What to say in the first reply to a new patient enquiry

Three things, in this order:

1. 01The answer, or as much of it as you can honestly give.
2. 02One next step. Not three options and a phone number; one thing the patient can do now.
3. 03A name. "Sarah at Northgate Dental" reads like a person. "The Team" reads like a mailbox.

Keep it short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Two or three sentences is usually right. If the full answer is long, give the short version and offer the rest: "Happy to send the full breakdown if that helps."

What it shouldn't contain: a paragraph about your practice's values, a list of every treatment you offer, or a request for the patient's date of birth before you've answered anything.

Price is the question practices most often dodge, and the one patients most often ask. The usual dodge is "prices vary, please book a consultation". The patient hears that as "expensive, and we'd rather not say".

You've already done the hard part. The GDC expects practices to display a simple price list, covering basics such as a consultation, a single-surface filling, an extraction, X-rays and hygienist appointments, and to give clear price information on their website. For treatments that vary, a from-to range is acceptable. So the first reply can quote the range you already publish, say what moves a case up or down it, and offer the consultation as the way to get an exact figure.

For example: "Hi Jo, implants here are usually £[x] to £[y] per tooth, depending on whether you need bone grafting first. The consultation is £[z] and gives you a written plan with the exact cost. I can offer Thursday at 4pm or Monday at 9am. Would either work? Sarah, Northgate Dental"

For NHS treatment, the charges in England are set nationally, so quote them. From 1 April 2026 they are £27.90 for Band 1 (examination, X-rays, scale and polish if needed), £76.60 for Band 2 (adds fillings, root canal work and extractions) and £332.10 for Band 3 (adds crowns, dentures and bridges). Charges differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Answer yes or no in the first sentence. Patients asking this have often asked several practices already, and a vague reply sends them straight to the next one.

If yes: say what the wait is and offer to book.

If no, don't stop there. Say whether you have private availability and what a private check-up costs, and point them to the NHS service for finding a dentist, which lists practices that say they're accepting new NHS patients. For example: "Hi Sam, I'm sorry, we're not taking new NHS adult patients at the moment. We do have private appointments this week, and a check-up is £[x]. If you'd prefer to stay with the NHS, the NHS website lists practices nearby that are taking new patients. Sarah, Northgate Dental"

That reply loses nothing. Some patients will book privately; the rest leave with a useful answer and a decent impression of your practice.

Two rules. Don't diagnose or advise on medicines in a message, however tempting it is to help. And don't leave the patient without a route to care.

In hours, lead with the earliest appointment you can actually give. Out of hours, tell them about NHS 111, which arranges urgent dental care for anyone, registered or not, and 999 for anything life-threatening, such as swelling that affects breathing or swallowing.

For example: "I'm sorry you're in pain. Our first emergency slot is today at 2:40pm and it costs £[x]. Shall I book it for you? If it gets worse overnight, call NHS 111, or 999 if the swelling affects your breathing or swallowing."

If a message mentions bleeding that won't stop, swelling spreading towards the eye or throat, or difficulty breathing, it should reach a person immediately, not wait in a queue. Our post on when an AI front desk should hand a patient to a person, listed in the sources below, covers which messages always need someone.

A nervous patient often says so in the first message, in passing: "I haven't been for years", "I'm a bit of a wimp". They're telling you what they need from the reply.

Acknowledge it plainly, without fuss, and tell them one concrete thing about the first visit. If you offer longer first appointments, sedation or a chat before any treatment, say so. If you don't, don't imply it.

For example: "Thanks for telling us, that's really common and you won't be judged here. The first visit is just a look and a chat, and nothing happens unless you agree to it. Would a quieter time, like first thing in the morning, suit you better?"

If a person won't see the message until the morning, the first reply should say exactly that, and when. "We're closed now and will reply by 9:30am tomorrow" is honest and specific. "We'll be in touch shortly" at 10pm on a Friday isn't either.

If you have an online booking link, include it, so a patient who's ready doesn't have to wait for you. If the question is one with a fixed answer, such as opening hours, NHS charges or whether you're near a station, answer it now. Holding a simple answer until morning only means the patient has waited longer for it.

ReplyOS answers new enquiries on web chat and WhatsApp using the facts the practice has set up: services and prices, FAQs, opening hours and booking link. When a price isn't configured, it doesn't invent one; it says options vary and steers towards booking. Messages with urgent or clinical wording, complaints, medicines questions or a request for a person are handed to the team instead of being answered automatically.

The quality of those replies depends on the same thing as your team's: whether the practice has written down its prices, its NHS position and its first-visit process. If you do only one thing after reading this, make sure your price list on the website is current, because every good first reply starts there.