Dental Intelligence AI Receptionist is an add-on to our Engagement Module. If you're interested in learning more about AI Receptionist and setting it up for your practice, CLICK HERE to request a demo!
Nearly half of all inbound calls to a dental practice come after hours — and 78% of those callers won't leave a voicemail. Dental Intelligence AI Receptionist answers every call the moment it comes in, whether it's 9pm on a Tuesday or 7am on a holiday.
It knows your patients and your practice — answering questions, sharing personalized info, confirming insurance, and collecting outstanding balances without your team lifting a finger. Your team walks in the next morning with a clear summary of every interaction, instead of a voicemail avalanche.
What the AI Receptionist Can Do
From the very first call, your AI Receptionist is ready to help patients with the following:
Instant 24/7 Answering
Instant 24/7 Answering
Picks up every call in under 5 seconds — after hours, weekends, and holidays. Patients can get instant answers to common inquiries, including:
Practice name and contact email
Business hours, including one-off closures and holidays
Accepted insurance providers
Services offered by the practice
New vs. Existing Patient Detection
New vs. Existing Patient Detection
Automatically identifies whether the caller is a new patient or an existing one based on their phone number, name, and date of birth.
Verify Patient Identity
Verify Patient Identity
For any request involving sensitive account information, the AI Receptionist first verifies the patient's identity using a one-time passcode (OTP):
The OTP is sent to the patient phone number or email address on file
Patients calling from an unrecognized number can request the OTP be sent to their email instead
Sensitive information is only shared after successful verification
Once identity is confirmed, the AI Receptionist can share the following for existing patients:
Outstanding balance
Whether there is outstanding treatment
Next scheduled appointment
Hygiene due date and hygiene frequency
Appointment Confirmation
Appointment Confirmation
Confirms existing appointments for verified patients. Does not manage cancellations (*requires DI Online Scheduling).
Payment Collection
Payment Collection
Confirms outstanding balances and sends payment requests during the call (*requires DI Payments).
Insurance Verification
Insurance Verification
Checks remaining benefits for existing patients and confirms accepted carriers (*requires DI Insurance).
Call Summaries to Personal Assistant Inbox
Call Summaries to Personal Assistant Inbox
Every call generates a detailed summary — who called, what they needed, what was handled.
Want coverage during business hours too? AI Receptionist can handle overflow and routine calls during the day — scheduling, payments, FAQs, and more. Just note that it can't transfer callers to a team member mid-call, so it's ideal for interactions that can be fully resolved on the spot.
Getting Setup: 3 Simple Steps
Step 1: Receive your provisioned number
Once your AI Receptionist is activated, a member of the Dental Intelligence Install team will reach out with your provisioned phone number. This is the dedicated number your phone system will route calls to when your office is closed. Hold onto it — you'll need it for the next step.
Step 2: Contact your VoIP provider to configure call forwarding
Contact your VoIP provider and ask them to set up call forwarding to your provisioned number. You'll want forwarding active during:
After-hours (outside your normal business hours)
Weekends
Holidays
Your VoIP provider can configure a schedule-based routing rule that automatically forwards calls to AI Receptionist when your office is closed. Most providers can get this done in a single support call.
Tip: Share your provisioned number with your VoIP provider upfront and let them know you need after-hours call forwarding. They'll handle the technical setup on their end.
This is an example VoIP flow with the Dental Intelligence AI Receptionist for after-hours and holidays:
Step 3: Attend Your Onboarding Meeting
This is where everything gets dialed in. Your Dental Intelligence onboarding specialist will walk through your setup to make sure your AI Receptionist is ready to deliver a great patient experience from day one. Here's what you'll cover:
Practice hours — confirming your schedule is accurate so AI Receptionist knows exactly when to take over.
Dental Intelligence Payments — verifying your payment setup so the AI can collect outstanding balances when patients call after hours.
Dental Intelligence Engagement Module settings — reviewing your overall configuration to make sure every patient interaction reflects your practice accurately.
The goal is a seamless experience for every patient who calls — whether they're checking their next appointment, asking about insurance, or paying down a balance at 10pm on a Saturday.
