For dental practice owners · Front desk and inquiries

Answer a new patient inquiry with how to book

A reply to a new patient's message with how to book and what to bring, while insurance and health questions wait for a person.

The prompt

Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and fill in each part in [BRACKETS]. Practice owners, office managers and whoever answers the practice's messages.

I run a dental practice. A new patient has written in asking about becoming a patient. I want a warm reply today that tells them how to book and what to bring, and leaves anything about their insurance or their teeth to a person.

What I have:
- The patient's message, with their name, number and any health details taken out: [PATIENT MESSAGE]
- Whether we are taking new patients, and when new patient visits happen: [NEW PATIENT DAYS]
- How a new patient books: [HOW TO BOOK]
- What a new patient brings or fills in before the first visit: [WHAT TO BRING]
- Who checks a new patient's insurance, and how they get in touch: [INSURANCE CONTACT]

What I want:
1. Read the message and list what they asked.
2. Write a short, friendly reply that says whether we are taking new patients and gives the booking step I gave you.
3. Add what to bring and fill in before the first visit, as a short list.
4. If they asked about insurance, say only that the person I named will check their plan and get in touch. Do not say whether we take their plan or what it covers.
5. If the message still mentions pain, an injury or a health question, do not write a reply. Tell me to have someone call them.

Rules:
- Write a draft for me to read. Do not send anything.
- Use only what I gave you. If something is missing, ask me instead of guessing.
- Never quote a price, promise an opening or claim anything I did not give you.
- Leave out anything about a patient's health, treatment or history. Give no advice about their teeth.

Give me back:
- The reply, ready for me to edit
- Any question in their message that a person needs to answer

When to use it

A new patient writes in through your website form, email or a text, asking if you take new patients, how to book or what to bring to the first visit.

When not to

Do not use it when the message mentions pain, swelling, a broken tooth or any health question, or asks what their insurance covers. A person calls those patients back.

What to paste in

  • [PATIENT MESSAGE]: The message as it came in, with the name, phone number, birth date and anything about their health removed.
  • [NEW PATIENT DAYS]: One line on whether you are taking new patients and when new patient visits happen.
  • [HOW TO BOOK]: How a new patient books: a phone number, your online booking link, or a reply with two times that work.
  • [WHAT TO BRING]: Your own list: photo ID, insurance card, forms to fill in ahead, how early to arrive.
  • [INSURANCE CONTACT]: Who on your team checks a new patient's insurance and how they get in touch, in your words.

Never paste

  • The patient's full name, phone number, email or birth date
  • Their insurance ID or member number
  • Anything about their health, treatment, pain or dental history

A filled-in example

Sample. Fictional business, fictional client.

PATIENT MESSAGE: Hi, we just moved to the area and I'm looking for a new dentist for me and my husband. Are you taking new patients? Do you take my insurance? It's through my work.
NEW PATIENT DAYS: Yes, we are taking new patients. New patient visits are Monday to Thursday mornings.
HOW TO BOOK: Call the front desk at 616-555-0147 or use the Book Online button on our website.
WHAT TO BRING: Photo ID, insurance card, new patient forms from the link we text you, and arrive 15 minutes early.
INSURANCE CONTACT: Our insurance coordinator calls new patients within one business day to check their plan.

What you should get back

  • A short, friendly reply that says you are taking new patients and how to book
  • A short list of what to bring and fill in before the first visit
  • A line that your insurance coordinator will check their plan, with no promise about coverage
  • Any question in their message that a person needs to answer

What stays with you

The prompt writes a draft. You decide what happens to it, and nothing should reach a patient until you have read it. Decisions about money stay with a person every time, and so do health questions and complaints. When KeenHand builds a routine like this, every message carries the same four decisions: Automate, Approve, Revise, Reject.

More: every prompt for dental practices, front desk and inquiries, and AI for dental practices.

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