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    Patient communication

    The question this page answers Which patient communication tool fits a private or mixed NHS and private dental practice in the UK, and what should your practice find out about practice software integration, channels, two-way replies, consent for marketing messages and where data is processed before it asks for a quote?

    Page last reviewed

    Patient communication tools send appointment reminders, recalls and other messages from your practice to patients by text message, email, app or voice. Many practice management systems include some of this; separate tools often add two-way messaging, online forms, review requests or payment links. The choice comes down to how well the tool works with your practice software, which channels you need, and how it handles consent for marketing messages.

    This page compares patient communication tools documented as offered to dental practices in the United Kingdom on the same criteria: reminders and recalls, two-way replies, channels, digital forms, practice software integration, how consent for marketing messages is recorded, where message data is stored and processed, minimum term and support. The table shows each fact with its source and the date it was checked. Where a vendor publishes nothing on a point, the table says so. This is not an exhaustive list.

    How the suppliers are assessed

    Criteria version 2.6, 20 October 2026. The same criteria for all suppliers in the category.

    • Channels to the patient
    • What can be sent
    • Replies from the patient
    • Practice management software it works with
    • Automatic appointment reminders
    • Recall reminders
    • Appointment confirmation to the patient
    • Online booking
    • Patient portal or app
    • Digital medical history forms
    • Payment link or payment by message
    • Review requests
    • Follow-up after the visit
    • Messages to groups or campaigns
    • Minimum term and cancellation
    • Stated response time and support hours
    • Consent and opt-out for marketing messages
    • Where message data is stored and processed, and the transfer basis the vendor states

    Who is included: Tools that send appointment reminders, recalls or other messages from the practice to patients (text message, email, app or voice), standalone, as a module in a practice management system in the UK guide or in a booking tool in the UK guide, with public product information and a UK offer: an English page aimed at UK practices with at least one UK condition (integration with UK practice software, a UK company, prices in GBP or documented UK use). Only companies are listed: limited companies (Ltd), PLCs, CICs and other companies, including foreign companies and their UK subsidiaries or branches, and LLPs with a neutral brand name. Sole traders (also when trading as a brand), ordinary and Scottish partnerships, limited partnerships, LLPs with a person's name and companies carrying a person's full name are excluded without being named. The company form and company number are read only from the supplier's own footer, terms or privacy page; a supplier that states neither there is excluded without being named, and no people are recorded for included companies. Not included: general text-message gateways and email tools not adapted to dental or health care, and sales CRM tools without patient messaging.

    This is not an exhaustive overview. See the search frame, the sources searched and known gaps.

    Compare patient communication solutions

    Sorted by the number of published facts, not by quality. Alphabetical order is one click away. This is not an exhaustive overview.

