Use it or lose it marketing campaigns remind patients they have unused dental benefits that expire at the end of the year. Like clockwork, many successful practices do yearly "Use it or Lose it" campaigns.

Texts: While getting your postcards or letters ready you can also simply text patients with unused benefits something simple such as, "Please call regarding your dental appointment". 

Letter: Send on stationary starting in October that aligns with the month's themes or holidays: Halloween (Fall), Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season. 

Dear (insert patient’s name), 

Gentle Dental provides our patients with the best care possible.  An important part of this process is informing patients of their dental needs. Many individuals who are paying for dental insurance do not realize that their plans provide coverage up to a certain dollar amount annually. Consequently, some patients are not scheduling for dental treatment they need, deserve, and have insurance to cover. Unfortunately, numerous patients do not realize insurance benefits for each year cannot be carried over to the next year.  What the patient does not use they lose. 

Please contact our office to discuss your current pending treatment plan and our staff will be happy to discuss your dental benefits at that time. For further information on our services and location please visit our website at www.gentledental.com   

If you choose to have these services performed before the end of this year, please mention that you received this letter and we will give you an additional 10% off your estimated patient portion. 

Yours truly, (insert doctor’s name)  

Postcards:

Create your own postcards or purchase from a company such as (like the one above) from smartpractice.com

Phone calls: Follow up your postcards or letters with phone calls. Start by creatig a list of patients who have unused benefits and pending treatment. Work back from those patients who have most recentlly been in. 

Important:

a. Some dentists do not agree with giving discounts which is totally understandable. If that is the case edit the letter to your liking but keep in mind that “Discount Dentistry” is very different than offering targeted discounts to accomplish a specific goal. Certain discounts can be destructive if not used with proper judgement. There is always a danger of having people focus on price instead of the value of your services. The key is to have a good reason to offer the discount to accomplish a specific targeted need for your practice.

b. If you offer a discount or credit, still submit your agreed upon fee to the insurance company. Deduct the credit from the patient's portion. Include a note on how much and why you discounted the co-pay when submitting. If you have any concerns or questions, check with your providers.

Note: You cannot give credits to Medicaid or Medicare patients due to Federal regulations.

Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during long summer days working at his dad's Madison Avenue ad agency. After joining Cambridge as a speaker in the mid-1990s, Kevin went on to become Cambridge’s senior consultant and eventually CEO. Cambridge Dental Consultants is a full-service dental practice management company offering customized dental office manuals. Frustrated? High overhead? Schedule a chat with Kevin at