My dentist sends a letter that says “you are due for a checkup so we have booked you in for [time and date], please call us if you need to change it, there is a $X fee for not showing to your appointment”.
Pretty effective at getting me to go.
I’m not sure of the legality of fining someone for not turning up to an appointment they didn’t make. Certainly an interesting approach, though.
I’m not sure it would be enforceable either, but I guess either I agreed to the automatic appointments at some point, or it’s a bluff.
It wouldn’t be legal, as in enforceable through a court. But they would be within their rights to refuse to treat you again if you didn’t pay it
I think that is the only thing that would work for me, and I would not mind a dentist doing it, I would however flip the duck out if any other business ever did that to me
That sounds evil tbh
I just set up an appointment for next time before I leave and I put it in my calendar. If I need to change it I’ll do it then.
I try to avoid setting up an appointment for next year because I don’t know what my financial situation a year from then will be like. I’ve been skipping doctors appointments for years and nothing bad has happened, there exist places that will sell you glasses if you know the lense measurements but there doesn’t seem to be much you can do about teeth. Brown stuff eventually grows no matter what. Flossing and brushing twice a day can keep my teeth good for maybe 3 years but I have a permanent retainer on my lower 4 front teeth that is hard to clean. I’m going to have to see about getting that thing removed.
I’m on a once every two years schedule (beautiful teeth 😁) so I prefer this approach where they tell me a month out when to show up!
That’s fair enough, I’m on a 4-month schedule because of poor dental hygiene during childhood.
