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SMS Appointment Reminders for Irish Dental Practices

Etisia adds SMS reminders, an optional cancellation link and review requests to a Google Calendar workflow that stays simple.

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Up to 60 free SMS · Most users send their first reminder in under a minute

SMS Reminders, Google Reviews, Easy Cancellation

Google Calendar
FRI
30
SAT
31
09:00
Niamh Murphy (SMS sent ✅)
10:00
Ciara Walsh (SMS sent ✅)
11:00
12:00
Seán Kelly (SMS sent ✅)
13:00
14:00
Emma Ryan (SMS ready ✅)
Click
15:00
16:00
087 654 321• (SMS sent ✅)
 14:02

The Real Cost of Missed Appointments at Irish Dental Surgeries

Missed appointments are a stubborn problem for dental practices. At one NHS dental access centre in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, patients missed 31% of 150 consecutive appointments with two of its dentists before the centre started sending SMS reminders, and 14% of 150 appointments afterwards (Perry, Primary Dental Care, 2011). The cost adds up: in 2026 Joe Hendron, vice-chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, told BBC News that about one in seven NHS patients fail to attend at his UK surgery, costing it about £56,000 over the previous 12 months. In an Irish surgery, every empty chair means lost revenue, wasted sterilisation resources and a patient who could have been seen sooner. The problem extends beyond finances-DTSS (medical card) patients requiring prior HSE approval who no-show waste government-funded slots and delay care for others on waiting lists.

Modern dental office with professional dental chairs and equipment

Rural and border county practices face compounding challenges.

No-Show Rate

Scottish NHS dental access centre: 31% of 150 appointments missed, 14% after SMS

Source: Primary Dental Care, 2011

Revenue Impact

One UK NHS dental practice says no-shows cost it about £56,000 in a year (2026)

Source: BBC News, 2026

Modern dental office with professional dental chairs and equipment

Patients travelling significant distances are more likely to cancel due to transport issues, competing commitments, or weather. PRSI Dental Benefit patients (who can get €50 a year towards a scale and polish under the Treatment Benefit Scheme) may not prioritise appointments they see as partially funded. A Cochrane review found SMS reminders improve attendance compared with no reminder (Gurol-Urganci et al., 2013). Etisia processes personal data under the EU GDPR, your surgery stays responsible for its own lawful basis and for honouring opt-outs, and the service costs less than a single missed appointment per month.

Modern dental office with professional dental chairs and equipment

Why SMS Beats Email & Phone for Irish Dental Surgeries

A text reaches patients wherever they are. This is especially useful for rural patients and those with limited broadband access. Unlike email reminders that can end up in spam folders, SMS arrives as a direct text, and your surgery name is in the sign-off, so patients know who the reminder is from.

Clear roles under the GDPR. Etisia processes personal data under the EU GDPR, and your surgery stays responsible for its own lawful basis, for telling patients how their mobile number is used, and for honouring opt-outs. Keep reminders to non-clinical information (date, time, surgery contact).

SMS works across all phone types and networks-critical for rural Ireland. Patients don't need a smartphone or data connection. Older patients and those in areas with poor broadband connectivity receive reminders just as reliably as those in Dublin or Cork. Your reception team stops spending hours on reminder calls and focuses on patient care.

How Etisia Works for Irish Dental Surgeries (Set Up in Less Than 45 Seconds)

Etisia product demo - see how SMS reminders work with Google Calendar

Real SMS Messages Irish Dental Patients Receive

These are practical examples you can adapt directly. Select a card, preview the SMS, and copy the text.

Appointment Reminder

48 hours before

Reminder: your check-up at Grafton Dental Surgery is Wed at 14:30. Call 01 234 567• to reschedule.
Day-Before Nudge

24 hours before

Tomorrow 10:00-dental appointment at Blackrock Dental Practice. Call 01 288 205•.
Morning-Of Check-in

3 hours before

Good morning! Your cleaning is at 11:00 today at Grafton Dental Surgery. See you soon!
Post-Visit Follow-Up

2 hours after

Thanks for visiting today! Avoid hot drinks for 2 hours. Any concerns? Call 01 234 567•.
Review Request

1 day after

How was your visit to Grafton Dental? Leave a Google review: [link] Your feedback helps other patients find quality dental care in Dublin.
Rebooking Prompt

6 months after last visit

Time for your 6-monthly check-up? Call 01 234 567• to book at Grafton Dental. DTSS and private patients welcome.

Next step

Templates for every other situation

The full library covers confirmations, reschedules, cancellations and post-visit follow-ups, grouped by situation and ready to copy.

Browse the template library

How much is an empty chair costing you?

Your average appointment

Your assumption - the no-shows caused by forgetting rather than a deliberate skip.

%
~3 no-shows per week

That's

€0

walking out your door every year.

Per month

€0

Per week

€0

Wasted hours/year

0 hrs

Etisia brings them back.

Assumes half your no-shows come down to forgetting rather than a deliberate skip.

Annual savings

€0

Appointments recovered

0

Hours saved

0 hrs

Start free trial

Up to 60 free SMS. No credit card required.

