Patient Running Late
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Sometimes patients run late. We owe it to ALL of our patients to run on time. If a patient arrives late or calls to say they will be running late, we need to communicate something to the effect of the following:
-Hygienist XXX will try to complete as much of the appointment as possible. We will start with x-rays, checking your gum tissue, and the doctor exam. This will ensures your oral health is being monitored. Time permitting, we will do cleaning and polish. If we run out of time today, we will reschedule you for a quick polish and cleaning to keep your teeth looking clean and shiny!
Typically if the patient is more than 15 minutes late we will need to reschedule. However, if there is an opening in the schedule our priority is to keep the schedule full!
The key here is to do what is necessary for health first!
On restorative patients, the late time is dependent upon the appointment. Check with the doctor assistant to see if any tardiness can be worked in to the schedule.
Our reputation is running on time. It is everyone’s job to ensure the healthcare providers in the office are able to keep that reputation! Let’s set everyone up for success.