APPOINTMENT ETIQUETTE

Your dentist may have the best technology, may have gone to a top dental school, and do great clinical work, but none of those are the primary reasons people choose to stay with a dental practice or any service provider. Generally speaking, people stay with their provider because of the relationships they have built with individuals within the office.

When we have a problem, we all like the convenience of calling someone we know and are comfortable with. Whether that problem is a broken filling or needing to change an appointment, it is nice to deal with people who know us and are eager to help with solving our dilemma.

I recently had an appointment with an office that I needed to change. The appointment was a week and a half away. When I called the office to change the appointment, I was less than thrilled with the way I was treated. While I didn’t necessarily expect to know the person on the other end of the phone, I wasn’t expecting to feel like a criminal. The first question I was asked by the grumpy person answering the phone was, “Why do you need to change your appointment?” This was quickly followed by how inconvenient it was for their office that I needed to change my appointment.

I can completely understand how difficult it is for front desk personnel to have to deal with these kinds of issues all day long. In my office, we had over 40 appointment changes last month. That is a lot of conversations about the same thing, and stressful for any staff member who deals with a busy schedule.

We all have busy lives. Things change and sometimes we have to re-manipulate our schedules to accommodate all we have to do. However, there needs to be accountability on both ends. If we have a scheduled appointment with our dentist, our hairdresser, or anyone, it is our obligation to realize that they are relying on us to be there. Giving adequate notice (preferably as far in advance as possible – like 48 hours) of the need to change an appointment is common courtesy.

On the other end, it is important for the provider’s office to realize that people have lives outside of their appointments. While it may be inconvenient for the office to have to reschedule an appointment, the request must be handled with respect and as much accommodation as possible.

An appointment is a commitment and it is important to take our commitments seriously. If you routinely have to change appointments to accommodate your busy schedule, it may make sense to make your appointments differently, such as being “on call” when you are due for an appointment vs. pre-scheduling.

Dental offices typically schedule your next dental hygienist appointment in advance. It may be 3, 4, or 6 months away. One of the reasons this is done is for patients to choose and reserve a time that usually best fits their schedule. Patients are often disappointed if they call to reschedule and the appointment time options are limited.

The need to change appointments happens. As long as it is not a frequently occurring issue, most providers’ offices understand. Mutual respect builds relationships.

Dr. St. Clair maintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered family dentistry. He has a special interest in treating sleep apnea and TMJ problems. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com