The Complete Framework for Choosing the Right Solution
A 15-point evaluation framework to help dental practices compare AI receptionist solutions. Use during demos, trials, or vendor comparisons to make confident decisions.
Download this framework as a PDF to use during vendor demos. Print copies for your team and score each solution objectively.
Choosing an AI receptionist is one of the most impactful technology decisions a dental practice can make. The right solution can recover thousands in missed revenue, reduce front desk burnout, and improve patient experience. The wrong choice leads to frustrated patients and wasted investment. This evaluation framework gives you a structured, vendor-neutral way to compare solutions during demos, trials, or RFP processes.
The foundation of any AI receptionist. These features determine whether the AI can handle basic patient interactions professionally and accurately.
Accurately recognizes dental terms, procedure names, and common patient requests without confusion.
Real situation: Test by asking about a 'crown prep,' 'periodontal scaling,' or 'emergency extraction.' The AI should understand these aren't just keywords but specific clinical contexts.
Manages multiple simultaneous calls without long wait times, dropped connections, or degraded quality.
Real situation: Ask the vendor what happens during Monday morning rush when 5+ calls come in simultaneously. Request metrics on average wait time and abandonment rates.
Engages naturally without rigid IVR-style menus or robotic scripts that frustrate callers.
Real situation: Have someone call and say 'I need to see the dentist about my tooth that's been hurting.' A good AI responds conversationally, not with 'Press 1 for appointments.'
Beyond answering calls, your AI needs to manage the booking process efficiently while respecting your practice's scheduling rules and availability.
Identifies what type of appointment is needed, how urgent it is, and patient's preferred time windows.
Real situation: Test with 'I chipped my front tooth and have a work presentation Friday.' The AI should recognize urgency (cosmetic concern + deadline) and offer appropriate time slots.
Handles appointment changes smoothly without requiring human intervention for routine modifications.
Real situation: Call to reschedule an existing appointment. The AI should find the original booking, offer alternatives, and update the calendar—not just take a message.
Recognizes when a booking requires staff judgment (insurance verification, complex procedures, special accommodations) and routes appropriately.
Real situation: Request an appointment for 'full mouth reconstruction with sedation.' The AI should recognize this needs staff coordination, not attempt to book it directly.
Great AI knows its limits. These features ensure patients never feel stuck, ignored, or frustrated when they need human assistance.
Identifies emotional distress, complex situations, or explicit requests for staff and responds appropriately.
Real situation: Call sounding upset about a billing issue or in severe pain. The AI should recognize emotional cues and offer to connect with staff rather than continue scripted responses.
Transfers to the front desk gracefully with context, so patients don't have to repeat themselves.
Real situation: Ask to speak with someone about insurance. The transfer should include a summary like 'Caller has questions about coverage for procedure X' so staff is prepared.
Manages calls outside business hours effectively—taking messages, booking for next day, or routing true emergencies.
Real situation: Call at 10 PM with a dental emergency. The AI should distinguish between 'I need pain relief tonight' (emergency) vs 'I want to schedule a cleaning' (message for tomorrow).
AI should reduce work, not create it. Look for features that genuinely help your team be more efficient and less overwhelmed.
Provides actionable summaries that staff can quickly review without listening to full recordings.
Real situation: Check the dashboard after a test call. You should see a brief summary like 'New patient, cleaning request, prefers Tuesdays, mentioned insurance is Delta Dental.'
Handles routine calls independently so staff can focus on in-office patients during busy periods.
Real situation: Ask what percentage of calls are fully resolved without staff involvement. Leading solutions handle 60-80% of routine calls end-to-end.
Creates clear tasks and reminders so no patient request falls through the cracks.
Real situation: Request a callback about financing options. The system should create a trackable task, not just a note buried in a log file.
Think beyond the demo. These factors determine whether the solution will succeed long-term in your specific practice environment.
Allows staff to review, refine, and improve how the AI handles specific situations over time.
Real situation: Ask to see how you would update the AI's response to 'Do you accept my insurance?' You should be able to customize this without calling support.
Handles location-specific workflows, schedules, and routing for practices with multiple offices.
Real situation: If you have (or plan) multiple locations, ask how calls are routed. Can patients specify which office? Does each location have its own availability?
Provides clear reporting on missed calls recovered, appointments booked, and ROI metrics.
Real situation: Request a sample analytics report. You should see metrics like 'calls answered after hours: 47, appointments booked: 23, estimated revenue recovered: $8,050.'
You now have a comprehensive, vendor-neutral framework to evaluate any AI receptionist solution. Print this checklist, bring it to every demo, and score each vendor objectively. The right choice will pay for itself many times over through recovered revenue, reduced staff stress, and improved patient experience. The wrong choice will cost you in frustrated patients and wasted investment. Use this checklist to choose wisely.
Dentivoice was built from the ground up specifically for dental practices. Every feature on this checklist was designed based on real practice needs and refined through thousands of patient interactions.
A thorough demo should take 30-45 minutes. Use this checklist to ensure you cover all critical areas without rushing. If a vendor tries to rush through in 15 minutes, that's a red flag.
