In a dental practice, appointments are the lifeblood of the business. And there are only three ways they happen:

1. Online

2. By phone

3. In person at the office

Here’s the reality: the vast majority of appointments — especially new patient appointments — happen over the phone. New patients need to create a file, confirm details, and ask questions. That’s why the phone isn’t just “another channel.” It’s your biggest driver of growth.

The Phone Is a Revenue Engine — or a Revenue Leak

If your practice misses a call, you’re not just missing a conversation — you’re potentially losing a patient forever.

• If a patient doesn’t get an answer within 3 hours, they’re likely gone.

• In competitive markets, over 20% will book elsewhere if they don’t hear back within 4 hours.

And it’s not just lost revenue. Unanswered calls create:

• Frustration for patients → lower satisfaction, lower retention, fewer future bookings.

• Frustration for your team → they can’t focus on patients in the chair because the phone never stops ringing.

• Higher costs → more front desk staff or outsourcing to external call centers (which are often mediocre at best).

Dental is competitive. Patients want a practice that feels attentive and responsive. If you can’t answer the phone fast, you’re signaling the opposite.

The After-Hours Problem

Here’s the other truth: around 30% of dental calls happen after hours or on weekends. That’s revenue — and new patients — slipping through your fingers while no one’s there to pick up.

AI Receptionists: From Nice-to-Have to No-Brainer

An AI receptionist solves the problem at every level:

• Never miss a call — capture patients 24/7, even at 10 PM on a Saturday.

• Boost revenue — secure new patient bookings before they go to your competitor.

• Cut costs — reduce reliance on external call centers and free up your front desk.

• Reduce no-shows — automate confirmations and reminders so patients feel reassured and show up.

• Scale easily — whether you have 1 office or 200 as a DSO, AI receptionists can handle thousands of calls at once without breaking a sweat.

Whether your goal is to increase revenue, cut costs, save your team’s time, or simply handle after-hours calls, an AI receptionist isn’t just an upgrade — it’s becoming a competitive necessity in dental.

In the end, the practices that adopt AI now will be the ones that patients remember — and keep coming back to. The ones that don’t? They’ll keep missing calls, and watching patients slip away.