Dental offices lose new patients after hours and at a busy front desk. A text back within a minute keeps them, if it sticks to scheduling and runs on a platform that signs a business associate agreement.
What slips away in a dental office
- New-patient calls after hours. People call after work.
- Calls during check-in and checkout. The desk has a patient and a ringing phone.
- Web and Facebook requests. They wait until morning.
- Insurance questions. "Do you take my plan?" stalls a booking.
- Reviews. Every reply must protect privacy.
What does HIPAA mean for texting new patients?
Keep texts to scheduling, use a vendor that signs a business associate agreement and share only what the task needs. HHS treats appointment reminders as part of treatment, so they need no separate authorization. A vendor that handles patient information is a business associate, so get written assurances in a contract first.
Texas adds Health and Safety Code chapter 181. It covers more businesses than HIPAA, requires staff training within 90 days of hire and generally needs separate authorization before sharing health information electronically, except for treatment, payment and operations.
We are not a law firm. Your healthcare attorney decides.
What we would build first
A new-patient text-back that stays to scheduling
A missed call gets a text within a minute from your patient messaging platform. It says it is automated, offers new-patient openings and asks the person not to text health details. Urgent calls go to your on-call line. Compare options in dental answering service.
Booking that lands in your schedule
The time goes into your schedule through tools that already connect to your practice software. The front desk confirms insurance by phone.
A lead board that keeps health details out
New-patient requests in one view: source, date and whether they booked. No clinical notes, but enough to see which ads bring patients.
Reviews, asked for and answered with care
Ask happy patients after the visit, and reply without confirming anyone is a patient. In 2019 a Dallas dental practice paid $10,000 to settle HHS findings over social media disclosures of patient health information. See how to get more Google reviews.
Marketing that fits dental offices
- Google Business Profile. Insurance notes, real photos and careful review replies. See the profile checklist.
- A website with a clear new-patient path. The plans you accept and a quick request form.
- Meta ads about the practice, not the patient. Meta bans ads that assert or imply a viewer's health condition (personal attributes policy). See our Meta ads page.
How it works day to day
- A new patient's after-hours call rings out.
- Within a minute, a text from your patient platform offers two real openings.
- The pick lands in your schedule, and the front desk sees the thread.
- Insurance, urgent and clinical questions go to a person.
Who this fits
It fits independent practices where the front desk juggles phone, counter and insurance. If your patient platform already texts back and books well, it is a poor fit.
How pricing works
- First call: free, 15 to 30 minutes.
- Price: set on that call, flat and in writing. A website and new-patient path is a common start.
- Monthly: hosting, upkeep, updates and support. You own what we build. If we run Meta ads, ad spend is paid to Meta directly.
What this is not
It is not a compliance service, clinical triage or a replacement for your practice software. We never touch patient records.
Start with a free call
Book a free call and we will find what to fix first, with your privacy rules in front. See the AI & Software page.