Allied health and clinics · Recall

What should a dental recall reminder message say in Australia?

By BREME · Updated 26 October 2026

Who this is for: Practice owners, practice managers and front desk teams in Australian dental practices who send recall reminders by SMS or email from their practice software.

What a recall message is for

A recall reminder has one job: to get a patient who is due for a check-up to book one. It is not the place for the practice newsletter, a whitening promotion or a list of everything the practice offers. Every extra line makes it less likely the patient acts, and some extra lines change the legal nature of the message.

Avant, the medical defence organisation, notes that patients are more likely to respond to a recall or reminder SMS than a letter, and that many practice systems can send and record these messages automatically. That makes the wording worth getting right once, because it will go out thousands of times.

What to include

• The patient's first name, so it reads as a message to them rather than a broadcast.
• Your practice name, clearly, at the start or the end. A patient should never have to guess who sent it.
• That their check-up is due, in plain words. Use the interval their dentist recommended rather than assuming six months.
• One way to book, made as easy as possible: an online booking link, or a number they can call or text back.
• A contact number for the practice, and an opt-out line such as Reply STOP to opt out.

What to leave out

Avant advises that messages should not contain sensitive health information unless the patient has expressly agreed. For preventive reminders, it suggests referring generally to the check-up and asking the patient to contact the practice for detail. So say check-up rather than follow-up on your root canal or your gum treatment review. Phones are shared, and lock screens show message previews.

Leave out pressure as well. A recall is a reminder, not a warning. Messages that hint at what might go wrong if they do not come in can feel manipulative, and Ahpra's advertising guidelines say advertising must not encourage the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of health services.

Don't promise six months

Many recall messages say it has been six months. That may not match what the dentist recommended for that patient. A Cochrane review published in October 2020, based on trials in the United Kingdom and Norway, found little to no difference for adults between six-monthly and risk-based check-ups in tooth decay, gum bleeding or quality of life over four years. It found too little reliable evidence to say how often children should be seen.

The practical point for your message: tie the recall to the interval in the patient's record, set by their dentist, and word it as your check-up is due rather than a fixed time.

A simple recall sequence

1. Make sure the patient has agreed to SMS or email. Avant advises recording consent and the number to use, for example on the registration form or when confirming an appointment, and telling patients in your privacy policy that you use SMS for reminders and recalls.
2. Send the first recall when the check-up falls due, using the interval in the patient's record.
3. If there is no booking, we suggest one follow-up about two to three weeks later, worded more briefly.
4. If there is still no booking, a final note about a month after that, offering a phone call instead.
5. Then stop. Avant notes that for routine preventive reminders it is generally not necessary to keep following up, because patients may have chosen not to come in.
6. Make sure every message is saved to the patient's record. Avant advises documenting all SMS messages in the record, and many systems do this automatically.

Hi [first name], it's [practice name]. Your check-up with [dentist name] is now due. Book a time that suits you here: [booking link] or call us on [phone]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [first name], [practice name] here. Just a reminder your check-up is still due. We have times on [days, e.g. Saturday mornings] if that's easier: [booking link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [first name],

We've sent a couple of reminders that your check-up is due, and we don't want to fill up your phone.

If now isn't a good time, that's completely fine. Whenever you're ready, you can book at [booking link] or call us on [phone]. If you'd prefer a quick call from us to find a time, just reply to this email.

If you've moved to another practice, let us know and we'll update your record.

[Name], [Practice name]
[Address] | [Phone]

To stop receiving these reminders, reply STOP or [unsubscribe link].