Liza Choa
Quick answer
Will a dental AI receptionist give a patient a price?
No. At one implant practice a patient who already had a quote asked the AI for a price 3 times. It declined each time, said the price depends on their situation, offered a complimentary consult, and booked a $20,000 All-on-4 consult 11 minutes 52 seconds after the enquiry, with no human involved.
$20,000 of All-on-4 work booked into the calendar in 11 minutes and 52 seconds, at 4:34 on a Tuesday afternoon, by a dental AI receptionist that never once answered the question the patient kept asking.
The 12 minutes is not the interesting part. What is interesting is that the patient asked for a price 3 times, and the AI said no 3 times, and they booked anyway.
The numbers
The times below are stamped on the enquiry’s card in the SmileEngine™ Pipeline.
- Times the patient asked for a price
- 3
- Messages exchanged
- 14
- Messages from a human at the practice
- 0
- Case value
- $20,000
- 4:22pmEnquiry received, from a Google ad that landed on the pricing page
- Inside 60 secondsThe AI replies
- 4:34pmBooked into the calendar, 11 minutes 52 seconds after the enquiry
The transcript, as it happened
A prospective patient came in off a Google ad, landed on the pricing page, and filled in the form with this:
Enquiry form
Hi I have already got a quote but how much would it cost just for the top teeth to be done please?
Zoe, the AI, replied inside 60 seconds. Then:
Patient
Just want to know the cost please?
AI
Pricing depends on your situation, which [the dentist] will go through at your appointment. Your first consult is complimentary. Want me to help you book in?
Patient
I have already spoken to [the dentist]. They have given me a quote for a full set
AI
Got it. If you’ve already got a quote from [the dentist], is there anything else you’d like to know or need help with?
Patient
If I only get the top ones done ask [the dentist] the cost please
AI
I’m not able to give a specific cost for just the top ones. [The dentist] is the best person to confirm that for you. Want to book a quick consult?
Patient
Yes please
3 refusals. Then 2 appointment options, then a confirmation, then the address. Done by 4:34.
In plain English
This prospective patient was already in the practice’s world. They had met the dentist. They had a quote. They had gone quiet, and then they came back through a paid ad, which means the practice paid twice to reach the same person.
That is the prospective patient most practices lose. They do not want to book, they want a number, and when they do not get one they go away again.
The AI did not give them the number.
It gave them the only honest answer, which is that the price depends on their mouth, and then it gave them a time.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AI ever give out prices?
No. It is configured to decline and redirect to a consult. You set that rule, not us.
What happens if the patient asks something the AI cannot handle?
It hands to your team and flags the conversation. In this account, the field that records the first human touch is stamped the moment that happens, so you can always see where the handover was.
Does the AI book straight into our calendar?
At this practice, yes. It holds live access and offers real times. Practices running a separate practice management system may need an integration step first.
Is the $20,000 actual revenue?
It is the case value of an All-on-4 patient. It is what the booking is worth to the practice, not money banked on the day.
How fast does the AI reply to an enquiry?
This one replied in under 60 seconds. That is typical, not a record.
Written by
Liza Choa
Liza Choa is the founder of DCRM and Practice Growth Studio, a boutique dental marketing agency working behind the scenes with some of the most respected dental practices in Australia. She has spent over a decade helping practices grow and scale.
She built DCRM after seeing the same problem in practice after practice. The enquiries were already there, but the new patient numbers did not reflect it. DCRM bridges that gap, so practices increase the return on the marketing they are already paying for.
Disclaimer: The figures in this case study reflect the results of one dental practice over a defined period, and were taken from that practice’s DCRM account at the date stated. The practice is not identified, and identifying details have been removed or generalised. Results vary between practices and depend on factors outside the platform, including enquiry volume, treatment mix, pricing, location, team capacity and how consistently the practice follows up. These figures are not a prediction, projection or guarantee of the results any other practice will achieve. Data is reported as recorded in the platform and has not been independently audited. No patient information is disclosed.
