Dental · Checklist

The Dental Practice
Growth Checklist

20 operational items that separate growing practices from stagnant ones.

— 01

Patient Acquisition & Intake

  • Is your new patient intake form available online — and does it actually pre-populate into your practice management software?
  • Are insurance benefits verified before the patient arrives, or does the front desk scramble day-of?
  • Do new patient inquiries get a response within 5 minutes during business hours?
  • Is there a phone script for new callers — so every team member presents the practice consistently?
— 02

Scheduling & Chair Utilization

  • Do you know your hygiene reactivation rate — how many overdue patients actually come back?
  • Is your schedule optimized for production per hour, or is it filled first-come, first-served?
  • Are same-day openings filled from a short-call list — automatically, not manually?
  • Do you track open chair time weekly and know its dollar cost?
— 03

No-Shows & Cancellations

  • Are appointment reminders going out via text and email — at least 48 hours and 2 hours before?
  • When a patient no-shows, does an automated follow-up go out within the hour?
  • Do you know your no-show rate this month, and is it trending up or down?
— 04

Treatment Plan Follow-Up

  • Are unscheduled treatment plans followed up on within 7 days — by someone other than the doctor?
  • Do you know the total dollar value of unscheduled treatment sitting in your system right now?
  • Is there a sequence for patients who say “let me think about it” — or do they just disappear?
— 05

Patient Recall & Retention

  • Is your recall system automated, or does someone manually pull a list each week?
  • Are patients who have not been seen in 12+ months getting a reactivation campaign — not just a postcard?
  • Do you have a referral program that current patients actually know about?
— 06

Reputation & Reviews

  • Are you asking every satisfied patient for a Google review — with a specific, easy process?
  • Is every online review responded to within 24 hours — including the positive ones?
  • Do you know how many new patients found you through Google this month vs. referrals vs. insurance directories?
— Score yourself

How many boxes did you check? Be honest.

— 0–7 checked

Critical gaps. Growth is being held back by operational friction you may not see day-to-day.

— 8–14 checked

Room to grow. Your practice has a solid base, but you are leaving production and patients on the table.

— 15–20 checked

You are ahead of most dental practices. Time to automate what works and focus on scaling.

Ready to close the gaps?
Thirty minutes. No pitch.

Thy will be automated.