Follow Up & Follow Through
Why Follow Up Creates Loyal Patients
Now let me ask you a question… do you believe someone has your absolute best interest at heart if you have just one single interaction with them?
Not really right? Studies have shown it takes about 7 interactions nowadays to make a lasting impression on someone, imagine how many it take to wow them..
What I’m saying is: you need to follow up and check in on your patients. Care about them. Show them you are interested. Ask them how they are. Check if they’re happy. This is what strong dentist patient communication looks like beyond the chair – it’s not a single appointment, it’s an ongoing relationship built on genuine interest and consistent contact.
Follow up allows you to monitor your patients’ health – which is what you do, right?
It helps you reinforce important knowledge and action plans. It helps engage and schedule future appointments. It helps show them that you care. It helps with referrals. It helps with building your business.
This is also one of the most underutilised pillars of marketing for dental practices – the patients already in your database are your warmest, most cost-effective source of growth. Following up consistently means you don’t need to spend more on attracting new patients when you haven’t fully nurtured the ones you already have.
You can’t expect return patients if you don’t follow through. Period.
I often tell my fellow Dentapreneurs: the fortune is in the follow-up.
People in business often avoid following up because they don’t want to be a nuisance or appear pushy. No one wants to come across like a desperate or dodgy salesperson – we’ve all been on the receiving end of that, and no one enjoys it.
But following up actually does the opposite. Done with warmth and intention, it makes you appear more professional, more caring, and more trustworthy. This is exactly what nlp for dental business teaches – how to communicate follow-up in a way that feels natural, not salesy, and that strengthens the patient relationship rather than straining it.
Five Follow Up Opportunities You Can't Miss
The 5 things you MUST follow up on:
- Telephone calls that were not converted to appointments
- Treatment plans not converted to bookings
- Reviews promised but not completed
- Follow ups after clinical treatments
- Follow up on important milestones of patients
Each of these five touchpoints is a chance to deepen dentist patient communication – turning what could be a forgotten interaction into a meaningful moment that builds trust, loyalty, and lifetime patient value.
Now, before you start calling every patient or chasing every missed enquiry from the past 12 months – just know that around 63% of people who have requested information about your practice may not make a decision for at least three months, and a further 20% often take more than 12 months. Patience and a structured follow-up system, supported by the right dental office coaching, is what makes this strategy sustainable rather than overwhelming.
Unlock Opportunities With Existing Patients
How many people have you not followed up? These aren’t people who have “rejected” you or your team – they are people who can tell you exactly why they didn’t choose you, why they didn’t attend their appointment, or why they didn’t complete their treatment plan.
That feedback is gold. It gives you the chance to rectify the situation, offer them a return visit, and understand the real reasons behind their behaviour. The ability to hear, interpret, and respond to that kind of patient feedback is a skill that nlp for dental business directly develops – understanding the language patients use to express doubt, hesitation, or unmet needs, and knowing how to address those in a way that rebuilds confidence and trust.
It also gives you the chance to understand objections and resolve them sooner – one of the most powerful and often overlooked elements of marketing for dental practices. Your existing patients, properly nurtured, become your most credible referral source and your most reliable revenue base.
Don’t be afraid to build a relationship.
If a patient is celebrating a birthday or has just had a new baby, keep in touch. See them as a lifelong patient – not just a one-time visitor. This is the mindset shift that great dental office coaching instils: moving from transactional thinking to relational thinking, where every patient is a valued long-term relationship, not just a case to close.
These are people you are honoured to look after. Take them into your life and value them.
I truly encourage you to read my book – click HERE for the link.