CutScaleDental Appointment Reminders by Text: What to Send and When
A good reminder text takes ten seconds to read and ten seconds to answer. Most people have their phone with them all day, which is why texts work well for dental appointments.
What to include
- The practice name, so the patient knows who is writing.
- The date, time and, if you have several sites, the location.
- A clear, easy way to confirm, reschedule or cancel.
- A phone number for anything else.
Keep clinical detail out of the message. A reminder can be seen on a lock screen or by someone else holding the phone.
When to send
There is no single right schedule. A common starting point is a confirmation at booking, a reminder a few days before and a final reminder the day before. Then look at your own confirmation and no-show data and adjust. Appointments booked months ahead may need an extra early reminder.
Example wording
- Confirmation: "Hi Sam, your appointment at Smith Dental Care is booked for Tuesday 4 November at 2.30pm. Reply C to confirm or M to move it."
- Reminder: "Hi Sam, a reminder of your appointment tomorrow at 2.30pm at Smith Dental Care. Reply C to confirm or M to move it."
- Gap offer: "An earlier appointment has come up on Friday at 10am. Reply Y if you would like it."
Consent and data protection
Patients should know they will receive messages and be able to opt out. Appointment reminders are service messages, so keep marketing out of them. Read the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on UK GDPR and PECR, and agree the approach with whoever advises your practice.
Handle replies properly
A reminder that invites a reply creates work. Someone, or something, needs to act on every "M" and every cancellation, and to offer the freed slot to the next person. Our dental no-show reduction service handles the replies and refills the gaps automatically.