Every day, dentists are expected to deliver individualized, quality care. They are trained to perform their clinical expertise on patients, and after dental school, often dedicate the next 40 or so years of their lives to that goal. But clinicians aren’t so thrilled about dealing with the administrative aspect — the many details and different types of paperwork needed for documenting charts, insurance, legal issues, analysis, and other reports. Some dentists often depend on their staff to assist with documentation. However, staffing shortages and the increasing demands on current team members can make it difficult to maintain thorough and accurate records. Additionally, while staff are highly capable, they may not always have the clinical background necessary to fully capture the details required for comprehensive charting. These factors can sometimes lead to gaps or inaccuracies in documentation. A new type of AI-powered scribe solution called DentalBee is making all these tasks easier with seamless documentation of all aspects of the dental visit.
The term “dental scribe” can be misleading, bringing to mind an operatory tape recorder or even an assistant or the dentist quickly scribbling notes while trying to talk to patients about their dental care. Here’s what’s different about this system.
Capturing the Clinical Details
DentalBee’s AI-powered software listens to the entire conversation in the operatory and enters the information into the charted notes in clinicians’ preferred templates and in their requested style and order. The platform provides hands-free note-taking and perio charting, cutting charting time by up to 2 hours daily per staff member. The doctors and staff do not have to learn anything new or speak a certain way — they just speak naturally, and the AI captures the entire conversation. The technology is even fine-tuned to use the preferred punctuation the clinician uses for certain procedures.
The AI recognizes and documents materials, products, dental terms, lab names, and even understands context. DentalBee can identify, through the context of the information, who is speaking—whether it’s the dentist, the assistant, or the patient. The information does not have to be in a specific order. The platform assesses whether the context is clinical or nonclinical, as well as who is speaking, and places it where it belongs in the notes. These notes can be directly saved into the PMS.
The result is a completely documented process of treatment that has not taken any more time out of the clinician’s day.
For DSOs, DentalBee is a great advantage over traditional documentation. Besides creating phenomenally accurate charting notes, it also identifies future treatment options that may have been mentioned during the course of treatment. If the dentist is quickly jotting down notes or dictating to the assistant who is rushing to get ready for the next patient, comprehensive details needed for future treatment and progress can be overlooked.
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When sending referrals, the letters can be put into any form that is requested or preferred by the dentist. Some just want a bulleted list, some want a summary in prose form, and some want to know everything. All of that can be automatically generated in any form quickly and without taking up valuable time.
For DSOs, where collaboration among clinicians or team members is often key, DentalBee’s notes can be shared among all who need to see them. Multiple templates can be used for procedures, and they can be combined if needed. That type of documentation is especially helpful in the case of emergency patients. The emergency appointment can be documented, and then the information can be easily transferred and combined into a new template seamlessly and effortlessly.
Individualizing the Patient Experience
In busy dental offices, it is often hard to establish relationships with patients, as the quick pace of the day may prevent some opportunities for longer discussions. But DentalBee helps in that respect, too. It can capture and save personal notes about the patient for the next visit. For example, if the patient talks about their child who is waiting for admission to a certain school, DentalBee will document that social tidbit so at the next appointment, the doctor or assistant can ask about the child’s progress.
DentalBee can also produce individualized patient instructions from the notes. Reading instructions that contain patients’ own special needs creates trust. Generic printed instructions are often lost or disregarded as “just what they give to everybody.” But DentalBee’s notes are based on the actual treatment and necessary follow-up that was discussed. Pointing that out to the patient shows that the practice really cares about their continued health.
DentalBee’s capabilities can create a buzz throughout the office — whether working from the consultation room, the operatory, the hygiene room, and even the dentist’s office for team collaboration. And the information can be accessed from anywhere—on a desktop computer, iPad, or phone.
Saving Lost Revenue
Of course, the most frustrating documentation issues often relate to insurance claim filing and patient or legal disputes. DentalBee’s real-time, detailed notes can reduce insurance denials and speed up payments. It can also prevent lost revenue by jogging the accounts receivable staff member’s memory about even small procedures that can be billed to insurance.
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In legal disputes, when hearsay can create a “he-said/she-said” situation, DentalBee can offer the accurate clarification needed, providing the patient’s part of the conversation. In cases where a patient may claim that they were unaware of the financial details of their treatment, when they realize that their consultation was recorded, complete with the part of the conversation where they agreed to the treatment, the dispute usually ends quickly. Secure recording storage is available for up to 7 years — a reliable backup.
Coaching Conversations
For DSO management, DentalBee can help with coaching offices or individual departments. It can identify additional revenue opportunities, such as if patients have mentioned their curiosity about clear aligners or discussed fluoride as a preventive. Conversations may show that opportunities are being missed. For example, for a coaching session, after monitoring assistants’ conversations with patients, the manager or clinician can ask whether they asked patients if they were happy with their smile and how they responded if the patient indicated that they were not.
These types of insights and analyses can guide future conversations and increase opportunities, so the patient does not pursue these additional treatments with another practice down the street. DentalBee’s AI analyzes soft skills such as clarity, friendliness, and treatment presentation during patient interactions. It leverages these insights to coach team members and assess patients’ readiness for future treatment or case acceptance. Additionally, it compares treatment acceptance rates across different coordinators and practice groups.
With the documentation and other capabilities that DentalBee provides, dentists can feel free do what they were trained to do — provide care to their patients without worrying about of the potential treatment opportunities that could be left buried under the piles of paperwork. Clinicians can leave the administrative duties to the “DentalBee on the wall” — it’s a very good listener and just waiting to capture all the buzz on your office’s documentation.
For more information, please visit https://dentalbee.ai/book-a-demo/.
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More from the Newsletter
Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS, the CEO of Cellerant Consulting Group, is known for bringing new technologies into dentistry from all over the world. He is also Co-founder of LightForce Orthodontics, the first company to create a fully customized 3D-printed ceramic orthodontic bracket, and recently launched DSO Technology Solutions providing valuable technologies to DSOs.
Cellerant Consulting Group
Cellerant Consulting is a highly acclaimed full-service boutique consulting firm for dental companies from early stage to well-established companies that seek to accelerate their growth.