    Patient communication
    Supplier and offering Channels to the patientWhat can be sentReplies from the patientPractice management software it works withAutomatic appointment remindersRecall remindersAppointment confirmation to the patientOnline bookingPatient portal or appDigital medical history formsPayment link or payment by messageReview requestsFollow-up after the visitMessages to groups or campaignsMinimum term and cancellationStated response time and support hoursConsent and opt-out for marketing messagesWhere message data is stored and processed, and the transfer basis the vendor states Price Last checked
    DenGro DenGro dental CRM 10 of 10 facts published DenGro Limited (United Kingdom) developersystem ownerseller dengro.com Email and SMS nurture messages; a shared inbox for two-way patient conversations via email, SMS and WhatsApp, with usage charges for WhatsApp and SMS1Provided by the vendorPractice-branded, treatment-specific auto-responses and nurture messages by email and SMS2Provided by the vendorShared inbox for two-way patient conversations via email, SMS and WhatsApp3Provided by the vendorDentally, EXACT (one-way sync), Aerona and SfD4Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Rolling 30-day subscription that can be cancelled at any time; an account can be reactivated within 60 days; no set-up fee5Provided by the vendorLive chat support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm6Provided by the vendorConsent can be documented per lead with a record of who logged it, and the automated emails and SMS carry a link for managing contact preferences7Provided by the vendorMain IT infrastructure (Amazon Web Services) is hosted in Ireland; some integrated third parties store data outside the UK and the EEA, with arrangements under UK GDPR Articles 45 to 498Provided by the vendor £199 per practice per month inc VAT9Includes: Unlimited users, Email and SMS nurture messages with dental-specific templates · Not included: Usage charges for WhatsApp and SMS sent from the inbox Last checked
    Henry Schein One Dentally patient communication 8 of 10 facts published Henry Schein One UK Ltd (United Kingdom) developerseller Henry Schein One UK Limited (United Kingdom) developersystem ownerseller www.dentally.com/en-gb SMS text and email10Provided by the vendorAppointment reminders, estimates and outstanding invoices by SMS text or email, and automated SMS messages for the short notice filler11Provided by the vendorWhen a patient confirms they are free in the short notice filler, the appointment moves to that slot automatically and a confirmation is sent12Provided by the vendorDentally practice management software (the communication features are part of Dentally)13Provided by the vendorAutomated SMS and email reminders14Provided by the vendorAutomated smart recalls, set up from a template and format of the practice's choice and added to a recall workflow15Provided by the vendorReminder prompts and confirmations are sent at the right time16Provided by the vendorDentally Portal lets patients book when it suits them through the practice's own patient booking system17Provided by the vendorDentally Portal with online booking, online forms, Kiosk check-in and Concierge for patients who have not completed forms before arrival18Provided by the vendorPatients complete their online medical history and other forms from home or on a tablet in the practice using Dentally Portal and Concierge19Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Support by chat on the Starter plan and by chat and phone on the Essentials and Pro plans20Provided by the vendorThe patient details tab has a specific option to record whether the patient has agreed to be contacted for marketing purposes21Provided by the vendorThe security page says Dentally is hosted on servers owned and operated by Amazon Web Services that reside within the European Union22Provided by the vendor from £134 per month ex VAT23 Last checked
    DPS-UK DPS-UK patient app and Messaging Hub 6 of 10 facts published DPS-UK Ltd (United Kingdom) developersystem ownerseller dps-uk.com The DPS-UK app for iPhone and Android, free for patients, with reminders, updates and secure messaging24Provided by the vendorConfirmations, updates and automated reminders in the Messaging Hub, plus personalised oral-hygiene and post-treatment advice after each visit25Provided by the vendorTwo-way communication: secure messaging between the practice team and the patient26Provided by the vendorSOE (EXACT), R4 and Dentally, depending on configuration27Provided by the vendorAutomated reminders in the Messaging Hub to reduce no-shows28Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)The Messaging Hub holds confirmations, updates and reminders in one place29Provided by the vendorPatients self-schedule from live availability, 24 hours a day in the app, and appointments flow into the practice system30Provided by the vendorPatient app with a patient dashboard, free for patients on iPhone and Android31Provided by the vendorDigital medical and social history forms and online consent completed on the patient's phone before the visit32Provided by the vendorPayment links sent alongside forms in one flow33Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Oral-Health Hub with hygiene and aftercare advice tailored to the treatment, shown in the patient dashboard34Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Not found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Patient data is hosted in the UK35Provided by the vendor Base price: no public price found as of 19 October 202636 Last checked
    Henry Schein One EXACT patient communication tools 6 of 10 facts published Henry Schein One UK Ltd (United Kingdom) developerseller Henry Schein One UK Limited (United Kingdom) developersystem ownerseller www.dentally.com/en-gb SMS, email and EasyPost, SOE's print and post service for physical mail and postcards37Provided by the vendorScheduled practice-to-patient messages such as automatic appointment follow-ups with patient feedback links, and automatic appointment reminders38Provided by the vendorAppointments can be confirmed through the SMS replies feature39Provided by the vendorEXACT; Campaign+ is integrated with EXACT practice management software40Provided by the vendorAutomatic appointment reminders alongside important information and, if applicable, links to required Patient Portal forms41Provided by the vendorAutomated recalls sent by SMS, email and/or EasyPost in the background without user input42Provided by the vendorSMS appointment confirmations and cancellations can be sent when an appointment is scheduled or amended in EXACT43Provided by the vendorOnline appointment booking in real time with a personalised booking page, integrated with recall communications44Provided by the vendorPatient Portal lets patients sign and complete assigned forms remotely, with SMS two-factor authentication; details update on the patient's file in EXACT45Provided by the vendorA range of forms with customisable templates, forwarded to patients by SMS and email through quick links46Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Working Feedback, offered with EXACT, can ask for reviews by SMS and/or email automatically after an appointment47Provided by the vendorScheduled automatic appointment follow-ups that contain patient feedback links48Provided by the vendorCampaign+ sends one-off or ongoing campaigns by email, text message and post to targeted patient groups49Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)Support by chat and phone under the Service Level Agreement; no hours or response times are stated50Provided by the vendorNot found in public sourcesNot found in public sources (searched 19 October 2026)The privacy policy says the majority of patient data is processed and stored inside the EEA, the UK or countries the European Commission recognises as having equivalent data protection standards, and that transfers out of the UK/EEA rely on countries the European Commission deems adequate or on contracts approved by the European Commission51Provided by the vendor Base price: no public price found as of 19 October 202652 Last checked

