Dentistry will forever be about human connection, trust, and care. However, as the world changes, we face a critical reality: the conditions that shaped traditional practice management concepts no longer exist. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we operated in a more predictable environment. Patients scheduled routine visits, economic stability was assumed, and practice growth followed established patterns. Then, everything changed overnight.
Let’s address what every practice owner knows but rarely says out loud: margins are tighter, costs are higher, and patient acquisition is more expensive than ever. Furthermore, insurance reimbursements haven’t kept pace with inflation, staffing costs have increased dramatically, and patients’ expectations have increased while their patience for inefficiency has decreased. In this environment, the luxury of choosing between relationship-building or operational efficiency has evaporated. Survival, let alone growth, now requires both.
Viewing the situation through the lens of “old school versus new school” creates a false dilemma. The practitioners who position human connection against technology are fighting yesterday’s battle with yesterday’s rules. The question isn’t whether to choose relationships or technology. It’s how do you leverage technology to create stronger relationships while building sustainable practices. Consider the economic math. Missing a new patient call risks losing the opportunity to even engage in a relationship, and missing a follow-up call risks potential treatment acceptance. Moreover, delayed responses to patient inquiries can lose cases to competitors, manual scheduling inefficiencies can limit patient volume, and poor communication can create barriers to case acceptance.
Early adopters of practice management systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) already understand that excellent patient relationships can be supported by technology. Agentic AI has the capability to ensure that everyday scheduling and basic informational questions are responded to immediately, freeing up your human team to handle more complex face-to-face interactions. Simply taking the heat off of the front desk by providing a trained AI agent can help to create a seamless communication experience that never leaves patients waiting. When routine communications flow through intelligent systems, the result is an increase in your team’s available bandwidth to be fully present during patient interactions. Without needing to mentally manage every rote administrative task, they can focus more on the people in front of them, creating the authentic human connections that build lasting patient relationships.
Today’s patients experience dental practices through multiple touchpoints, including online research and reviews (digital), initial inquiry and scheduling (increasingly digital), pre-appointment communications (hybrid), in-office experiences (human-centered), and follow-up and ongoing care (hybrid). Excellence in just one area no longer suffices, and patients expect seamless integration of digital technology across all touchpoints. The evolution of communication with AI will not replace the need for human interaction. Rather, it will improve our ability to communicate and relate as a result of increased operational efficiency. Relationships remain paramount, but today, they must be supported by systems that meet patients where they are, when they need us, and in the ways that they prefer to communicate. In the coming years, the practices that will thrive will be the ones that recognize that exceptional patient care now comprises elements of both direct human connection and artificially intelligent systems.
Technology doesn’t diminish our humanity. When implemented thoughtfully, it amplifies our capacity to deliver meaningful patient care while building sustainable practices. The question isn’t whether or not to embrace this integration, but how quickly can we master it to serve our patients more effectively in this new era.
About the Author
Bao-Tran Nguyen, DMD, is the co-founder and clinical director of The Smile Formula in Vancouver, Canada, and the co-founder of SallyCX.ai.
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Bao-Tran Nguyen, DMD
