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The use case for AI in dental practices.

This page lists the jobs inside a UK private dental practice that AI can take on, broken down by the function that does them. It is written for practice owners and operations directors, whether the business is one large practice or a small group.

[WHERE THE TIME GOES]

Where the time goes

These are the tasks that come round every day and every month in a private practice, grouped by the kind of work they are.

01

Keeping the diary full

5 tasksClose
  • Checking tomorrow's diary for whitespace and appointments booked too short
  • Phoning down the short notice list when a patient cancels
  • Working the patients who ignored the automatic recall messages
  • Moving a whole session when a clinician is off sick
  • Chasing medical histories that are not back before the appointment
02

Writing the same kinds of document again and again

6 tasksClose
  • Treatment plan letters setting out the options, the risks and the costs
  • Referral letters, and reports back to referring dentists
  • Lab prescriptions copied from the clinical notes
  • Replies to enquiries about implants, aligners and whitening
  • Complaint responses, and an update every ten days while one is open
  • Policies that need new references whenever the guidance changes
03

Chasing

5 tasksClose
  • Treatment plans that nobody booked
  • Lab work that is not back before the fit appointment
  • Plan patients whose payments have failed
  • Staff whose registration, indemnity or hepatitis B record is due
  • Outstanding balances, and finance applications left half finished
04

Reconciling and reporting

5 tasksClose
  • Cashing up against the card terminal at the end of every day
  • Associate statements with the lab bills taken off
  • Plan income matched to patients and clinicians
  • The monthly KPI pack copied out of the practice software
  • One group pack built from sites on different systems
[THE POINT]

What a practice team does brilliantly, and what sits around it

This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why patients choose a private practice and stay with it. The work in the right column is what has grown up around it, and most of it lands on the practice manager and the front desk.

What a human does brilliantly
  1. Calming a nervous patient on the phone
  2. Booking with an eye on what the treatment needs
  3. Diagnosing and planning treatment
  1. Helping a worried patient decide on treatment
  2. Taking consent properly
  3. Noticing a regular patient has gone quiet
  4. Handling a complaint so the patient stays
  5. Keeping a good associate happy enough to stay
  6. Choosing who covers when someone is off
  7. Leading the team through an inspection
What sits around it
  1. Checking tomorrow's diary for gaps
  2. Phoning down the short notice list
  3. Typing up the treatment plan letter
  1. Chasing the lab for Thursday's crown
  2. Cashing up and finding the missing forty pounds
  3. Building associate statements in a spreadsheet
  4. Working the plan lapses from the statement
  5. Chasing certificates for the staff matrix
  6. Rebuilding the rota after a sick call
  7. Copying figures into the monthly pack

The use case for AI is taking away the time that gets spent on the work sitting around the job, and freeing your people up to do the work only a human can do. The work that grows the business, and the work they enjoy the most.

[THE USE CASES]

89 things you could hand over, by function.

The times are our own estimates for a private practice of around six surgeries. Nobody has published measured times for this work in UK dentistry, so where a regulator, a trade body or a supplier has published a figure, we have used it to check ours. The highlighted use cases either take the most hours or make the biggest difference to the business.

Enquiries and new patients

Phones, web forms and messages, and getting ready for the first visit.

7 use cases
Highest time

Pulling enquiries into one list

Gathers the day's enquiries from the website form, email, social media messages and missed calls into one list, so nobody assumes somebody else has replied.

ConnectorScheduled taskEmailMessagingPhone
ConnectorScheduled taskEmailMessagingPhone
You give itAccess to the practice inbox and message accounts, and the missed call log from your phone system.
You get backOne list showing each enquiry, where it came from, what the person asked about and whether anyone has answered. Enquiries about implants, aligners or bonding are marked for the treatment coordinator.
You stillMake the calls. The person on the phone decides whether this patient is a good fit and how soon they need to be seen.

Answering a treatment enquiry

Drafts the reply to a written enquiry about a treatment, using your own prices, your finance options and what a consultation involves at your practice.

ProjectSkillEmailMessaging
ProjectSkillEmailMessaging
You give itThe enquiry, your price list and your notes on each treatment.
You get backA reply ready to send, with the price range, the consultation fee, whether finance is available and two times the patient could come in. Anything it cannot answer from your material is left as a question for you.
You stillCheck the prices are current, and decide whether this enquiry needs a phone call instead.

