The ADA Practical Guide to dental Letters 1 Introduction Using the Contents of This Book The contents of this book were designed to be flexible. They are meant to be adapted to the specific purposes of your dental office, whether it’s sending letters to your patients or repurposing content for newsletter items or blog posts. The content is also meant to show examples of different types of correspondence that can be used by dental staff to communicate with patients, vendors, employees, other dental professionals or the media. As you read through the contents of this book, change them to meet your audience’s needs. Put yourself in the patients’ shoes and then clearly state how the technique, procedure or program will benefit them. For example, if a certain procedure will save patient time and money in the future, state this within the first three sentences of your communication. If your communication has space constraints, such as a limited number of lines or characters, this information should be the first sentence. Also remember that people read at different literacy levels. Use simple language that is to the point. Avoid technical or scientific jargon whenever possible. Taking the time to communicate concern on an individual level is important, especially since many mediums are public postings that are not targeted to a specific individual. Because these mediums do not convey personal attention, the majority of your written correspondence should be personalized. For example, when sending a letter, use the individual’s address at the top, mention him or her by name in the salutation, and sign correspondence personally. If you don’t take time to personalize a communication, the individual may not take time to read it. A well- written, personalized letter will create a positive image for your practice, as will a personalized but concise email. Conversely, a careless letter or message will create a negative image. This book includes a CD-ROM with Microsoft Word documents of all the communications so you can personalize them right on your computer.