations.Â
Gone are the days of outdated feedback systems and top-down management approaches. AskNicely empowers your clinicians and frontline office staff, the true champions of patient experience, with real-time feedback and actionable insights. This approach not only ensures that every member of your team knows how to excel but also fosters a culture of recognition, support, and friendly competition that ultimately transforms both the employee and patient experience
Curious? Book a demo today to see how AskNicely can help you improve patient retention and grow your practice.
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