Answering the overnight messages

Drafts replies to the messages that arrived overnight and at the weekend, so the first hour of the day does not go on catching up.

Scheduled taskConnectorEmailMessaging
Scheduled taskConnectorEmailMessaging
You give itThe messages that came in since the practice closed.
You get backA reply drafted to each, patients describing pain or swelling placed first with your emergency appointment instructions, and booking requests ready to confirm.
You stillDeal with anyone in pain or distress first, and decide who gets an emergency slot.

Logging what was agreed on a call

Turns a recorded phone call with a new patient into a note on their record and a confirmation message, so the detail does not depend on anyone's memory.

ConnectorSkillCall recordingPractice software
ConnectorSkillCall recordingPractice software
You give itThe call recording.
You get backA short note of what they asked, what was offered and what happens next, ready for the practice software, and a confirmation message to the patient.
You stillHave the conversation. A nervous caller needs a person, and the note only records what you agreed.

Sending the new patient pack

Sends a new patient everything they need before the first visit: the medical history form, the registration form, your cancellation and deposit policy, and directions.

SkillScheduled taskEmailPractice software
SkillScheduled taskEmailPractice software
You give itThe booking and your standard documents.
You get backA welcome email with the right forms for their appointment type, and a reminder scheduled if the medical history is not back two days before.
You stillCheck anything unusual the patient mentioned when they booked, such as anxiety or a mobility need, and tell the clinician.

Chasing medical histories before the day

Checks tomorrow's diary for patients whose medical history is missing or out of date, and drafts the reminder to each. The GDC expects an up to date history every time a patient is treated.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
You give itAn export of tomorrow's diary and the medical history status on each record.
You get backA list of patients still to complete the form, a reminder for each, and a note for the clinician of any history that has changed since last time, such as a new blood thinner.
You stillThe clinician reviews the history in the chair and decides what it means for the treatment.

Following up enquiries that went quiet

Finds the people who enquired but never booked a consultation, and drafts a follow-up to each that refers to what they asked about.

Scheduled taskSkillEmailSpreadsheet
Scheduled taskSkillEmailSpreadsheet
You give itYour enquiry list and the consultation bookings in your practice software.
You get backA follow-up for each person who has not booked within the time you set, and a note of where each enquiry came from so you can see which marketing brings patients in.
You stillDecide when to stop. Two messages is helpful and five is not.

The diary

Whitespace, cancellations, failed appointments and recalls.

6 use cases
Highest time

Checking tomorrow's diary

Reads tomorrow's appointment book and lists everything that needs fixing before the day starts.

Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itAn export of tomorrow's diary and your lab work log.
You get backA one page list for the morning huddle: whitespace by clinician, appointments that look too short for the treatment booked, fits where the lab work has not arrived, and patients with outstanding treatment who are coming in anyway.
You stillDecide what to move and who to call. You know which patients will come in at short notice.
Highest value

Filling a short notice gap

When a patient cancels, finds the patients who could take the slot: the right clinician, the right length of appointment, lab work and finance ready, and willing to come at short notice.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
SkillConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
You give itThe gap, your short notice list and the outstanding treatment report.
You get backA ranked list of patients to contact, and a message drafted for each one naming the appointment and the time.
You stillMake the calls and book the slot. Choosing who to offer it to first is a judgement about patients that a list cannot make.

Following up a failed appointment

Drafts the message after a patient fails to attend, in line with your failed appointment policy, and records it on their file.

SkillConnectorMessagingPractice software
SkillConnectorMessagingPractice software
You give itThe missed appointment, the patient's history of missed visits and your policy.
You get backA message offering a new appointment, worded for a first miss or a repeat one, and the fee invoice if your policy charges one. Patients who keep missing are listed for the practice manager.
You stillDecide whether to charge, and when a patient has missed too many times to keep booking.
Highest time

Working the recall list

Takes the patients who have not responded to the automatic recall messages and works out who to contact, in what order and how.

Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareMessagingPhone
Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareMessagingPhone
You give itThe recall due list from your practice software and the reminders already sent.
You get backThe list sorted by how overdue each patient is and whether they are on a plan, a personal message drafted for each, and the patients who have been away long enough to mark as lapsed.
You stillPhone the patients who matter most. A long standing patient who has gone quiet may be unhappy, and only a conversation finds that out.