Important Notes
Appointment confirmation requires Dental Intelligence Online Scheduling to be configured. AI Receptionist works without it, but won't be able to answer those questions.
Daytime use is available for overflow or routine calls, but warm transfers to staff are not currently supported. Contact DI Support before enabling daytime deployment.
AI Receptionist is HIPAA compliant and integrates with your existing VoIP provider and practice management system.
AI Receptionist is artificial intelligence and can make mistakes. It's important to review call summaries to ensure that AI Receptionist is handling patient inquiries as expected.
How It Works
Here is what patients can expect during a call handled by AI Receptionist, depending on their needs:
For General Questions (Any Caller)
Patient calls the office from any phone number
No identification required — the patient simply asks their question
The AI Receptionist answers questions about hours, closures, holidays, and accepted insurance carriers
A call summary is sent to the Personal Assistant inbox
For Sensitive Account Information (Calling from Number on File)
Patient calls and provides their first name
Patient requests sensitive information, such as their outstanding balance or next appointment date/time
AI Receptionist asks for additional identifying details
A one-time passcode (OTP) is sent to the patient's phone number on file
Patient provides the OTP to confirm their identity
AI Receptionist shares the requested information
Patient may request a callback from the office if needed
A call summary is sent to the Personal Assistant inbox
For Sensitive Account Information (Calling from an Unrecognized Number)
Patient calls and provides their first name
Patient requests sensitive information
AI Receptionist asks for additional identifying details
Patient requests the OTP be sent to their email on file instead
Patient provides the OTP to confirm their identity
AI Receptionist shares the requested information
Patient may request a callback from the office if needed
A call summary is sent to the Personal Assistant inbox
For Busy Line Coverage During Practice Hours
AI Receptionist can also extend coverage into your business day — stepping in when your front desk is with a patient, handling high call volume, or absorbing routine inquiries so your team can focus on the people in the chair.
< 5 sec to answer every call | 0 voicemails left by patients | 60–80% of overflow calls fully resolved |
When a team member is busy on the line with another patient, AI Receptionist is right there to ensure that every daytime call is answered within 5 seconds — no hold music, no voicemail prompt, no missed opportunity. Patients who would have otherwise been sent to voicemail (and, statistically, never called back) get an immediate, helpful response. AI Receptionist handles:
Appointment confirmations
General practice questions — hours, providers, services, accepted insurances
Outstanding balance checks and payment requests for existing patients
Insurance benefit inquiries
What to keep in mind
Daytime use works best for calls that can be fully resolved without a staff handoff. AI Receptionist can handle overflow and routine inquiries end-to-end, but it does not currently support transferring a caller directly to a team member mid-call. For interactions that need a live person — complex clinical questions, escalations, or anything requiring staff judgment — a call summary will be generated immediately so your team can follow up without delay.
Talk to DI Support before enabling daytime deployment to confirm your setup is configured correctly.
What Happens After Each Call
Every call your AI Receptionist handles generates a detailed summary sent straight to your team's Personal Assistant inbox. You'll see:
Who called and whether they were a new or existing patient
What they needed — scheduling, insurance, payments, or general questions
What the AI Receptionist handled and any actions taken (confirmation sent, payment requested, etc.)
Any follow-up items that need a human touch
Filter the Personal Assistant inbox to show all AI call summaries by applying the Voice category tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to set up a new login or account?
No. The AI Receptionist works through your existing Dental Intelligence platform. No separate login is required.
Where can I view call summaries?
All call summaries are available in the Personal Assistant message area of your Dental Intelligence portal. This is the best place to review any patient interaction handled by the AI Receptionist.
Is patient information kept secure?
Yes. The AI Receptionist requires identity verification via a one-time passcode before sharing any sensitive patient information. This step cannot be bypassed.
What if a caller does not identify themselves?
The AI Receptionist will still assist with general practice information — hours, insurance, services — without requiring the caller to provide their name.
What if the AI Receptionist has incorrect hours or insurance information?
The AI Receptionist pulls directly from your Dental Intelligence data. If any information appears outdated, please review and update your practice information in Dental Intelligence Settings.
Questions or feedback about the AI Receptionist? Reach out to your onboarding specialist or contact support anytime.