{"id":40981,"date":"2025-07-14T09:46:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T23:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/?p=40981"},"modified":"2025-07-14T09:47:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T23:47:14","slug":"why-it-pays-not-to-keep-your-patients-waiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/why-it-pays-not-to-keep-your-patients-waiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Why it pays not to keep your patients waiting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">5<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time.jpg\" alt=\"keeping patients waiting\" class=\"wp-image-40982 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time.jpg\" alt=\"keeping patients waiting\" class=\"wp-image-40982 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/running-on-time-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photography: liudmilachernetska\/123RF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-running-late-isn-t-just-frustrating-for-patients-it-can-damage-trust-and-loyalty-which-why-an-effective-schedule-is-essential-for-an-ideal-patient-experience-by-angela-tufvesson\">Running late isn\u2019t just frustrating for patients\u2014it can damage trust and loyalty, which why an effective schedule is essential for an ideal patient experience. By Angela Tufvesson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ten minutes. That\u2019s the maximum amount of time patients should typically wait for a scheduled dental appointment, says Dr Toni Surace, managing director of <a href=\"https:\/\/momentummanagement.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Momentum Management<\/a> and principal dentist at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smilenco.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smile N Co<\/a> on Victoria\u2019s Mornington Peninsula.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe patient\u2019s time is really important, and patients will absolutely judge you on how late you\u2019re running,\u201d she says. \u201cEverything needs to be done these days to improve the experience for patients, and running on time is the least we can do.\u201d<\/p><div class=\"bitem-article-desktop-720x300-in-text\" id=\"bitem-441803233\"><!-- Bite 720x300 [async] -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">if (!window.AdButler){(function(){var s = document.createElement(\"script\"); s.async = true; s.type = \"text\/javascript\";s.src = 'https:\/\/servedby.engagemedia.com.au\/app.js';var n = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);}());}<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\nvar AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || [];\r\nvar abkw = window.abkw || '';\r\nvar plc705185 = window.plc705185 || 0;\r\ndocument.write('<'+'div id=\"placement_705185_'+plc705185+'\"><\\\/'+'div>');\r\nAdButler.ads.push({handler: function(opt){ AdButler.register(165450, 705185, [720,300], 'placement_705185_'+opt.place, opt); }, opt: { place: plc705185++, keywords: abkw, domain: 'servedby.engagemedia.com.au', click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER' }});\r\n<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-not-enough-time\">Not enough time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When a dentist runs over time with an appointment, it can be difficult to catch up and get the day back on track. One delay often leads to the next, causing a snowball effect where every appointment starts late. It gets even harder when there\u2019s no wiggle room in the schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many practices, the root cause is simple: dentists are not allocated enough time to complete each procedure. \u201cIf a dentist doesn\u2019t have enough time, they\u2019re obviously going to run late,\u201d Dr Surace explains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She says finding the sweet spot between minimising patient wait times and maximising dentists\u2019 time starts the moment patients book an appointment. The front desk needs to know how long different types of procedures take\u2014for each dentist and, ideally, for each patient. It\u2019s crucial to also understand the reason for the appointment. Is it a routine check-up or an emergency like a broken tooth or lost filling?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For appointments booked through online platforms, Dr Surace always recommends a team member calls the patient to clarify details about their dental care needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important to check that the amount of time that they\u2019ve booked online is the right amount of time for what they\u2019re expecting to get done,\u201d Dr Surace says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/glenferriedental.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Glenferrie Dental <\/a>in Melbourne\u2019s east, principal dentist Dr Peter Laird says new dentists provide an estimate of the time they need to perform each procedure as part of the onboarding process. \u201cTypically, every dentist has a fairly robust understanding of how long it will take to perform a procedure in a repeatable and predictable fashion,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>The patient\u2019s time is really important, and patients will absolutely judge you on how late you\u2019re running. Everything needs to be done these days to improve the experience for patients, and running on time is the least we can do. <br><br><strong>Dr Toni Surace, principal dentist, Smile N Co<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After each appointment, the dentist advises the&nbsp;front office of the time the patient requires for their next appointment. \u201cThis keeps the dentist accountable for the smooth running of their own schedule,\u201d Dr Laird says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-emergency-planning\">Emergency planning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Emergencies can throw out even the most well-planned appointment book and cause dentists to run late. Instead of trying to squeeze care for a knocked-out tooth or severe pain into an already packed schedule, dental practice business coach Dr David Moffet who previously ran his own practice in Parramatta in Sydney\u2019s west for 28 years recommends anticipating and blocking out time for emergencies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy rule in our practice was that every day we had two blank appointments that weren\u2019t to be filled beforehand that were prioritised for people who called on that day with an emergency,\u201d he says. If no-one called, the practice brought forward appointments for crowns from a list of patients who preferred an earlier time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, Dr Surace recommends booking a mix of \u2018flexible\u2019 and \u2018captive\u2019 appointments throughout each day. \u201cA flexible appointment means you can possibly do a little bit less in the appointment and fit in an emergency. A captive appointment can\u2019t be shortened as you need exactly that amount of time,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn your morning huddle, discuss where emergency patients might be placed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-patient-comes-first\">The patient comes first<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Laird\u2019s practice keeps track of when patients are checked in and out in order to generate reports on how each dentist keeps to time. \u201cWe keep a tight measure on this metric,\u201d he says, explaining it\u2019s part of an overall commitment to prioritise the patient experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI used to work at a practice that constantly ran late and it was almost a part of the culture. I could see that it&nbsp;was having a negative impact and harming patient care, and that sometimes we were even losing patients from the practice. We look at wait times seriously and prioritise it over squeezing every billable moment from the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Moffet believes respecting patients\u2019 time is a key aspect of modern practice management. No longer is it acceptable to arrive at the practice for the first appointment of the day or after lunch when patients are already in the waiting room. \u201cYou have to be ready to go at the start time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So important is it to run on time as much as possible that Dr Surace suggests rescheduling afternoon appointments if the practice is falling significantly behind, rather than trying to catch up and risking a rushed or compromised patient experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not good enough to think we\u2019ll catch up,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m of the mindset that to be different nowadays in dentistry, it\u2019s about the experience that the patient has. It\u2019s about not rushing, slowing down your dentistry and building better patient relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPatients will notice the difference and will stay with you if you slow things down.\u201d &nbsp;<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Running late isn\u2019t just frustrating for patients\u2014it can damage trust and loyalty, which why an effective schedule is essential for an ideal patient experience. By Angela Tufvesson Ten minutes. That\u2019s the maximum amount of time patients should typically wait for a scheduled dental appointment, says Dr Toni Surace, managing director of Momentum Management and principal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7170,691],"tags":[6627,684,21629,1402,2149],"class_list":{"0":"post-40981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-your-business","9":"tag-dental-appointments","10":"tag-featured","11":"tag-patient-expectations","12":"tag-patient-experience","13":"tag-waiting-times"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why it pays not to keep your patients waiting - Bite Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitemagazine.com.au\/why-it-pays-not-to-keep-your-patients-waiting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why it pays not to keep your patients waiting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Running late isn\u2019t just frustrating for patients\u2014it can damage trust and loyalty, which why an effective schedule is essential for an ideal patient experience. 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