Recall Reminders That Actually Work

The ADA recommends dental visits every 6 months. Your patients know this. And yet, the average dental practice has a recall rate of just 60-65%. That means 35-40% of your patients are overdue for their cleaning.

Why? Because your recall system probably looks like this:

1. Send a postcard at 5.5 months
2. Send an email at 6 months
3. Maybe a phone call at 7 months
4. Give up at 8 months

Postcards go in the trash. Emails go to spam. Phone calls go to voicemail. The patient doesn't come back until they have a toothache — by which point they need a $1,500 root canal instead of a $175 cleaning.

Why Text-Based Recall Works

Text messages have a 98% open rate and a 45% response rate. Compare that to email (20% open, 2% click) and postcards (1-2% response).

But the magic isn't just texting them. It's texting them the right way:

Bad recall text: "Dear Patient, your 6-month dental checkup is due. Please call our office at 555-0100 to schedule."

Good recall text: "Hi Sarah! You're due for your cleaning with Amy. I have Thursday Oct 10 at 10am or Friday Oct 11 at 2pm. Reply 1 or 2 to book, or suggest another time."

The difference: specific provider, specific times, one-tap booking. No phone call required.

The AI Recall Sequence

Relay runs a multi-step recall sequence automatically:

5.5 months: "Hi Sarah! Your next cleaning is coming up. Amy has openings next week — want me to find a time?"

6 months: "Sarah, you're due for your 6-month cleaning. I have Tuesday 10am or Thursday 2pm with Amy. Reply to book!"

6.5 months (if no response): "Just checking in, Sarah. It's been over 6 months since your last cleaning. We'd love to see you — any day work this month?"

7 months: "Sarah, Dr. Park wanted me to reach out. Regular cleanings help catch issues early. Can I book you for next week?"

Each message gets progressively more personal. The AI adjusts based on the patient's response history — if they always book morning appointments, it only suggests mornings.

The Numbers

Practices using AI recall see:

• 78% recall rate (up from 62%)
• 30% of patients book from the first text (no phone call needed)
• $4,200/month additional hygiene revenue from recovered recall patients

That's 16% more patients coming in for cleanings. At $175 per cleaning, 20 extra cleanings per month = $3,500. Plus the restorative work discovered during those cleanings.

"Our recall rate went from 61% to 79% in three months. The AI just keeps following up until they book." — Amy Chen, RDH

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