How Dental Practices Are Going from Paper to Productivity with Digital Forms

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In 2025, digital forms have moved from a “nice-to-have” to a must-have in dental and oral surgery practices. Patients expect seamless, modern experiences, and staff are too busy to chase paper trails or manually input data.

The good news? More practices are embracing digital forms, and it’s having a big impact.

Who’s leading the charge?

According to our benchmark data, OMS (oral and maxillofacial surgery) practices lead the way in digital form usage. This shouldn’t be too surprising, since their complex procedures require detailed intake and consent documentation, often from new patients.

Enterprise groups like DSOs also show high usage. Why? Because when one location adopts a successful workflow, it’s often scaled across the entire organization. That kind of consistency can dramatically improve efficiency at scale.

General and specialty practices are catching up, especially as many general dentists expand their services to include more specialty procedures.

Why digital forms matter

Here’s what practices are gaining when they ditch the paper:

• Faster workflows. No more digging through stacks of paper or waiting for forms at check-in.
• Fewer delays. Pre-filled forms mean less waiting, fewer appointment reschedules, and happier patients.
• Increased data accuracy. Patients type their own info, reducing errors and manual entry.
• Better security. Digital forms help keep sensitive patient information organized, encrypted, and easy to access.
• More time for care. Admin and clinical teams can focus on the patient, not paperwork.

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Best day to collect forms? Friday.

Interestingly, our data found that Friday is the best day to get forms completed, followed closely by Monday. This insight helps practices time their outreach more effectively.

For example, sending a reminder on Thursday evening for a Friday completion could increase the odds that patients fill out their forms before walking in the door.

Digital forms are more than a convenience. They contribute to a better patient experiences and smoother practice operations. They truly have real-world impact.

By eliminating paper-based processes, practices can:

• Shorten check-in times
• Reduce bottlenecks
• Minimize staff burnout
• Improve patient satisfaction

Whether you’re a single-location office or part of a multi-practice network, digital forms are one of the easiest and most effective ways to modernize your workflow.

Explore industry benchmarks and actionable insights in the full 2025 Dental Patient Engagement Report. Plus, we offer a number of resources to support your practice, including our podcast, The Patient Experience Blueprint.

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