Chatbot technology

Nathan Smith explores how to make dental practices efficient, on-brand and pandemic-proof.

Being a dentist has never been easy. It’s a vocation, yes – but even under normal circumstances, the skills required to run a successful practice are considerable.

Lauren Harrhy recently described some of the stresses faced by dentists, even before coronavirus, “As the demand for more convenient appointment times increases, we find ourselves working longer, less sociable hours to meet that demand. This can lead to a less favourable work/life balance.”

As practices re-open after the seismic shock of Covid-19, amid the rockiest economic landscape since 1945, it’s timely to look at ways of making it easier to run a practice. The sector is more sheltered than many from the effects of recession, as people will always need dentists – but if technology can make life easier for practices while bringing improved patient satisfaction, that’s surely worth investigating.

One platform really coming into its own now for dental practices is chatbot technology – a pre-programmed virtual staff member that responds to enquiries 24/7, books appointments and much more from your website.