Back in March, a news story in Calgary, Canada, had the dental community, as well as the general public, up in arms over cancellation policies. According to CBC News Calgary, \”Roland Ikporo was billed $400 by Expressions Dental, a clinic in northwest Calgary, for canceling an appointment for his son an hour after he had booked it.\”

It seems that Ikporo\’s son got a toothache on a Saturday afternoon, when his regular dental office was closed. He was able to get an emergency appointment at Expressions Dental where his son received an examination and a full set of X-Rays.

Expressions Dental discovered that the son needed four teeth extracted, so they set an appointment for the following Monday. However, when Ikporo returned home, he canceled the Monday appointment, and his credit card was charged a $400 cancellation fee.

Ikporo was told that Expressions Dental has a 72-hour cancellation policy. Ikporo had a legitimate argument, however, since the appointment was made with only a 48-hour advance notice, there was no way he could have abided by the 72-hour policy anyway.

It\’s not unusual for a dental business to have a cancellation policy and to charge for missed appointments. But cancellation fees are typically in the $20-$25 range, not the $400 fee charged by Expressions Dental.

A recent study, however, showed that, on average, 10% of patients are no-shows. How does a $25 cancellation fee compare to 10% in lost revenue? Do you believe $25 is an adequate cancellation fee?
Some Things to Consider For Your Own Dental Business

Take a look at your cancellation policy. Do you think it\’s fair to both you and your patients? Are your patients aware of your cancellation policy ahead of time, or are they only informed of it at the time they call to cancel? Are all of your staff members aware of the policy, and are they able to articulate it kindly an intelligently to your patients.

How much do you charge for a canceled or missed appointment? And how does this compare to your lost revenue from cancellations? How many of your canceled appointments are you able to fill with last minute emergencies?

It is perfectly acceptable for a dental business to create a cancellation policy and to charge a missed appointment fee. It is important, however, that the policy is acceptable to both the dentist and the patients. So take the time to review your policy, both from the outlook of your financial health, and from the outlook of your patients.

Do you often feel frazzled and overwhelmed when you walk into your dental office, even though it\’s the first thing in the morning? Do you dream of being able to work a \”normal\” schedule, with more time to spend at home, more time with your family and friends, doing the things you love to do? Is your dental business draining every ounce of energy from you so that you have nothing left by the end of the day?

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