Your confirmation system should be tailored to each type of patient and have a personal touch. 

As your dental receptionist becomes familiar with patients she will know a little more about them and will be able to talk to them about their interests, etc.

This is very important. She should make a point of bringing up what she talked about last time the patient was in.

For example, questions regarding dental insurance, accounts, collections would go to the Accounts Manager if you have one. When a patient calls the office and is in pain, the receptionist should fill out some kind of Emergency Call-In Sheet. The following are some of the questions that should be asked: 1. “When was the last time you saw Dr. [name]?” This response will tell you if you are dealing with a new patient, an old patient who has been inactive, or an active patient. If the patient already has a chart, pull it. Also, be sure to check the patient's account....

A dental receptionist (or any staff member for that matter) should never try to wing it when it comes to answering patient’s dental questions.