The final stretch of the year is here. For dental and vision providers, it’s more than just holiday cheer and packed calendars. It’s a critical window of opportunity.
As patients scramble to use their benefits before they expire, your practice stands to benefit from increased demand, meaningful revenue potential, and the chance to make a lasting impact on patient health. Q4 isn’t just busy, it’s pivotal. And how you navigate this period can shape your success well into the new year.
Here we’ll break down why year-end matters so much for your practice, what patients often overlook, and how you can engage them to maximize their health outcomes and your schedule.
Key Takeaways:
Why Year-End is Critical for Providers
- Increased Demand: Patients rush to use unused benefits before they reset, making schedules busier.
- Revenue Opportunity: Filling the calendar with appointments before the slower post-holiday period supports practice revenue. Many dental providers report a 25% increase in hygiene and emergency visits during warmer months and year-end, driven by benefit expiration and holiday scheduling.
- Patient Health: Timely preventive care, like cleanings and eye exams, supports ongoing patient well-being and can reduce emergency visits later.
Like in the summer months, your office might receive a surge of patients trying to schedule appointments. We trust that your office is well equipped to provide quality care no matter the time of year. The key difference is patients may feel the crunch to quickly schedule appointments before their benefits reset at the start of the year. On the other hand, other patients may be busy with the buzz of Halloween costumes and Christmas plans. So, using their benefits might be the last thing on their minds— and they may not realize just what they’re missing.
What Patients Often Don’t Realize
- “Use It or Lose It”: Many dental and vision plans have annual maximums or allowances that don’t roll over. It’s important not only for their health to get in to see you before the year ends, but to maximize their benefits. In fact, only 2.8% of people with PPO dental insurance use their full annual benefits—meaning most patients miss out on care they’ve already paid for.
- Preventive Visits are Often Fully Covered: With big holidays around the corner, expenses will be on the minds of your patients. Their dental and vision health— may not be. So, it can be incredibly beneficial to remind patients that their insurance has them covered. Most dental plans follow a 100/80/50 structure of coverage, meaning preventive care—like cleanings and exams—is covered at 100% when patients stay in-network.
- Delaying Can Cost More: Skipping preventive care can lead to increased risk of various dental and vision complications and higher out-of-pocket expenses later. Patients who skip regular cleanings see a 43% increase in annual dental costs, while those who stay consistent enjoy up to 31% savings over five years.
What You as a Provider Should Do Now
Proactively Remind Patients
- Recall Campaigns: Use email, text, and phone reminders to prompt patients who haven’t scheduled checkups. A physical, albeit digital, reminder can go a long way. Practices that improve their recall systems can see a 10–15% increase in patient retention and up to $5,000 more in monthly hygiene production.
Automated recall systems also boost attendance. SMS reminders increase show rates to 78.6%, and phone calls to 80.3%.
Here are different strategies you can use when rolling out patient reminders.
- Segment Outreach: Send targeted reminders to patients who haven’t had an exam so far this year.
- Personalize Messages: Use patients’ names and mention specific family members who are due for care.
- Use Urgency: “Appointments fill up fast at the end of the year—schedule yours today!”
- In-Office Efforts: Encourage your patients at their appointments to book their follow-up in advance. It might be months to a year out, but it is better to be proactive. They can always reschedule closer to time if there is a conflict.
For older patients, suggest a family member book for them so they don’t forget. That’s one less thing for them to worry about.
- Website and Social Media: You can share friendly reminders and helpful tips to cut through the doomscrolling. Keep your patients well informed by posting reminders about the year-end deadline and insurance facts.
Highlight the Benefits of Preventive Care
Your job as a provider doesn’t end when the cleaning or exam is done. Part of the job is educating your patients on health literacy.
Informing them is empowering them. Sharing how preventive oral and vision care not only supports overall health but can also help reduce the risk of more complex—and costly—issues later can. This approach will foster a sense of duty and discipline in your patients.
Preventive dental care is linked to lower medical costs and fewer emergency visits. Patients who receive regular cleanings see a 36% reduction in ER visits and a 39% drop in hospital admissions.
Educate with Clear Messaging
Here are examples of what you can include in your reminders:
- “Hi [Patient Name], your dental/vision insurance benefits will reset soon! Most plans cover preventive care at no extra cost. Click here to book your checkup before December 31!”
- “Your dental/vision insurance benefits reset soon. Maximize their value with a visit before year-end.”
Holiday Themed:
- “You know what’s scarier than ghosts and ghouls… BAD GUMS/BREATH *insert scared emojis* Chase away those pesky diseases looming around every corner with a dental cleaning! —Book Now!”
- “Give yourself the gift of strong teeth/vision—schedule your cleaning/eye exam before the year is up!”
- ““I am grateful for good health.” Is what you would say around the dinner table had you scheduled your eye exam/cleaning.
- “Come in for a cleaning to make sure your teeth are strong enough to take a bite off the cob this year…or to prepare for your [insert family member name’s] pecan pie *side eye emoji*—Schedule your appointment now!”
- “May your eyes/smile be merry and bright! —schedule your cleaning/eye exam before the year is up!”
- “Should old appointments be forgot and never brough to mind? No way! Schedule your appointment now!”
- Good oral/vision health: the gift that keeps on giving! It might not be under your tree, but it is in your benefits. Schedule your appointment today, book your cleaning/exam before December 31!
Offer Convenient Scheduling
- Extended Hours: Offering evening or weekend appointments, when possible, will allow more opportunities for your patients to get in the door. It will also show just how much you care about their health and their time.
- Online Booking: Make scheduling easier via your website or patient portal. In some cases, patients might find it easier to book online rather than over the phone.
By reminding patients to use their benefits before year-end, you’re doing more than filling your schedule, you’re helping them prioritize their health. With only 43% of U.S. adults visiting a dentist annually, there’s a huge opportunity to re-engage patients who may not realize what they’re missing. These simple outreach efforts build trust, boost loyalty, and help your practice finish the year strong.
Start your year-end reminder campaign today and help your patients make the most of their benefits before December 31!