    What the criteria mean

    • Reminders and recalls. Whether the tool sends appointment reminders and recall messages automatically, and whether patients can confirm or cancel by reply.
    • Practice software integration. Which UK practice management systems the tool reads appointments from and writes replies back to, as the vendor states it.
    • Consent handling. How the tool records consent and opt-outs for marketing messages, as the vendor describes it. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) apply to unsolicited marketing by electronic mail to individual subscribers. The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives))53 The guide does not say how PECR applies to a given message; ask your adviser.
    • Data location. Where message data is stored and processed, and the transfer basis the vendor states for data leaving the UK.

    What to check before you ask for a quote

    • Which practice management system does the tool connect to, and does it write confirmations and cancellations back to your diary?
    • Which channels are included (text message, email, app, voice), and what does each message cost on top of the subscription?
    • Can patients reply, and who at the practice sees the replies?
    • How does the tool keep reminders apart from marketing messages, and how does it record consent and opt-outs?
    • Where is message data stored and processed, which sub-processors are used, and what does the data processing agreement say?
    • What is in the price, ex VAT or inc VAT, and what is the minimum term?

    Sources

    Numbered by first appearance on the page. The date is when the source was last checked.

    1. Dental CRM Prices | DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    2. Features & Benefits - DenGro Dental CRM (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    3. Dental CRM Prices | DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    4. Features & Benefits - DenGro Dental CRM (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    5. FAQ's - DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    6. FAQ's - DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    7. GDPR & Your Practice - DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    8. Privacy Policy - DenGro (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    9. Price information (dengro.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Confirmed in the source
    10. FAQs | Dentally UK (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    11. FAQs | Dentally UK (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    12. FAQs | Dentally UK (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    13. Dentist admin, Dental administration software | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    14. Dentist admin, Dental administration software | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    15. FAQs | Dentally UK (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    16. Fail to Attend Rate, Dental Appointment Management | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    17. Dentally Portal: The Dental Patient Experience | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    18. Dentally Portal: The Dental Patient Experience | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    19. Dentally Portal: The Dental Patient Experience | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    20. Pricing, Dental Software Price Comparison | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    21. FAQs | Dentally UK (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    22. Security | Dentally (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    23. Price information (dentally.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Confirmed in the source
    24. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    25. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    26. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    27. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    28. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    29. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    30. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    31. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    32. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    33. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    34. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    35. DPS-UK | Smarter Dental Access For Patients And Practices (dps-uk.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    36. Base price: no public price found as of 19 October 2026. Searched: Home page including FAQ, Terms of use, Privacy policy. No price, plan or message rate on the pages read, including the FAQ answers on the home page; the /pricing and /faq paths returned 404. Pages searched (evidence id): 98f74201be2d283a3178d931dac78670bc2dd63892315a6d4419e3b7a3b62f54 (home), f6e57aa171efcf683dc6f45a3d166418c44e3f89dd0d4dca933ed26e7eb05a0c (terms), 600f7780b2ed41aca159df76958be08d9bff4239c99ab1992b55d9f0febef4ac (privacy policy). Search repeated 19 October 2026: dps-uk.com/, dps-uk.com/terms/, dps-uk.com/privacy-policy/, dps-uk.com/pricing/, dps-uk.com/faq/, dps-uk.com/robots.txt, dps-uk.com/wp-sitemap.xml, dps-uk.com/wp-sitemap-posts-page-1.xml, dps-uk.com/wp-sitemap-posts-post-1.xml.
