The calls a dental office gets all day
Most calls to a dental practice are short and predictable: can I book a check-up, do you have anything this week, how much is a cleaning, are you open on Saturday, where do I park. They still need someone to pick up, and they tend to arrive at the worst moments: first thing in the morning, at lunch, and while the person at the desk is checking a patient in.
A caller who reaches voicemail often hangs up and tries the next practice. RingLily picks up instead, at any hour, and handles the routine part of the conversation the way your front desk would.
What RingLily does on a call
- Books appointments into free slots of your schedule, following your opening hours, the appointment length you set, a minimum notice and how far ahead patients may book (appointment booking, on the Growth and Pro plans).
- Answers questions from the information you give it: services, prices, insurance and payment policies, directions, what to bring to a first visit. It's instructed not to guess when the answer isn't there.
- Takes messages with the patient's name, number and reason for calling, marks urgent ones, and emails them to your team straight away.
- Transfers the call to a number you choose when a patient needs a person, and only during opening hours if you prefer (Growth and Pro).
- Speaks seven languages, including Spanish, and can switch language during the call when a patient prefers (calls in several languages).
Dental emergencies and after-hours calls
Patients with toothache or a broken filling often call in the evening or at the weekend. You write what the assistant should say in those cases: the number of an emergency service, when to go to the emergency department, or that the team calls back first thing in the morning. It gives that guidance, takes the patient's details, and marks the message as urgent so it's the first one your team sees.
RingLily doesn't give medical advice and doesn't decide whether something is an emergency: it follows the instructions you write. Read more about after-hours answering.
You decide what it says
Setting up takes a few minutes. Pick the receptionist or appointment-booking template, add your opening hours, holidays, services and common questions, and add your own rules, for example "Never quote prices for implants: offer a consultation instead". Then test the assistant in a chat before any patient hears it. Our guide on setting up an AI receptionist walks through what to write.
Keep your practice's number
You don't need a new number. Forward calls from your existing line to the number of your assistant: every call, only after hours, or only the calls nobody picks up within a few rings. Practices in the USA and Canada can also get a new local number in minutes; numbers in Australia and the EU are set up on request. See how to forward your calls.
Patient privacy
RingLily keeps a written transcript of each call, not an audio recording, and deletes transcripts automatically after the retention period you choose (90 days by default). Only your team sees your calls, and you can delete a call at any time. RingLily doesn't hold certifications such as HIPAA or SOC 2, so check with your compliance advisor what patients may share on the phone, and tell the assistant in your rules not to collect clinical details.