Hey Dentally Community! The end of the year is fast approaching, and it’s likely that you and your team might be taking time off to celebrate the festivities.
There are a few tasks we recommend ticking off your to-do list, to keep your practice running smoothly this festive season.
Here’s your guide to end-of-year housekeeping 
- Provide accurate festive opening hours - Make sure any variations to your opening hours are reflected wherever you display them in your practice and online (eg on your website and your Google Business profile).
- Ensure your calendar availability is up-to-date - Make sure your practitioners’ availability is aligned with time off or varying opening hours – so appointments are only booked when someone is actually available!
💡 Top tip: You can use schedules, calendar override and opening hours in Dentally to easily reflect individual or practice-wide time off.
- Update your practice voicemail – Mention your festive opening hours, and direct patients to recall booking links (or online booking, if you have it), to keep filling your calendar even when you’re not around. Include guidance for how they can seek emergency care if the practice is closed.
- Consider emergency slots – If your practice is closed for an extended period, consider whether you want to offer emergency slots over the festive period to provide more flexibility for your patients.
💡 Top tip: Use zones in your calendar to create emergency slots for patients to book into.
- Stay in touch with your patients – Wish them a safe and happy festive period with an email or social post, and encourage them to use your online booking or recall links in the meantime.
💡 Top tip: Use Dentally’s bulk patient messaging tools to send practice-wide emails to patients.
- Provide a QR code for online booking – If you have online booking, create a QR code and pop it in your practice window. This will help you capture foot traffic while you’re out-of-office. It’s a great way to increase your exposure even after the upcoming festivities too!
💡 Top tip: You can create QR codes for free using Canva.
- Encourage January bookings – A lot of patients will be particularly conscious of their health in January, so encourage them to prioritise their oral health and tick a dental appointment off their list of New Year’s resolutions!
Why is this important?
Clear festive communication means no surprises for your patients when that inevitable holiday chipped tooth strikes, plus a little January planning ensures your practice doesn’t miss a bite of the revenue pie while you’re enjoying your time off!
What are your tips for getting ready for the festive period? Are there any other housekeeping tasks you always do before you take time off?
Share your tips for getting prepared ahead of the festivities in the comments below!