Appointment reminder texts
Cut missed appointments with a timely text the day before, sent automatically at the time you choose.
Read moreText reminders and recalls for dental practices
Fill the diary and protect chair time with simple text messages patients actually read. Orbis SMS helps dental teams send recalls and reminders in a few clicks.
The challenge
Why dental practices turn to SMS
Dental appointments are often booked months ahead, so patients forget them. A failed attendance leaves an expensive chair, a dentist and a nurse idle, and hygienist slots are particularly easy to lose. Recall letters are slow and costly, and many patients simply do not open them. Reception teams juggle the phone, the front desk and payment queries at the same time, so chasing recalls slips down the list. When a dentist is off sick or the practice has to close for a day, the team needs to contact a whole session of patients quickly and offer them another time.
How Orbis SMS helps
Messages that make a difference
- 1
Recall prompts
Import patients who are due a check-up from a CSV export of your practice system and send a friendly prompt to book. Splitting them into groups by month means recalls go out steadily rather than all at once, so reception can handle the calls that follow without being swamped.
- 2
Appointment reminders
Schedule reminders for the day before each appointment, and a second one a week ahead for longer treatments or hygienist sessions. Including the practice phone number makes it easy for patients to rearrange early, which gives you a realistic chance of filling the slot.
- 3
Cancellation list offers
When a patient cancels, text the people on your short-notice list to say a slot is available. Many patients would happily come in sooner if they knew, and a quick message is far less effort for reception than ringing round a list one number at a time.
- 4
Payment and plan reminders
Send polite reminders about outstanding balances or upcoming payments for private treatment or practice membership plans. Keep the wording neutral, avoid any detail about the treatment itself and give a clear way to contact the practice if the patient has a question about what they owe.
- 5
Closures and urgent care information
Tell patients about closures, changed hours and how to get urgent dental care when the practice is shut. A bulk message before a bank holiday or during bad weather saves reception from answering the same question dozens of times and helps patients in pain find help quickly.
Good practice
Compliance notes for dental practices
Recalls and reminders for existing patients are generally service messages, but texts promoting whitening, aligners or other cosmetic treatments are marketing and need consent or a valid soft opt-in, plus an opt-out in every message. Keep treatment details out of texts, since a phone may be seen by others. Make sure numbers in your practice system are current, particularly for children whose parent or guardian should be contacted.
General information only, not legal advice. See our guide to UK SMS marketing rules and Acceptable Use Policy.
Use cases
Popular with dental practices
Payment reminder texts
Polite, timely reminders that help invoices and balances get paid without awkward calls.
Read more
Booking confirmation texts
Confirm bookings instantly with the date, time and details customers need to hand.
Read moreQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Most practice systems can export a list of patients as a CSV file, which you can import into Orbis SMS as contacts and organise into groups.
A neutral prompt telling an existing patient they are due a check-up is usually treated as a service message. If the text promotes paid treatments or offers, it is more likely to be marketing. This is general information, not legal advice, so take advice if you are unsure about a particular message.
One reminder the day before suits most routine visits. For longer treatments, new patient appointments or hygienist sessions booked well in advance, an extra reminder about a week ahead gives people time to rearrange. More than two tends to annoy patients without improving attendance.
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