The Complete Telephone Script Guide for Australian Dental Practices Every call your front desk receives is an opportunity — to book a new patient, to retain an existing one, to turn a complaint into loyalty, or to fill a gap in the schedule. But only if the person answering the phone knows exactly what to say. The FOC Telephone Script Directory 2026 is the complete telephone script guide for Australian dental practices — 19 pages of ready-to-use, AHPRA-compliant scripts covering every call type your FOC will ever receive. From a new patient asking about teeth whitening to an anxious caller who doesn't know where to start, from a CDBS enquiry to a patient disputing a bill — every scenario has a script, a set of follow-up questions, and a close that moves toward a booked appointment. The directory is structured across 8 sections: Section 1 — The 7-Step First Contact Framework A universal structure for every first contact — greet, listen, acknowledge, inform, ask, offer, and close. Includes the non-negotiable rule: ask every new patient how they heard about the practice, and record it before the call ends. Section 2 — General Enquiries Scripts for general treatment enquiries, compliments about the practice, and general pricing questions — including the golden rule on never quoting a price over the phone without the right caveats. Section 3 — Treatment-Specific Scripts The most comprehensive section — word-for-word scripts for every major treatment enquiry your practice receives: General examination and check-up Teeth whitening (including sensitivity, longevity, pregnancy, and breastfeeding questions) Composite bonding and composite veneers Porcelain veneers (including the "do you need to file teeth?" and "do I need braces first?" questions) Invisalign and orthodontics (including traditional braces) Dental implants, All-on-4, and dentures Dental emergencies Gum disease and hygiene appointments Sedation and dental anxiety (including happy gas and IV sedation) X-rays (including during pregnancy) Each treatment section includes follow-up questions to keep the conversation going and always closes with an offer to book. Section 4 — Health Funds, CDBS and Payments Scripts for private health fund enquiries, HICAPS benefit checks, Child Dental Benefits Schedule eligibility and coverage questions, DVA cardholder enquiries, and payment plan conversations — including how to handle cost concerns without losing the booking. Section 5 — Booking and Consultation Scripts How to close a booking, handle a patient who isn't ready to commit, explain what a consultation involves, take a deposit over the phone, manage out-of-area enquiries, and handle referral questions. Section 6 — Cancellations, No-Shows and the Short-Notice List Scripts for when a patient cancels, when they cancel with insufficient notice, when they don't show up (same-day and next-day follow-up), and when calling patients from the short-notice list to fill a gap. Section 7 — Handling Complaints and Difficult Calls How to handle general complaints, clinical complaints, aggressive or demanding callers, and patients disputing a bill — with the golden rule: listen first, never argue, and escalate to the PM anything you cannot resolve in one call. Section 8 — Closing Every Call Three closing scripts — for calls that end in a booking, calls that don't, and calls that involved a complaint — so every call ends positively and purposefully, regardless of how it started. Who this is for: New FOCs who need scripts to build confidence on the phone from day one Experienced FOCs who want a written reference for less common or more difficult call types Practice Managers who want consistent telephone standards across the whole front desk team Dental practices that want to convert more enquiries into booked appointments Why this directory works: Most FOCs learn to answer the phone by listening to whoever trained them — which means standards vary by person, by day, and by how much the last person remembered to pass on. This directory puts everything in writing. It is the reference guide your FOC can reach for in any situation, and the standard your practice can hold everyone to. 📄 Format: 19-page editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) — fully customisable with your practice name, dentist names, phone number, and fee amounts ⬇️ Instant digital download — available immediately after purchase 🦷 Built for Australian dental practices — AHPRA advertising compliant
