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SMS Appointment Reminders for Irish Dental Practices

Etisia adds SMS reminders, one-tap cancellations, and review follow-up to a Google Calendar workflow that stays simple.

See How Many Chairs You'll Fill

No credit card needed. Free SMS included.

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SMS Reminders, Google Reviews, Easy Cancellation

Google Calendar
TODAY
12
TOMORROW
13
09:00
Lisa Byrne (SMS sent ✅)
10:00
Eva Kelly (SMS sent ✅)
11:00
12:00
Jane Smith (SMS sent ✅)
13:00
14:00
Anna Ryan (SMS ready ✅)
Click
15:00
16:00
087 654 3210 (SMS sent ✅)
14:02
GDS
Grafton Dental SurgeryToday, 14:02

The Real Cost of Missed Appointments at Irish Dental Surgeries

Irish dental surgeries report 10–15% no-show rates, with DTSS (medical card) patients often higher. At an average treatment value of €150–€250 per appointment, even one daily no-show costs €20,000–€70,000 annually. For busy surgeries managing 15–20 appointments daily, empty chairs represent lost revenue, wasted sterilisation resources, and displaced patients. The problem extends beyond finances—DTSS patients requiring prior HSE approval who no-show waste government-funded slots and delay care for others on waiting lists.

Irish Dental Association, HSE DTSS Programme data, DPC GDPR guidelines

No-Show Rate

10–15% average no-show rate at Irish dental surgeries; higher for DTSS patients

Revenue Impact

€20,000–€70,000 annually from one daily no-show

Rural and border county practices face compounding challenges.

Patients travelling significant distances are more likely to cancel due to transport issues, competing commitments, or weather. PRSI dental benefits patients (eligible for €50 towards scale and polish since January 2025) may not prioritise appointments they see as partially funded. SMS reminders sent 24 hours before appointments recover 30–45% of would-be no-shows. Etisia is fully GDPR compliant under DPC oversight, uses Irish SMS infrastructure via ClickSend, and 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

SMS has a 98% open rate within 3 minutes—your patients see reminders immediately. This is especially effective for rural patients and those with limited broadband access. Unlike email reminders that end up in spam folders, SMS arrives as a direct text. Your surgery name appears clearly via alpha sender ID, building trust and ensuring patients take the reminder seriously.

GDPR compliance through the Data Protection Commission (DPC) is built in. Etisia uses Irish SMS infrastructure via ClickSend. All patient data stays within EU data centres. You maintain full control over data deletion and access—no international transfers without explicit consent. SMS reminders contain only 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 Irish Surgeries Fill Their Dental Schedule in Less Than 45 Seconds

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

Hi Seán! Reminder: Your check-up at Grafton Dental Surgery is Wed at 14:30. Reply YES to confirm or call 01 234 5678 to reschedule.
Day-Before Nudge

24 hours before

Tomorrow 10:00—dental appointment at Blackrock Dental Practice. Reply YES to confirm or call 01 288 2050.
Morning-Of Check-in

3 hours before

Good morning Aoife! 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, Ciarán! Avoid hot drinks for 2 hours. Any concerns? Reply or call 01 234 5678.
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

Niamh, time for your 6-monthly check-up! Book at Grafton Dental: [link] or call 01 234 5678. DTSS and private patients welcome.

How much is an empty chair costing you?

Your average appointment

~4 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.

SMS reminders recover up to 90% of no-shows.

Annual savings

€0

Appointments recovered

0

Hours saved

0 hrs

Start free trial

No credit card required · 3-day free trial · Free SMS included

Your reviews on autopilot

After every appointment, Etisia automatically asks happy clients to leave a Google review. See what happens when you turn it on.

Review summary
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Google review growth after enabling EtisiaThe comparison shows steep review growth with Etisia and a flatter trend without automated review requests.Etisia activatedMonth 1Month 3Month 5Month 7Month 9Month 11HighLow
Etisia automatically sends review requests after each appointment, helping businesses grow a steadier stream of positive Google reviews.
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Discover How Your Business Can Cut No-Shows by Over 30%, Too.

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 $3000 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 reminders, review requests, and one-tap cancellations without a new booking system or workflow builder.

Starter

€24/month

(tax excl)

For solo operators who want reminder coverage fast, without rebuilding how appointments get booked.

  • 100 SMS messages per month
  • 1 Google Calendar
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Instant confirmation SMS for new appointments
  • 24/7 Monitoring
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
Start free trial
No credit card needed. Free SMS included.

Pro

Recommended

Try free for 3 days — extra SMS on us

€39/month

(tax excl)

For busy businesses that want reminders and review requests included in one Google Calendar-first flow.

  • 250 SMS messages per month
  • 3 Google Calendars
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Instant confirmation SMS for new appointments
  • 24/7 Monitoring
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • Custom Alphanumeric Request
  • 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 needed. Free SMS included.

Team

From€149/month

(tax excl)

Built for larger teams with multiple Google accounts and calendars or higher reminder volume. Pricing is tailored to your calendar setup, country, and monthly reminder needs.

  • Custom monthly SMS volume
  • Unlimited Google Calendars
  • 24/7 Monitoring
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • Custom Alphanumeric Request
  • 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 needed. Free SMS included.

Frequently asked questions

The practical details before you try Etisia.

Is Etisia GDPR compliant under DPC oversight?
Yes. Etisia is fully GDPR compliant and operates under Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) oversight. All patient data is stored within EU data centres. We provide data processing agreements for your records and maintain full audit trails.
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?
Yes. ClickSend supports alpha sender IDs in Ireland, so "Grafton Dental" appears instead of a generic number. Patients immediately recognise the surgery and are more likely to respond.
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 €24/month and Pro is €39/month (most popular). Team starts from €149/month with custom SMS volume, unlimited calendars, setup help, and final pricing based on your calendar setup, country, and monthly reminder volume. At €24/month, Etisia pays for itself with a single prevented no-show.
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

Compare Plans & Pricing

See all features side-by-side with full comparison

If you want to

Reduce no-shows with automated SMS reminders

Get more 5-star reviews on autopilot after every appointment

Save hours on manual scheduling & follow-ups

Start free trial

No credit card required. Free SMS included.