    37. Effective Communication Tools - Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    38. Effective Communication Tools - Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    39. Effective Communication Tools - Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    40. Campaign Plus effective marketing strategy (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    41. Effective Communication Tools - Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    42. Automated Patient Recalls | Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    43. Streamline Appointments with Software of Excellence's New SMS Confirmation (blog.softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    44. Online Patient Booking System | Dental Solutions (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    45. Patient Portal – Empower your patients (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    46. Patient Portal – Empower your patients (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    47. Working Feedback - Build Trust In Your Clinic (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    48. Effective Communication Tools - Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    49. Campaign Plus effective marketing strategy (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    50. Support SLA | Software of Excellence (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    51. Software of Excellence Privacy Policy (softwareofexcellence.com). Checked 19 October 2026. Provided by the vendorConfirmed in the source
    52. Base price: no public price found as of 19 October 2026. Searched: Communication tools page, Automated recalls page, Campaign+ page, Online booking page, Patient portal page, Care Manager page, Working Feedback page, Support SLA page, EXACT overview page, SMS confirmation article. No price or SMS rate on the pages read; the SMS confirmation article says each text is charged at the practice's standard SMS credit rate without giving it. Pages searched (evidence id): 71457a47982440319b5ae545c056f887ada27caa8a87f60e205625903dad2ac6 (communication tools), d55a9973cee6023ae387805414c6bfb756d9f509f6262df4c53aa21b4fd56219 (automated recalls), 8be53bf6d90cb224400ee51aec411cfc4ea963e7d540464d0f56b676cd033d45 (Campaign+), b5f207bc2b2170c0e991c6bd9b0c2a8de556daab435d1027ebbf7f22bd561622 (online booking), c8989a6cc987e46f20802a3787a2406f78ab51d8eb170c8879accd5d4c4f1f96 (patient portal), 11c15d6204b0a83c37850244a6e11e8643cfa4f2e34d6171fce65631eff2543e (Care Manager), e1e178fbd0d2e160a5799e86d4c9c17a5252b9c55d74ae33b231303cb1d2b0ea (Working Feedback), 577571358215bc0ffda75eb85f3a7dad44381572af231b0885977c686a249be2 (support SLA), 905d026f48157f5f87b576bcf2eb45992be96f167ecbaec2bacf2d50c58d69bf (EXACT overview), 3a684b29fd2ef4fdca2977d8998cc31c2f3e1f348f63cb3073972f36e26432bc (SMS confirmation article). The URL /en-gb/pricing returned 404. Search repeated 19 October 2026: softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/patient-retention/communication-tools, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/patient-retention/automated-recalls, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/practice-growth/campaignplus, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/patient-experience/online-booking, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/patient-experience/patient-portal, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/patient-retention/care-manager, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/practice-growth/working-feedback, softwareofexcellence.com/en/support/sla, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/exact, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/exact/switching-to-exact, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/solutions/exact/private-practices, blog.softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/streamline-appointments-with-software-of-excellences-new-sms-confirmation, softwareofexcellence.com/en-gb/pricing.
    53. The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Checked 19 October 2026. Official sourceConfirmed in the source