Keeping the hygiene book full

Finds hygiene patients due or overdue against the interval their clinician set, and drafts the invitation to each one.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
You give itThe hygiene diary and the recall interval on each record.
You get backPatients due in the next month with no appointment, an invitation drafted for each, and a count of open hygiene sessions so you can see whether the book will fill.
You stillThe hygienist or therapist sets the interval for each patient. This makes sure the patients hear about it.

Moving patients when a clinician is off

When a clinician is off sick or a session is cancelled, lists every patient affected and drafts the message to each with alternative times.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
SkillConnectorPractice softwareMessaging
You give itThe cancelled session and the clinician's diary for the coming weeks.
You get backEach patient listed with what they were booked for, a message offering the nearest suitable times, and the patients who should be seen by someone else rather than wait.
You stillDecide who must not wait, such as a patient part way through treatment or in pain, and phone them yourself.

Treatment plans and conversion

Plans, estimates, follow-up and finance for private treatment.

7 use cases
Highest time

Writing a treatment plan letter

Turns the dentist's notes from a consultation into the plain English letter a patient takes home: the options, what each involves, the risks, how long it should last and what it costs.

SkillProjectPractice softwareFile storage
SkillProjectPractice softwareFile storage
You give itThe clinical notes, the estimate from your practice software and your standard wording for each treatment.
You get backA two to four page letter that matches the estimate line for line, with each option set out the same way and finance figures added if the patient asked. Anything clinical it is unsure of is marked for the dentist.
You stillThe dentist checks every clinical statement and signs the letter. The options offered and the advice given are theirs.

Checking a plan before it goes to the patient

Checks a written treatment plan and estimate against the GDC's requirement for a written plan with a realistic cost, and against your current price list.

SkillPractice software
SkillPractice software
You give itThe plan, the estimate and your fee schedule.
You get backA list of anything missing or inconsistent: a fee that differs from the price list, an item with no cost, NHS and private items not clearly separated, or a lab fee left out.
You stillCorrect the plan, and decide how to explain a change to a patient who has already seen a figure.
Highest value

Following up unbooked treatment plans

Works through the outstanding treatment plan list and drafts a follow-up to each patient that refers to what was discussed at their consultation.

Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareEmail
Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareEmail
You give itThe outstanding treatment plan report and the consultation notes.
You get backA follow-up for each patient, the plans sorted by value and age, and the patients whose plan is old enough that the dentist should see them again. Software of Excellence, who sell practice software, found fewer than half of practices followed up at all.
You stillMake the calls that matter. Helping a worried patient decide is the skilled part of the job.

Preparing for a treatment consultation

Pulls together what you need before a consultation with a new private patient: what they enquired about, what they have been told so far and their history with the practice.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareCRM
SkillConnectorPractice softwareCRM
You give itThe enquiry, the patient record and any photos or scans already taken.
You get backA one page summary of what the patient wants, what they are worried about, the options the dentist has noted, the price ranges and the finance terms that would apply.
You stillHave the conversation. Listening for what the patient is not saying is what you are paid for.

Setting up a patient finance application

Prepares the finance application for an accepted plan so the figures match the estimate and the timing fits the lender's rules. Chrysalis, for example, needs it at least 48 hours before treatment.

Claude in ChromeSkillPatient financeBrowser
Claude in ChromeSkillPatient financeBrowser
You give itThe accepted plan, the treatment dates and access to the lender's portal.
You get backThe application details ready to enter or send to the patient as a link, the repayment figures for the term they chose, and a reminder if the application is not complete in time.
You stillMake clear to the patient that the practice is a broker and not the lender. The lending decision is the lender's.

Telling the lender when a financed case moves

Spots every rebooked or cancelled appointment on a financed case and drafts the notice to the lender. Chrysalis warns that missed notices can trigger payouts nobody wanted.

Scheduled taskConnectorPatient financePractice softwareEmail
Scheduled taskConnectorPatient financePractice softwareEmail
You give itYour list of financed cases and the week's diary changes.
You get backA notice for each case that moved, with the order number and the new date, and a list of payouts due this month to check against the bank.
You stillSend the notices, and speak to any patient whose treatment is being delayed.

