What does a dental answering service do?
It answers your office line in your practice name whenever you forward calls to it, after hours or when the front desk is busy. The AI receptionist asks if the caller is a new or current patient, what the visit is for and which insurance they have, offers open times and books the visit into Google Calendar. Every call is recorded, transcribed and summarized.
Can it handle after-hours dental emergencies?
Yes. Words like broken tooth, knocked-out tooth, severe pain or swelling move the call to an urgent path. The agent takes the name and what happened, offers your soonest opening or takes a detailed message, and sends you an urgent Telegram alert as soon as the call ends. It never gives medical advice, so the dentist decides what happens next.
What does it ask patients about dental insurance?
It asks which insurance the patient has, for example a PPO through their employer, and writes it on the lead card. It does not look up eligibility or benefits. Your team checks the plan before the visit, the same way you do today, and the agent never tells a caller that a treatment is covered.
Can it tell new patients from current ones?
Yes. It asks at the start of the call and recognizes repeat callers by phone number, with their name and a note from their last call. New patients hear your new patient exam price and current patients hear your recall cleaning price, straight from the price list you give it. It works like a dental office virtual receptionist that never takes lunch.
How much does a dental answering service cost?
Starter is $149 a month for 300 minutes of AI calls, a business number, website chat, Thumbtack and Google LSA leads, and the full CRM. Pro is $299 a month for 1,000 minutes, three numbers and ten team members. Business is $549 a month for 2,500 minutes when call volume is high. Every plan starts with a 3-day free trial that includes 25 minutes, and no credit card is needed.
Can patients still talk to someone at the front desk?
Yes. If a caller asks for a person while your team is on duty, the agent transfers the call to the office. Outside those hours it takes a detailed message and alerts you on Telegram. It can also speak Spanish, Portuguese or any of the 15 languages you turn on, and it switches when the patient does.