← All use cases · Dental & clinics
Put an AI receptionist on the dental practice phone line for overflow and after-hours calls, with emergencies routed to staff
The Briars Dental Centre, a private dental practice in Newbury, Berkshire (UK), in a post on the practice's own website
An AI receptionist the practice calls Clara, built on a platform called Zeno, answers incoming calls around the clock. It books, cancels and changes appointments, checks availability, answers common questions about the practice and handles enquiries outside opening hours. Dental emergencies, clinical questions, concerns about care and anything sensitive go to a member of the team, and a caller can ask for a person at any time. The front-of-house team stayed; the practice says it did this to make sure every call gets answered, not to replace reception or cut costs.
Medium · or we set it up for $197
Zeno (AI receptionist platform; the practice calls it Clara)
The problem
The practice's phones were busier than the team could always manage in real time. During peak hours some calls went unanswered or patients waited longer than the practice wanted.
What happened
No numbers yet. The practice says plainly that Clara isn't perfect and sometimes doesn't understand a caller, and that patient reaction is "a little bit marmite": some patients are delighted, others find it jarring or prefer a familiar voice. It says it is monitoring this and asking for feedback. Self-reported by the practice.
Quoted in the source: The Briars Dental Centre (practice post). Source: The Briars Dental Centre: Meet Clara, our AI receptionist (2026-09-27) · Added 2026-11-04.
How to set it up yourself
- What The Briars does: an AI receptionist answers calls 24/7, books, cancels and changes appointments and answers common questions, and passes emergencies, clinical questions and complaints to staff.
- Write the list of call types the AI may handle (booking, changes, hours, location, new-patient registration) and the ones it must hand to a person (emergencies, clinical questions, complaints, anything sensitive).
- Connect the AI receptionist to your practice-management calendar so it books into real availability, and set it to answer after hours and when the front desk can't pick up.
- Tell callers how to reach a person at any point, and post a short page or notice explaining the new receptionist, as this practice did.
- Review call logs and patient feedback every week for the first month and fix the questions it misunderstands.
Copy-paste prompt
You are the phone receptionist for {PRACTICE NAME}, a dental practice in {TOWN}. You can book, cancel and change appointments using the calendar, and answer questions about our hours ({HOURS}), location ({ADDRESS}), treatments ({TREATMENT LIST}) and how to register as a new patient. If the caller mentions pain, swelling, bleeding, an injury, a clinical question, a complaint or anything sensitive, say you'll pass them to the team and take their name, number and a one-line reason. If a caller asks for a person, connect them or arrange a call-back. Never give clinical advice.We set up one AI automation in your tools, live within 48 hours of getting access, for $197. No call needed. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297).
One short email a day: 3 new AI use cases from real small businesses, each with its source and setup steps, plus a Tool of the Day. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Rather not do it yourself?
The $197 Quick-Win: we set up one AI automation that saves you hours each week, in accounts you own, live within 48 hours of getting access. No call needed. Refund if it isn't live in 48 hours or isn't doing its job in the first 14 days. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297). Terms.
See the $197 Quick-WinNeed more than one automation or ongoing care? Bigger setups: $149/mo with setup included (6-month minimum), or $497 pay-once. Satisfaction guarantee: we'll fix it until it works. Pay-once setups: or we refund your setup fee. $149/mo plan: cancel in the first 30 days and we refund your first month. We reply within 1 business day.
Related for Dental & clinics
Have Claude check insurance benefit breakdowns for traps before quoting co-pays
Her team uses Claude to read benefit breakdowns and point out those clauses faster than reading every line by hand.
ClaudeUse AI as a missed-call backstop that books patient appointments
Staff answer first; after four rings an AI receptionist picks up, books the appointment and logs the call.
Replace dental confirmation calls with automated reminders and online booking
Automated text reminders and confirmations, online booking and digital forms that sync into Eaglesoft.
Running something like this in your business? Submit your use case and we'll credit you with a link.
Get 3 new AI use cases every morning
One email every morning: 3 new AI use cases from real small businesses, each linked to its source, plus a Tool of the Day. Free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy
Rather have one set up for you? The $197 Quick-Win.