Holiday Rush: A Survival Guide Using Flex

The holiday season typically brings plenty of cheer! However, for dental practices, it also brings an unavoidable surge of last-minute appointments, treatment wrap-ups, and year-end insurance deadlines. Between juggling full schedules, stressed patients, and an endless list of administrative tasks, the holidays can quickly shift from festive to frantic.

But with the right tools, and a smart strategy, you can turn the holiday rush into a productive and profitable time of the year. Here’s your survival guide to navigating it all with ease, using the power of an authorized vendor with Open Dental, Flex Dental Solutions.

Automate the Essentials Before the Chaos Hits

Nothing slows down holiday productivity like paperwork and tedious manual prep. Flex helps you get ahead by automating tasks your team usually scrambles to handle. 

• Add Forms to Automated Appointment Messages
  Automating your intake forms with Flex allows everything to be sent ahead of time and completed before the visit, keeping your schedule on track during the busiest season of the year. Simplify the process by attaching Smart Forms directly to your Timeline reminders and confirmations.
• Smart Form Tracking
  Flex knows what forms a patient is due for, and can send them automatically. This means your team isn’t chasing down missing paperwork on your busiest days.

Keep Your Schedule Full, Without Calling 100 Patients

The end of the year is prime time to re-engage patients who have unfinished treatment or unused benefits. Flex makes this simple:

• Unscheduled Treatment Reminders
  Send targeted reminders to patients who need care, using messaging that’s personalized, actionable, and system-driven.
• Automated Recall & Follow-Up
  No more manual lists or sticky-note reminders. Flex keeps your schedule full by effortlessly bringing patients back at the right time.

Prevent Front Office Gridlock with Simple Check-In

When your waiting room is packed with families trying to squeeze in one more visit before break, efficiency matters.

• Self Check-In Kiosk for Patients & Families
  Patients can check in themselves (and their kids!) right from their phone or tablet. Flex automatically updates the appointment status in Open Dental, keeping your team informed in real time.
• Mobile-Friendly Health History Updates
  Let patients update their information right from their device, reducing holdups and keeping your staff free for higher-value tasks.

Use Real-Time Analytics to Stay Ahead of Holiday Trends

The holiday season often reveals the strengths, and shaky topics, within a practice. Flex Insights help you monitor what matters most:

• Production & Schedule Trends
  Identify where your schedule is overloaded or underutilized.
• Case Acceptance and Reappointment Rate
  Identify when reappointment drops, perhaps after holidays, staff changes, or overloaded schedules, and take corrective steps.   

Flex turns raw analytics into actionable insight, giving your team the clarity needed to make fast, confident decisions during peak season.

End the Year Strong With Faster Payments

The end of the year isn’t just busy, it’s a revenue opportunity.

• Automated Payment Links
  Send secure links directly to patients’ phones or emails for quick, convenient payment.
• Treatment Plan Presentation + Payments
  Present treatment and collect payment all in one seamless experience. Perfect for year-end insurance usage or pre-holiday treatment decisions.

Keep Your Team (and Patients!) Merry

When stress levels rise, communication becomes your strongest asset.

• Two-Way Texting
  Answer questions, reschedule appointments, and resolve issues in real time, minimizing phone calls and the wait.
• Unified Communication Tools
  Every message, form, signature, and update lives in one place, reducing mistakes and increasing team harmony.

Wrap-Up: Survive the Rush. Thrive Through the Season.

The holidays don’t have to feel chaotic. With Flex Dental Solutions, your practice gains the tools, automation, and insight needed to turn a hectic season into a smooth, organized, and even joyful experience.

Less stress. More efficiency. Happier team. Happier patients.

And a stronger start to the new year.