Discover How One Salon Owner Reduced Missed Appointments.

Branka Pihler owns Fit Center, a beauty salon and spa in the town in central Slovenia. She knows well how clients who ghost appointments hurt a business, and she contacted us to do something about it. By setting up Etisia, Branka was able to reduce her missed appointments by 34% in just first month. During the following semester, Branka managed to book an extra 8 appointments per month, for an extra income of €3,000 per year!

"I am very grateful for the web app, as we have greatly reduced missed appointments and clients are also less late for appointments, which means more money, time and less nerves spent every month. The app is super easy and worth every penny! Thank you a hundred times!"

Branka Pihler
Branka PihlerVerified purchase
Fit center
2 years ago

Simple plans for small and midsize service businesses that don't want another complicated booking system

Keep Google Calendar as the main calendar your team works from. Etisia adds automatic reminders, review requests and an optional cancellation link, without a new booking system or workflow builder.

-17%

Starter

€13/month

Billed yearly · €150 (tax excl)

For one person and one calendar. 100 SMS a month covers about 100 appointments with one reminder each.

  • 100 SMS messages per month
  • 1 Google Calendar
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Instant confirmation SMS for new appointments
  • Rescheduling updates reminders
  • Cancellation link + email alert
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
Start free trial
No credit card required
Save €54/yr

Pro

Recommended

Up to 60 free SMS

€23/month

Billed yearly · €270 (tax excl)

For up to three calendars, such as three staff members or rooms. Adds automatic Google review requests.

  • 250 SMS messages per month
  • 3 Google Calendars
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Instant confirmation SMS for new appointments
  • Rescheduling updates reminders
  • Cancellation link + email alert
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
  • Review follow-ups where enabled
Start free trial
No credit card required

Team

€83/month

Billed yearly · €990 (tax excl)

For larger teams: unlimited Google Calendars, staff accounts and 1,000 SMS a month at a fixed price. Need more SMS than that? Talk to us.

  • 1,000 SMS messages per month
  • Unlimited Google Calendars
  • Rescheduling updates reminders
  • Cancellation link + email alert
  • Review follow-ups where enabled
  • Multiple Google accounts if needed
  • Setup help
  • Priority support - we've got your back
Talk to us
No credit card required

Additional 50-SMS pack: €15.

Frequently asked questions

The practical details before you try Etisia.

How does GDPR apply to SMS reminders in Ireland?
Etisia processes personal data under the EU GDPR. Your surgery stays responsible for its own lawful basis, for telling patients how their mobile number is used, and for honouring opt-outs, and the Data Protection Commission's guidance applies to your practice. Etisia shares patient data only with the service providers it needs to run the service, such as SMS delivery, as described in its privacy policy.
Does Etisia help with DTSS (medical card) patients?
Absolutely. DTSS patients often face transport barriers and competing commitments-SMS reminders significantly improve their attendance. You can customise reminder timing and messaging for DTSS patients specifically, helping maximise your HSE reimbursements.
How do SMS reminders affect PRSI dental benefits claims?
Better attendance means more completed treatments and more valid claims to DSP under the Treatment Benefit Scheme (€50 towards scale and polish since January 2025). Reduced no-shows let you see more eligible patients and process more claims.
Do I need Dental Council of Ireland approval?
No. Etisia is an appointment management tool, not a clinical system. Dental Council registration under the Dentists Act 1985 applies to practitioners, not communication tools. Etisia simply helps you manage appointments and reduce no-shows.
Can we display our surgery name as the SMS sender?
Not at the moment: custom sender names aren't available. By default, texts come from Etisia's sender with your surgery name in the sign-off, for example “Best regards, Grafton Dental”. You can also send from your own Irish mobile number, so patients see a number they recognise and their replies come to your phone.
Does Etisia use 24-hour time format?
Yes. All SMS reminders use 24-hour format (14:30 instead of 2:30 PM), which is standard in Ireland. Calendar integrations respect Irish time conventions automatically.
How much does Etisia cost for Irish surgeries?
Starter is €15/month, or €13/month billed yearly (€150 a year), for one calendar and 100 SMS a month; Pro is €27/month for three calendars and 250 SMS; Team is €99/month for unlimited calendars, staff accounts and 1,000 SMS. Prices exclude VAT. The free trial needs no card, and nothing is charged when it ends.
How does Etisia handle rural practices?
SMS works on all mobile networks, even with poor broadband. Rural and border county practices benefit most-patients travelling long distances appreciate the reminder and are more likely to cancel early or call ahead rather than silently no-show.

Free Tools & Resources

No-Show Cost Calculator

Calculate how much missed appointments cost your business

SMS Template Generator

Create professional reminder messages in 3 clicks

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See your first reminder on your own phone

Every forgotten appointment is an empty slot in your day and money you won't get back. Etisia texts your clients a reminder straight from your Google Calendar, so you don't have to text or call anyone the day before. You can set it up in under a minute.

Try Etisia free

21-day free trial · Up to 60 free SMS · No credit card