Our Office Policies
We value your time and appreciate your cooperation in keeping our schedule running smoothly. To provide equal and quality dental care for all of our patients, we have established the following policies:
Appointment Policies
Missed Appointments
We allow up to two missed appointments per Family within a calendar year.
After three missed appointments, you may be dismissed as a patient, or be offered to work within our Flex Scheduling policy.
A missed appointment is when you:
- Fail to show up for a confirmed appointment at the designated appointment time without providing us at least 24 hours’ notice
- Fail to confirm your appointment 48 hours before the appointment time.
We understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances may prevent you from keeping your appointment, but we ask that you notify us as soon as possible if you are unable to make it. This allows us to offer your appointment slot to another patient who may need urgent care.
Appointment Cancellations
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please give us at least 48 hours notice. This helps us to accommodate other patients who may need our services. You can cancel or reschedule your appointment by calling our office at (phone number) or sending us an email at (email address).
If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice, it will be considered a missed appointment and count towards your limit of two missed appointments.
Appointment Confirmations and Reminders
Confirmations:
Appointments are not guaranteed unless you confirm your appointment time 2 to 5 days prior to your appointment.
We confirm appointments via an automated messaging system. Appointment confirmations are sent out via text message 5 days prior to the appointment. If appointments are not confirmed then, an additional confirmation request will be sent 3 days prior to the appointment. If an appointment is not confirmed 48 hours prior to the appointment, we may attempt to confirm the appointment manually via a phone call.
If an appointment is not confirmed within 48 hours of the appointment time, we reserve the right to break your appointment and replace it with another appointment.
If you show up for an unconfirmed appointment, it is highly likely we will not be able to see you at your original appointment time as we may have given that appointment time to another patient or accepted a walk-in appointment. If your arrival is before 11:00am, we can attempt to work you into our schedule if you are willing to wait.
Automated appointment confirmations rely on having up to date contact information provided to us by the patient. Please verify you contact information with the front desk. If you have opted out of electronic communication, it is the patient’s responsibility to call in and confirm their appointment.
Appointment Reminders:
We send appointment reminders via an automated messaging system. Appointment reminders will go out via text message on the following frequencies: 7 days, 1 day, and 3 hours before the appointment.
If an appointment reminder goes out prior to being confirmed, the reminder will ask that you confirm your appointment.
Multi-Family Appointments
No more than three appointments will be scheduled per family, per day. This helps us maintain a manageable and efficient flow throughout the day, ensuring all our patients receive the care they need when they need it.
Staggered Appointments: We recommend scheduling children on different days when possible, to help manage their individual needs more effectively during each visit.
Advance Planning: We encourage families to discuss their scheduling needs with our front desk staff, who are here to assist with coordinating appointments to meet this policy.
Families with consistent history of attendance may be eligible for additional scheduling flexibility based on availability.
Flex Schedule Families Policy
We value your time and appreciate your cooperation in keeping our schedule running smoothly.
We recognize that sometimes life’s unpredictability affects your ability to keep scheduled appointments. In our commitment to provide quality dental care to all our patients, we have established a considerate approach for families who have encountered challenges with scheduled visits.
Transition to Flex Schedule:
After two missed appointments, we understand that pre-scheduled visits may not always be the best option for your family. As such, you will be transitioned to what we call our “Flex Schedule Families“. This is not a downgrade but an adaptive scheduling model tailored to accommodate the uncertainties of day-to-day life while still providing access to necessary dental care.
How it Works:
Morning Check-Ins: Flex Schedule Families are encouraged to call our office each morning to inquire about same-day appointment availability due to cancellations or no-shows. Based on our schedule, we may be able to provide an appointment time, or an estimated wait time for a walk in appointment.
Walk-In Flexibility: Alternatively, you may come to our office and wait in our lobby. We will do our best to work you into the schedule if an opening arises, although we cannot guarantee immediate availability, as we have a prior commitment to patients with scheduled appointments. Walk-Ins are not accepted after 11:00am.
Benefits of Flex Scheduling:
Reduced Pressure: Removes the stress of adhering to pre-scheduled appointments, providing a more flexible approach that can better suit your family’s needs.
Continued Care: Ensures that your family still has access to the dental care they need, even if traditional scheduling hasn’t been successful.
Commitment to Care:
We are dedicated to maintaining a relationship with your family and ensuring that you receive the dental care you require. This flexible approach allows us to adapt to your unique situation while helping us manage our schedule effectively to serve all our patients better. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this policy. Please feel free to discuss any concerns or special circumstances with our staff. We are here to support your family’s dental health in the most accommodating way possible.
This policy reflects our dedication to all our patients’ well-being, recognizing that each family’s situation is unique and requires a personalized approach to ensure timely and efficient dental care.