Welcoming Older Adults to Your Dental Office
Scheduling the Appointment

Patients who are retired from paid employment or are now in alternative living situations may have ample time to visit. For socially isolated elders, a visit to the dental professional may be the only recent social contact that person has with the outside world. Thorough explanations of equipment and procedures takes time away from performing actual procedures and should be anticipated in scheduling each visit.

Yet other retired individuals may maintain very full schedules, often including caregiving, and not have time for non-essential conversations. In appointment scheduling staff needs to be sensitive to the variety of needs presented by older adults.