How Modern Dental Practices Are Communicating with Patients

In 2025, one thing is clear: how you communicate with your patients can make or break the patient experience. Today’s patients expect more than appointment reminders — they want seamless, meaningful engagement that fits into their daily lives.

And with staffing shortages and increasing operational demands, dental teams need communication strategies that are not only effective, but efficient.

Meeting patients where they are

Text messaging has emerged as the clear winner in patient communication. It’s fast, familiar, and incredibly convenient for patients — making it a go-to channel for everything from appointment confirmations to post-visit follow-ups.

According to our recent benchmark report, the majority of dental and oral surgery practices are now leaning into text messaging as their primary communication method. This shift is more than just a preference — it represents a move toward accessibility and responsiveness that today’s patients expect.

But that doesn’t mean other methods are obsolete.

A multi-channel approach still matters

While text is the most popular channel, successful practices still find value in maintaining voice and email communications as part of a well-rounded outreach strategy. Many patients still appreciate a phone call for more personalized conversations, and email remains a useful channel for delivering more detailed information.

What matters most is clarity. Patients want to feel confident that they’ve received the right information, at the right time, on the channel that works best for them.

Practices using Intiveo saw an 18% increase in messaging year over year

That’s a strong signal that practices are doubling down on patient communication — not just to improve logistics, but to build stronger relationships. Every message is a touchpoint that reinforces trust, shows attentiveness, and ultimately helps retain patients long term.

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The takeaway? Patient engagement is your competitive edge

The most successful practices are the ones that treat communication as a strategic advantage — not just a task to check off.

By understanding patient preferences and delivering timely, thoughtful messages across multiple channels, your practice can:

• Reduce no-shows
• Improve appointment confirmations
• Increase patient satisfaction
• Streamline front office operations

Patients today expect convenience — it’s up to dental and oral surgery practices to deliver it. Want to see how your engagement strategy stacks up? Explore more benchmarks and tips in our 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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