Answer Details

Great question, Jenny — picking the right CRM for a dental clinic is smart because it helps you streamline patient interactions, boost retention, and free up time for the actual dentistry (and your team). Below is a breakdown of what to look for and 5 of the top CRM options that are well-matched for dental practices, especially in markets like NZ/Aus (so you can see how they might fit your context). If you like, I can also pull out pricing & NZ/AU-specific options. ✅ What features matter most for a dental-clinic CRM Here are the “must-haves” (and some nice-to-haves) so you can evaluate fit: Must-haves Patient database + contact history (so you know who the patient is, treatments done, next review) Appointment scheduling & reminders (automated SMS/email to reduce no-shows) ClickUp +2 markoborn.com +2 Treatment plan tracking + clinical info (so your team can see what’s next) ClickUp +1 Communications (SMS/email campaigns, personalised follow-ups, nurture inactive patients) DenGro +1 Analytics / reporting (so you can monitor conversions, no-shows, revenue by treatment) DenGro +1 Integration with your practice management system / dental-specific workflows (so you’re not building silos) dentally.com +1 Data security & compliance (very important in NZ/AU) Nice-to-haves Multi-location/multi-chair support (if the clinic grows) Automated recalls and loyalty programmes (to keep patients coming back) exactdental.co.nz Easy onboarding and user-friendly UI (so staff adoption is smooth) Local support (for time zones, local compliance) Customisable workflows (you might have specialist treatments, etc) 🔝 Top CRM Tools for Dental Clinics Here are five strong contenders, each with its own flavour. I’ll outline what makes each one stand out and any potential limitations. 1. DenGro Tailored specifically for dental practices (and aesthetics) with features like conversation inbox (SMS/WhatsApp/email), pipeline tracking for new patient enquiries, strong lead-to-treatment conversion tools. DenGro Highlights: good for clinics that want to ramp new patient acquisition + conversion, not just manage existing patients. Things to check: how well it integrates with your existing dental practice management software (especially in NZ/AUS); check support in NZ time zone. 2. InvestGlass CRM (Dental version) More general CRM but with a dental-practice template: dashboards, scheduling, patient portal, automation, onboarding. InvestGlass Highlights: good if you want a more full-CRM (not just dental-specific) and maybe plan to scale or integrate other services. Things to check: extra dental-specific clinical features (treatment history etc) may be less rich than a pure dental-CRM. 3. Nimble CRM General CRM, but there are case studies of dental clinics using it for patient engagement, automated communication, follow-ups. Nimble Highlights: Might be a lower-cost entry option, good if clinic size is modest and you’re comfortable customizing. Things to check: Might require more customisation to get dental-workflow features (appointments, treatment plans). 4. Dentally A cloud dental-practice management solution that also includes patient-communication and CRM-type features: online booking, automated recalls, treatment plans. dentally.com Highlights: Because it’s dental-specific and used in NZ/UK markets, good fit for local context. Things to check: It may be more “practice management” than pure CRM (so if you want heavy marketing/lead pipeline management, check that portion). 5. Cliniccards Dental-centre-specific CRM/management platform: scheduling, SMS/Viber integrations, inventory, detailed reports, cloud storage. cliniccards.com Highlights: Good if the clinic also wants to manage supply/inventory and wants a more “all-in-one” operations & CRM tool. Things to check: Local NZ/AUS support and pricing; possible extra overhead if you don’t need the full operations piece. 🎯 My recommendation for your situation Since you’re running tech and are founder-savvy, here’s how I’d prioritise: If you’re single clinic or small size, pick something lean and easy to adopt → Dentally or Nimble are strong. If you’re planning to scale multiple locations, want to optimise lead conversion and marketing, go for DenGro or InvestGlass. Since you’re in NZ/Auckland, check local provider/partner availability, NZ data-hosting / compliance, and how many NZ clinics use the tool (for peer-support). Make sure the CRM interfaces with whatever dental-practice or clinic software you're already using (or plan to use). Avoid double data entry. Run a pilot: pick one tool, migrate a subset of patient data, measure: reduction in no-shows, conversion of enquiries to appointments, staff time saved. If you like, I can pull together a comparison table of ~8-10 CRM tools available in NZ/AU for dental clinics (with pricing, local support, pros/cons) so you can evaluate side by side. Want me to dig that?