CATEGORY 114 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST COLUMNISTS AI in dentistry: More time for patients, less time on administration Pam McKean By Pam McKean, Director, AB Dental & Medical Employment Agency From a recruitment perspective, the most valuable role of artificial intelligence is to help people spend more time doing the work that needs their personal attention. In a dental practice, that means building patient relationships, listening to concerns and providing thoughtful care. AI should support the people who deliver that experience, freeing them from repetitive administration so they have more time for meaningful, face-to-face interaction. A warm welcome, a reassuring conversation and the opportunity to ask questions all shape how patients feel about a practice. Used well, AI can create more room for these moments. Early adoption: Creating time for better service Practices that begin exploring AI now can test tools, develop staff skills and improve processes gradually. The aim is to make daily work easier while strengthening the personal service patients value. A useful measure of success is what happens to the time saved. Does reception have more time to welcome patients? Can staff explain appointment arrangements without feeling rushed? Can the team give someone anxious a few extra minutes of attention? These are practical benefits worth pursuing. Reception support: Making the welcome more personal Reception teams juggle calls, arriving patients, appointment changes and enquiries. Suitable AI assistants can help answer routine questions about opening hours, parking and appointment preparation. Depending on the software, they may also collect booking requests or prepare responses for staff to review. Reducing these interruptions can allow receptionists to give the person standing in front of them their full attention. They have more room to notice uncertainty, offer reassurance and make patients feel recognised. Questions involving pain, complaints or treatment concerns should reach an appropriate person, with an easy route to human support. After-hours enquiries: Supporting the next conversation An enquiry arriving after closing time can otherwise remain unanswered until the next working day. An appropriately configured AI assistant can acknowledge the message, provide approved information and collect details for follow-up. Staff can then begin the next conversation with a clearer understanding of what the patient needs. The assistant should explain whether an appointment is confirmed or simply requested, and when a team member will respond. Technology can keep communication moving while preserving personal follow-up. Appointment management: Reducing the administrative shuffle Cancellations, unfilled sessions and overdue recalls create extra work. Where suitable software supports it, AI may help identify appointment gaps, organise followup activity and draft messages to patients awaiting appointments. Ordinary automation already handles many reminders. AI adds potential value when it interprets replies or summarises requests for staff. With less time spent sorting messages, the team can give more attention to patients who need help arranging their care. Booking changes must still respect clinician availability, appointment lengths and practice rules. Patient communication: Preparing messages, preserving connection Generative AI can draft recall messages, appointment instructions, newsletters and responses to common questions using practice-approved information. Staff can check and personalise the wording rather than start from scratch. The time saved can support a phone call or face-to-face conversation when a patient needs clarification. Written information is useful, but patients also need opportunities to be heard. Clinical advice requires professional review, and communications should reflect the patient’s circumstances. Practice marketing: Showing the people behind the practice AI can help turn approved topics into draft website updates or social media posts and suggest a publishing schedule. The team’s own voice should guide the content. Introducing staff, explaining the patient experience and sharing the practice’s approach to care can help people feel familiar with the team before arriving. Accuracy, permissions and applicable advertising requirements need checking before publication. Staff support: Helping people feel prepared AI can help prepare induction checklists, training outlines and internal guides from approved procedures. Clear, accessible guidance can reduce uncertainty and repeated administrative questions. Business oversight: Finding what gets in the way With reliable data and suitable privacy controls, AI can summarise reports and highlight questions worth investigating, including cancellation trends or administrative bottlenecks. Start small and build a more personal practice Begin with one task that could work better. Each improvement can ease pressure and create more time to listen, reassure and connect. In six months, your team could have a smoother routine and greater confidence using AI. In two years, that experience could guide broader improvements. Beyond that, you will be better equipped to explore new opportunities while keeping patient relationships at the centre. The strongest reason to embrace AI is the time it can give back to people. Start small, learn together and use each success to make your practice more attentive, more welcoming and more connected. u
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc3NDk3Mw==