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Why He Left Futuredontics...and Came Back By: Lisa Fleetwood, Editor
Dental Angle Online Magazine

When Dr. David Rubis, a dentist in private practice in Joliet, IL, was looking for a way to build his practice back in 1991, he decided to try Futuredontics’ 1-800-DENTIST’s program. He only remained a member for a year or so, but shortly after leaving the service he reconsidered his decision. The program had in fact made a positive impact on his production by expanding his patient base and providing him with new patients with high dental needs. So he rejoined in 1993, and has remained a member ever since.

“When I initially joined, the way Futuredontics screened its callers wasn’t as streamlined as it is now. The operators probably didn’t have as much detailed information in front of them and computers were much slower 10 years ago,” said Rubis. “Back then, our office’s conversion rate of referrals into actual patients wasn’t very good…but then again, that was at least partially a training issue on our end.”
“Our office’s conversion rate of referrals
into actual patients wasn’t very good
but it was a training issue on our end.”
David Rubis, DDS
Today, Rubis says that Futuredontics offers many great program tools and training options that have aided his practice in effectively using the program. In fact, the in-office training sessions hosted by Futuredontics’ member consultants have helped tremendously in improving his conversion rate. But most of all, he really enjoys his referral patients.

“One thing that stands out about the people I have treated through the program is that they’re appreciative and generally high-quality patients that usually become great patients of record,” said Rubis. “The patients also give me the impression that by the time they visit my office, Futuredontics has made them feel confident about their decision to see me in particular.”

He attributes this to the detailed information that Futuredontics operators are able to provide to callers about each of their carefully screened member dentists. And, the technological advances the company has made over the past decade has vastly improved the timeliness and overall accuracy of the information collected from callers. “I can’t credit the Futuredontics program with all of my success, but I can say that I have seen a 5 to 1 return on my investment so far. My production has also increased tenfold,” he added.

Why join the Futuredontics program?
 Many dentists have pre-conceived notions about how the Futuredontics’ 1-800-DENTIST® program functions. Dentists who contemplate membership naturally want to be in good company, so they often express concern about whether “just any dentist” can join the service. Others are under the false impression that this type of service merely acts as a clearinghouse, passing along every single person who calls the advertised toll-free number. Others assume that most of the dentists on the service are either just starting up their practices or have no other means of attracting new patients.

The reality is that dentists join the Futuredontics program for a variety of reasons. Many join simply because they want to increase their patient base or their practice’s production. Others want to break away from managed care. Dentists often join when they have recently hired an associate or if they need more patients for a second practice.

Furthermore, 1-800-DENTIST is more than just a list of dentists who have paid to join a referral service. Members do pay monthly dues to be a part of the program, but not every dentist who applies is accepted. Futuredontics verifies that applicants are in good standing with their state dental board, checks public records and requires written recommendations from other dentists. To further protect patients, Futuredontics also verifies that each prospective member has malpractice insurance with sufficient limits. A dentist’s acceptance into the Futuredontics program also does not ensure tenure of membership. In fact, Futuredontics removes dentists from the service for a wide variety of reasons, including multiple patient complaints, loss of malpractice insurance or disciplinary action by the board of dentistry.

Futuredontics not only qualifies its member dentists for membership, it also screens patient callers and matches them with dentists who meet their specific needs. With the recent acquisition of Dental Referral Service, Futuredontics now has members in 48 states and receives over 1 million calls each year from consumers looking for a dentist. Futuredontics estimates that it has generated over $1 billion in dental production for its members since 1986.

 What do dentists really think?
 “I decided to join the Futuredontics program because I wanted more new patients to broaden my referral base within my local area,” said Dr. James Mellert, a dentist in private practice in Torrance, CA, who believes that his decision to have three Futuredontics memberships for his two practice locations proves how profitable the program can truly be. “I also wanted to be able to treat a wide array of patients. Through my membership on the program, I have been able to treat people from all walks of life–from trial attorneys, to judges, to school teachers, to janitors. Futuredontics has been able to deliver the diversity of patients that I want.”


However, his success on the program has not been without its challenges. Since becoming a member in 1991, he has had to overcome some obstacles, but Mellert strongly believes in marketing. He feels that while marketing can be beneficial to every doctor, not every program will be a complementary fit for every practice. And his primary complaint about Futuredontics referrals is actually a problem common to many of his new patients.

“My chief complaint doesn’t really have to do with the program itself. I’m sure many dentists would agree with me about how frustrating it is to have to deal with patients who don’t understand their own dental insurance plans,” said Mellert. “Some patients seem to think they have indemnity plans and then show up at my office with a different type of coverage. It takes some effort to investigate what type of insurance each patient has.”

Mellert also believes that Futuredontics’ 1-800-DENTIST commercials have more benefits for the dental industry than most dentists have taken the time to consider.

“When people see these ads, they may call the 800 number to find a dentist, but they might also call their own dentists to make an appointment,” explained Mellert. “To me, these commercials benefit the dental industry just like Crest® does, for example. Advertisements for Crest toothpaste make the viewers think about their dental health, even if only for a moment.”

Rubis agrees with Mellert about the positive effect and wide-reaching impact that Futuredontics’ 1-800-DENTIST commercials have for the dental industry. He believes that the subtle message and style of the commercials encourages consumers to make oral hygiene part of their regular healthcare regimen.

“When I was deciding on a marketing program, I chose to go with Futuredontics because of their high-quality commercials,” he said. “What is most important to me is that the look and message of their ads always remains up-to-date. People are always changing their interests, so to remain effective, commercials must reflect that and speak to that audience.”

 How does it impact the front office?
 Achieving maximum success on the program is largely dependent on the front office staff’s desire to convert the referrals into patients. Patty Spannagel, a former front office manager from Arlington Heights, IL, worked in an office that used the program for five years.

“When my doctor decided to join the program and the calls began coming in, I just couldn’t understand why the media-generated referrals wouldn’t schedule appointments right away,” said Spannagel. “At that point, I had 12 years of front office experience and had never faced that type of obstacle before. I did know, however, that in order for this relatively young practice to succeed, we needed to get more patients in the door.”

That is where the Futuredontics’ program stepped in, providing training and scripted dialogue that enabled her to learn how to deal with her challenges.

“Futuredontics’ client services representatives constantly encouraged me to show compassion and express concern for each caller and to take the time to describe our practice. This small change in my phone routine led to a significant increase in my patient conversion rate,” she explained. “As time went on, we also found that the majority of those referrals had many treatment needs, which meant more production for the practice. In the end, I was so impressed with Futuredontics that I joined the company as a member consultant, introducing the basic principles of the program to new members and their staff.”

Marketing your practice
 When you are planning your practice budget, how much do you set aside for marketing? Whatever the amount may be, one thing is certain: marketing is an important tool that every dentist should utilize and budget for on an annual basis. Successful marketing plans include a combination of creative ideas, high-quality advertising, and most importantly, a clear understanding of the industry, your practice, and your desired patient. Most dentists recognize that they do not have the resources to create and execute an effective marketing campaign on their own, so they may decide to work with marketing professionals. However, it is critical to be selective, because all marketing programs are not created equal. After exploring all of your options, you may conclude, as thousands of dentists nationwide already have, that Futuredontics’ 1-800-DENTIST program is the right choice for marketing your practice.
For additional information on Futuredontics’ cooperative marketing programs,
call the Membership Department at 1-800-222-9633 or visit www.futuredontics.com.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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