- Owner
- Office Manager
- Effective date
- September 15, 2026
- Review cycle
- Every 12 months
1.Purpose
To fill the schedule efficiently, reduce missed appointments through timely confirmations, and bring patients back for recall visits on time.
2.Scope
Applies to scheduling of routine and recall dental appointments through the practice management system. Emergency same-day scheduling is covered by a separate procedure.
Definitions
- Recall appointment
- A routine preventive visit, such as a cleaning and exam, scheduled at an interval recommended by the dentist.
- Confirmation call or message
- Contact made with the patient before the appointment to confirm they still plan to attend.
- Same-day cancellation
- A cancellation made too close to the appointment time to reasonably fill the slot from a waiting list.
3.Responsibilities
- Front Desk Coordinator
- Books, confirms and reschedules appointments, and manages the daily schedule and waiting list.
- Office Manager
- Oversees the recall system, monitors schedule fill rate and resolves repeated no-shows.
- Dentist
- Sets recall intervals and treatment time requirements used to build the schedule template.
RACI matrix
| Activity | Front Desk Coordinator | Office Manager | Dentist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book a new or follow-up appointment | R/A | I | C |
| Send appointment confirmations | R/A | I | - |
| Manage cancellations and the waiting list | R/A | C | - |
| Run the recall program | R | R/A | C |
R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed
4.Materials and PPE
Materials, tools and systems
- →Practice management system with scheduling module
- →Recall interval guidelines by treatment type
- →Confirmation call script or automated messaging system
- →Waiting list for short-notice openings
- →No-show and cancellation tracking log
5.Procedure
- 5.1
Determine the appointment type and time needed
Front Desk CoordinatorIdentify the procedure being scheduled and the chair time it requires using the practice's standard time blocks for that treatment type.
- 5.2
Check provider and operatory availability
Front Desk CoordinatorCheck the schedule for an open slot with the correct provider and operatory type, considering any equipment needed for the procedure.
- 5.3
Book the appointment
Front Desk CoordinatorEnter the appointment in the practice management system with the patient's contact information, procedure code and any special notes for the clinical team.
Checkpoint: The booked time block matches the standard duration for the procedure type before the slot is confirmed to the patient.
- 5.4
Communicate preparation instructions
Front Desk CoordinatorTell the patient about any preparation needed for the visit, such as arrival time for paperwork or fasting instructions for sedation, at the time of booking.
- 5.5
Send an appointment confirmation
Front Desk CoordinatorSend a confirmation message or call the patient within the practice's standard window before the appointment, and note the response in the system.
- 5.6
Follow up on unconfirmed appointments
Front Desk CoordinatorFor patients who have not responded to the confirmation attempt, follow up again before the day of the appointment, and flag the appointment as at risk if still unconfirmed.
- 5.7
Manage a cancellation or reschedule request
Front Desk CoordinatorWhen a patient cancels or asks to reschedule, offer the next available appointment and note the reason for the change in the system.
- 5.8
Fill the opening from the waiting list
Front Desk CoordinatorFor a cancellation with enough notice, offer the opening to a patient on the waiting list; for a same-day cancellation, try to fill it or adjust the day's schedule.
- 5.9
Track repeated no-shows
Front Desk CoordinatorLog each no-show or late cancellation on the patient's account, and flag patients with a pattern of missed appointments to the office manager.
- 5.10
Address a pattern of missed appointments
Office ManagerContact patients with repeated no-shows to discuss a scheduling approach that works better for them, applying the practice's no-show policy as needed.
- 5.11
Run the recall report
Office ManagerRun the recall report on the practice's schedule to identify patients due or overdue for their next preventive visit based on the dentist's recommended interval.
- 5.12
Contact patients due for recall
Front Desk CoordinatorReach out to patients identified in the recall report to schedule their next visit, prioritizing those who are significantly overdue.
6.Quality checks
- →Confirmation attempts are made within the standard window for every scheduled appointment.
- →No-shows and cancellations are logged consistently on the patient's account.
- →The recall report is run and worked on the practice's set schedule.
- →Booked time blocks match the standard duration for the procedure type.
7.Records
- →Appointment schedule in the practice management system
- →Confirmation call and message log
- →No-show and cancellation tracking log
- →Recall report and outreach results
8.KPIs
- →Schedule fill rate
- →No-show and late cancellation rate
- →Percentage of appointments confirmed before visit
- →Recall patients scheduled versus overdue
9.Common mistakes
- →Booking a procedure into a time block that's too short for the treatment.
- →Skipping the second confirmation attempt for an unresponsive patient.
- →Letting the recall report go unworked for more than the practice's set schedule.
- →Not logging a no-show, which hides a pattern that needs to be addressed.
10.Revision history
| Revision | Date | Description | Reviewed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | September 15, 2026 | Initial release | Ilia Pirozhenko |
This is a template. Adapt it to your organization, equipment and local regulations before use.
