Though I have terrible teeth (and even worse brushing habits), I have a pretty good dentist. His practice is the typical small-business venture, and like most in the medical profession, getting people to show up to have their teeth cleaned is like, well, pulling teeth.

Thus his assistant gets the lucky job of calling people and reminding them to come in. She’s nice, of course, but like most patients, I always let the call go to voice mail.

Personally, I’d rather just have an automated text reminder. It just makes more sense: my day doesn’t get interrupted to have an awkward phone conversation about my not-so-stellar fight against cavities, and I can text back my confirmation or need to reschedule quickly.

In fact, I could see a lot of medical-related scenarios where texting makes more sense than forcing nurses and/or doctors to spend all day on the phone:

• Prescription pick-up: “Your laxative prescription from Dr. Professional is ready for pick up at Corner Drug Store“
• Data Collection: “Please text in your blood-sugar level for today.”
• Lab Results: “Your blood work has been reviewed, and it turns out you’re not a werewolf.”