Is there any single part of most dental practices that's more important than recall? If a patient doesn't "pre-appoint" their next hygiene visit, how many times do you try to contact them to get them to schedule it? What if someone cancels a hygiene visit? How many times do you try to get it rescheduled? In the vast majority of dental practices, the answer is "one" or "two". Most will send a message about a month before the patient's due date. Some will send another message a month or two later if, if necessary. There might be a phone call or two somewhere along the way, "if so-and-so has the time". And that's it! The patient is virtually abandoned - forever, or until the next "chart audit" (which happens annually or less in most practices). 

In other words, the recall system in most dental practices is terrible! Patients aren't contacted nearly enough times, nor are they contacted in ways that make it easy for them to schedule an appointment.

With our extensive consulting background, we know that some patients simply won't schedule their hygiene visit until (a) they get their third or fourth notice, or (b) they're at least 6 months past due for it, or (c) you call them on the phone. So if you're not sending at least three or four notices, and if you're not reaching back to patients who are 6 months (and more) past due, and if you're not calling the patient at least once, you're probably not going to see those patients until they have some other dental problem.

But you don't want to annoy your patients, either! Contacting them once a month until they schedule (or tell you to stop bugging them!) is no way to endear them to you.

We designed the PLZ Recall System to be, first and foremost, FLEXIBLE. We can use any of our five patient message types (email, text message, postcard, letter and automated phone call), plus emails to the office (a PLZ exclusive!), sent on any schedule you want, to create the perfect recall system for your office.

Below is the standard schedule of recall notices, but that's just a starting point. We can change the timing of any of these messages, add or remove messages, use other message types, etc. If you work with a consultant, we would be thrilled to work with them to totally automate their "ideal" recall schedule for your office.

We also made it USEFUL. That is, when a patient receives a recall notice email, it doesn't just ask them to call to make an appointment. It has two different links they can click on:

• I'd like to schedule now (takes them to a webform where they can indicate scheduling preferences)
• I'm not ready to schedule at this time (cancels the postcard that would normall be sent a week later, but keeps them scheduled for the next email, according to your schedule)

How do you learn a system as comprehensive as this in only 3.9 seconds? Here's all the training you need: "Check your email and do what it says. When the phone rings, answer it." Yes, it really is that simple.