Dentists Losing Up to 50% of Patients at the Front Desk

As many as 50% of dental patients can be lost at the front desk. In this survey by dental marketing resource The Wealthy Dentist, one out of three dentists (34%) reported an amazing job by their front desk staff. Another one of three (31%) find front desk team members satisfactory. However, 24% of dentist respondents say the front desk costs their dental practice patients, and 11% know they should prioritize front desk team training.

Poor accounting at the front desk can cost a dentist money - lots of money. "My front desk person just left, and I discovered huge amounts of denied claims and inadequate insurance processing," said a Massachusetts dentist. "My accounts receivables are horribly high and probably lost forever. I didn't pay enough attention."

Dental management should involve monitoring systems. "My office managers and I regularly monitor the staff's work and progress," shared an Ohio prosthodontist. "Daily morning staff meetings also help in preventing problems!"

Front desk problems can be a nightmare for dentists. Whether it's dental practice embezzlement, personal heartbreak or professional betrayal, there are a lot of ways employees can wound their dentist employers. "There are too many horror stories to count," sighed a New York dental office worker. "Do I have any front desk horror stories?" a Texas dentist asked rhetorically. "It's too painful to reply."

"There's a reason one of my most popular tutorials is 'How To Turn Your Front Desk into a Marketing Machine,'" said Jim Du Molin, expert on dental websites and founder of dental website The Wealthy Dentist. "These team members interact with patients so often, both in person and on the phone, that you have to consider them a part of your dental marketing efforts."