Skip to main content

System Essentials and Best Practices

Updated over a month ago

Our AI Appointment Strategy Is Simple:

1) Get Patient Leads: Generate leads via online ads and other sources.

2) Patient Interaction: Patients respond to AI outreach, call directly, or select a preferred appointment time via a booking widget.

3) AI + Front Desk Coordination: AI live transfers ready patients to your front desk or notifies your team to follow up and confirm a time in your schedule.

💡If a lead calls your AI number, we’ll transfer them directly to your front desk phone, as they have high intent.

Why AI Outreach Works

Leads are potential patients who’ve shown interest, like filling out a form. But sorting through them and making calls eats up your time.

That’s where our AI steps in—it filters out uninterested or unqualified leads and contacts every new lead within minutes, which is crucial! Harvard Business Review found that responding within 60 seconds boosts scheduling by 21x:

Patient Lead Notifications

You’ll receive notifications via text and email when:

  • A patient lead chats with AI or selects a preferred time to book and is awaiting a call from your team to confirm scheduling.

  • A patient lead has been transferred to your front desk.

Examples:


Dashboard Fundamentals

Our dashboard includes several tabs (described in other articles), but to keep things simple, the two you should focus on daily are Conversations and Track Patients.

Conversations Tab Overview

Track Patients Tab Overview

This tab shows where patient contacts are in their journey. They can be moved automatically by the AI, or you can move them manually based on your conversations with patients. Click the drop-down arrows below to see an explanation of each stage:

❄️ COLD Leads (AI Engaged)

  • AI is actively engaging the lead to get them to respond

  • No manual contact required

🔥 HOT Leads

  • Contact ASAP. Follow the Appointment Booking Workflow below.

  • The AI is disengaged

✨ AI Follow Up

  • Drag people here if no response from your initial contact

  • Drag people here if you have sent an outbound text, and are waiting for a reply

  • Drag people here if you have sent a payment link, and want to remind the person to pay

  • No manual contact required

  • AI will follow up 3 times before moving the lead to the recycle list

♻️ Recycle List

  • Automatically moved here if no response in ✨ AI Follow Up

  • No manual contact required

  • Can reach out with future messages to re-engage

📆 Appt Booked

  • Drag people here manually once an appointment is booked

  • If a patient tells your AI that they’ve already booked, they’ll be moved here automatically

❌ Cancel/No-Show

  • Drag people here manually if they cancel or no-show

✅ Showed

  • Drag people here manually once the lead has shown up

💡 How to Move Leads to a Different Column?


Click and hold a contact card in the Track Patients tab, then drag it to the appropriate column, for example 🗓️ Appt Booked:
​

Appointment Booking Workflow

Follow this workflow in Dently AI whenever you get a Hot Lead. It works together with your AI to maximize appointments.

Step 1: Review the Patient Conversation

Click the Conversations tab in your software sidebar and find the hot patient lead:

Step 2: Dial the Hot Lead (Twice)

You can make the call from your office phone, or directly from our dashboard. Always dial twice if they don't pick up the first time. This increases pickup rates.

Step 3: If They Don't Pick Up: Send a Text

We recommend sending the “Initiate Booking” text template, saying:

"Hi [NAME], let’s get you scheduled! Our next available appointment is on [DATE]. Would that work?"


​How to add a text template:

💡You can text the patient lead back and forth until you find a time that works for them. Patients are more likely to respond when the message comes from the same number they used to chat with the AI.

Step 4: Send Text After Successful Scheduling

Send a confirmation text to the patient letting them know they’re booked, for example using the “Appointment Booked” template.

Appointment Booking Troubleshooting

The most frequent marketing challenges we see in dental practices are:

• Patients are not answering

• Patients are not showing up

• Patients are hesitant to place a card or deposit to secure their appointment

If you’re experiencing any of these, we’ve created a resource that explains the best solutions for each. Click here to view the troubleshooting guide.

FAQ

Will All Patient Leads Be Qualified?

Ad targeting isn’t perfect, and you’ll likely receive some unqualified leads (e.g. people located too far from your practice). Your AI and ads improve patient targeting over time and aim to minimize unqualified leads.

What If My Front Desk Misses a Live Call Transfer?

Call the patient number from the “Hot Patient Lead” notification sent to your phone and email. Pick-up rates may vary, so it’s best for your front desk to be available to take live transfers during your business hours!

What Sources Are Used to Generate Patient Leads?

We generate leads through online ads (such as Facebook ads), your AI Receptionist, SMS System, and Referral Rocket System. Leveraging all channels maximizes patient opportunities!

Can AI Book Directly Into Our Calendar?

As your growth advisor likely mentioned, the AI books into your calendar by sending patients your scheduling link. Many clients use this approach with Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, and others.

What Do Patient Leads See After Clicking an Ad?

Patient clicks on your ad and fills out a form with their name, email, and phone number. The AI then sends a text and follows up with a call during business hours.

Landing Pages

We may also combine AI outreach with a simple landing page that uses your onboarding form details plus a booking widget. Here's how it works:

1) Patient clicks your ad, submits their details, and then selects a preferred appointment time through a booking widget.
​

2) The patient sees a message that the appointment isn’t confirmed yet and is asked to call your office to confirm details.
​

3) If the patient doesn’t use the booking widget, AI outreach continues.

💡 We can also link directly to your own booking page so it syncs with your PMS.

Did this answer your question?