The monthly conversion report

Builds the treatment coordinator's monthly figures from the practice software: consultations, plans presented, plans accepted, value converted and what is still open.

SkillArtifactsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
SkillArtifactsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itExports of the month's consultations and treatment plans.
You get backConversion by clinician and by treatment, the value of plans still open and the source of each new patient where it was recorded. Software of Excellence found only 16% of practices formally tracked acceptance.
You stillDecide what the numbers mean for each clinician, and have that conversation in person.

Clinical admin

The writing around the chair. Diagnosis stays with the clinician.

6 use cases
Highest time

Drafting the clinical note from dictation

Turns what the dentist dictated during or after the appointment into a structured note in your practice's format, ready to check.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareCall recording
SkillConnectorPractice softwareCall recording
You give itThe dictation or the nurse's rough notes, and your note template.
You get backA draft note with history, examination, treatment and advice under your usual headings. Anything it could not hear or is unsure of is marked rather than filled in.
You stillThe clinician reads and signs every note. The record is theirs, and the GDC holds them to it.

Writing a referral letter

Writes the referral to a specialist from the patient's notes, in the form the specialist practice asks for, with the right radiographs and history attached.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareEmail
SkillConnectorPractice softwareEmail
You give itThe notes, the reason for referral and the specialist's referral form.
You get backThe completed form or letter, a list of the attachments to send, and the referral logged with a date to chase if nobody acknowledges it.
You stillDecide that the patient needs referring and to whom. That is a clinical judgement.

Reporting back to a referring dentist

For a practice that takes referrals, drafts the letter back to the referring dentist after each consultation and at discharge.

SkillProjectPractice softwareEmail
SkillProjectPractice softwareEmail
You give itThe specialist's notes and the treatment carried out.
You get backA letter in your practice's format covering the findings, the plan agreed with the patient, what was done and what the referring dentist should do next.
You stillThe specialist checks and signs it. The letter carries their clinical opinion and their name.

Preparing the consent form

Prepares the right consent form for the procedure, with the patient's details and the risks the dentist has noted for this case already filled in.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareE-signature
SkillConnectorPractice softwareE-signature
You give itThe treatment plan and your consent templates.
You get backThe form ready to sign, a reminder if it is not signed before the appointment, and a flag on any plan that has changed since consent was given.
You stillTake consent. The GDC treats it as a conversation, and the form only records it.

Sending aftercare instructions

Sends the right aftercare instructions after an extraction, implant, root canal or whitening, and a check-in message the next day.

Scheduled taskSkillMessagingPractice software
Scheduled taskSkillMessagingPractice software
You give itThe day's procedures and your aftercare sheets.
You get backThe instructions sent to each patient and a message scheduled for the next day asking how they are. Any worrying reply is passed to the clinical team.
You stillAnswer the patients who are worried. A reply that mentions bleeding or swelling needs a clinician.

Completing an insurance claim

Produces the itemised invoice and fills in the practice section of a patient's dental insurance claim.

SkillPractice softwareFile storage
SkillPractice softwareFile storage
You give itThe patient's treatment and payments, and the insurer's form.
You get backThe itemised invoice showing the dentist, the practice, the treatment and proof of payment, and the claim form with the practice section completed for signature.
You stillThe dentist signs the claim. Their signature confirms the treatment was carried out.

Lab work

Prescriptions, tracking and the monthly lab bill.

5 use cases

Filling in the lab prescription

Completes the lab prescription from the dentist's notes, including the custom made device wording that DAMAS, the lab audit scheme, says practices often leave off.

SkillPractice softwareOnline portal
SkillPractice softwareOnline portal
You give itThe dentist's notes and your lab's prescription form.
You get backA completed prescription for the dentist to check, with the return date worked back from the fit appointment.
You stillThe dentist approves the design and signs the prescription.
Highest time

Checking lab work is back before the fit

Checks the coming week's fit appointments against what the lab has sent. Most practice software only records lab status as a flag that someone changes by hand.

Scheduled taskClaude in ChromePractice softwareOnline portalEmail
Scheduled taskClaude in ChromePractice softwareOnline portalEmail
You give itThe week's diary and the lab's delivery notes or portal.
You get backA list of fits where the work is not yet in, a chase drafted to the lab for each, and the patients to rebook if it will not arrive in time.
You stillDecide whether to move the patient or push the lab, and make that call.

