Patient Communication 2026: How Dental Practices Reach Patients in the Digital Age

The way patients communicate with dental practices is evolving rapidly. In the DentalAce Market Intelligence Report 2026, we analyze how patients want to interact with dentists today — and why digital patient communication has become a decisive success factor for modern dental practices.

Digital Patient Communication Is Transforming Dentistry

Recent studies from the United States and Germany show a clear trend:

70% of patients prefer dental practices that offer digital communication and online appointment booking.

Traditional phone-based communication is being replaced by fast, mobile-first and digital solutions.

Most Important Digital Communication Channels for Dental Practices

Automated Appointment Reminders

• 89% of patients manage dental appointments via smartphone
• SMS and email reminders achieve open rates of up to 98%
• Automated reminders significantly reduce no-shows and save staff time  

Online Appointment Booking & Patient Portals

• 80% of patients book dental appointments online, read reviews, or manage treatment information digitally
• Leading platforms:
            USA: ZocDoc, OpenCare
            Germany: Doctolib, Jameda

Online booking increases patient convenience and improves practice efficiency.  

Social Media for Dentists

• 44% of patients research dentists on social media

• 36% actively follow dental practices

• Facebook and Instagram remain the most influential platforms

A strong social media presence builds trust, visibility and patient loyalty. 

Digital Engagement in Dentistry Is Growing Rapidly

Digital patient engagement has more than doubled in the past five years, with continued growth expected through 2026 and beyond.

Dental practices that invest in digital communication now gain a clear competitive advantage.

Digital Patient Communication in Austria

Austria has significantly accelerated its digital transformation in healthcare:

• 60% use smartphones for dentist search and appointment reminders
• 50% use online portals and book appointments digitally
• 41% research dentists on social media
• 90% of digital users rely heavily on online information

What Digital Communication Means for Your Dental Practice

A professional online presence and modern patient communication help dental practices to:

• attract more new patients
• retain existing patients long-term
• reduce administrative workload
• optimize chair utilization and practice efficiency

DentalAce: The Leading Digital Communication Platform for Dentists

DentalAce is the leading digital communication and visibility platform for dentists in Vienna, helping practices grow sustainably.

Benefits for Dental Practices:

✔️ Over 100 new patients per year
✔️ SEO-optimized dental practice profiles
✔️ Maximum online visibility
✔️ Transparent pricing — no long-term contracts

Learn more on our website HERE .

Sign up now and receive 1 free trial month as a New Year’s special HERE.

Share Your Feedback

Which topics around digital dentistry, patient communication or dental marketing would you like us to cover in future reports?