Why Your Practice Needs a New Dental Patient Orientation Kit

No dental practice should be without a new patient orientation kit.  They are easy to assemble, inexpensive to use and most importantly, make new dental patients feel comfortable with your practice by letting them know what to expect.

It is nice to have preprinted folders but to get started you can purchase relatively inexpensive folders from Staples or Office Depot and print your own labels on an ink jet printer.

Consider putting the following information in your dental practice’s new patient orientation kit:

• Welcome letter on your stationery
• Practice brochure
• Business card
• Copies of articles published by or about you
• Copies of articles which relate to the patient’s condition or treatment
• Hippa forms
• Medical history form
• Insurance Forms
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Information about your staff
• Information about finances, hours of operation, what to do in the event of an emergency  etc.

If you mail out the new dental patient orientation kit, forms can be filled out before the first appointment which can be an advantage.  On the other hand, if a patient is unclear what to do or becomes confused, you are better off having the patient in the office so questions can be answered face to face.  Much depends on the type of patients you have and you are the best judge of when to distribute the new dental patient orientation kit.

If you do this right, you will get better appointment compliance, patient retention and a higher ratio of case acceptance.