Filing statements of manufacture

Matches each statement of manufacture that comes back with a lab case to the right patient record. NHSBSA guidance says to keep them for at least five years.

SkillConnectorFile storagePractice software
SkillConnectorFile storagePractice software
You give itThe week's lab paperwork.
You get backEach statement filed against the right patient and case, and a list of cases that came back without one.
You stillChase the lab for anything missing.

Checking the monthly lab bill

Checks the lab's monthly statement against the cases you actually sent and received, and assigns each charge to the right patient and dentist.

SkillConnectorSpreadsheetAccounting
SkillConnectorSpreadsheetAccounting
You give itThe lab statement and your lab log.
You get backEvery line matched to a case, charges with no matching case, prices that differ from your agreed list, and a total by dentist ready for associate pay.
You stillQuery the charges that look wrong, and agree any credit with the lab.

Recording a remake

Records a remake or adjustment with what went wrong and who pays, so patterns show up across labs and dentists.

SkillSpreadsheetEmail
SkillSpreadsheetEmail
You give itThe case, the reason given and the lab's response.
You get backAn entry in your remake log, the note to the lab, and a quarterly summary of remakes by lab, dentist and type of work.
You stillDecide who bears the cost, and talk to the dentist or the lab when a pattern appears.

Membership plans

Sign ups, lapses and plan income every month.

5 use cases
Highest value

Working the monthly plan lapses

Reads the plan provider's monthly statement and finds the patients whose payments failed or who cancelled. Under Denplan's patient terms, two failed payments in a row end the plan.

Scheduled taskConnectorOnline portalPractice softwareSpreadsheet
Scheduled taskConnectorOnline portalPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe provider's statement and your patient list.
You get backLapsed and failing patients listed, a message drafted to each, a reminder to change their fee category in the practice software, and anyone treated while in arrears flagged for billing.
You stillSpeak to long standing patients yourself, and decide what to charge for treatment given while a plan had lapsed.

Signing up a new plan patient

Drafts the plan explanation and sign up message for a patient who has said yes, and checks the practice software is set to the plan fee category.

SkillOnline portalEmail
SkillOnline portalEmail
You give itThe patient, the plan they chose and your plan terms.
You get backA message with the sign up link, what the plan covers and when the first payment goes out, and a reminder to check the sign up has gone through on the provider's portal.
You stillHave the conversation about whether a plan suits this patient.

Writing the annual plan fee letter

Drafts the letter telling plan patients about the annual fee change. Denplan's patient terms require at least one calendar month's notice.

SkillProjectEmailOnline portal
SkillProjectEmailOnline portal
You give itThe new fees, the date they apply and last year's letter.
You get backA letter for each plan level, a shorter message version, and the date each must go out by to give the notice your provider's terms require.
You stillSet the fees, and decide how to explain the rise.

Moving patients onto a private plan

Supports a practice moving patients from NHS care to a private plan, with the letters, the call scripts and the tracking for every patient.

ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetEmailOnline portal
ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetEmailOnline portal
You give itThe patient list, the plans and prices, and the date of the change.
You get backLetters for each patient group, answers to the questions patients will ask, a call list sorted by who has not responded, and a daily count of sign ups against target.
You stillDecide who to offer what, and talk to the patients who are upset. This is the most sensitive conversation a practice has with its patients.

Reconciling plan income

Matches the plan income received each month to the patients on the provider's statement and to the clinicians it is allocated to.

SkillConnectorSpreadsheetAccountingOnline portal
SkillConnectorSpreadsheetAccountingOnline portal
You give itThe provider's statement, the bank receipt and your allocation rule.
You get backIncome by clinician for associate and hygienist pay, differences between the statement and the bank, and patients on a plan fee category with no plan payment.
You stillDecide how to treat the differences, and make sure the allocation rule is written into each contract.

Takings and payments

Cashing up, balances, finance payouts and the month end.

5 use cases
Highest time

Cashing up at the end of the day

Reconciles the day sheet from the practice software against the card terminal report and the cash, and explains every difference it can.

SkillScheduled taskPractice softwarePaymentsSpreadsheet
SkillScheduled taskPractice softwarePaymentsSpreadsheet
You give itThe day sheet, the terminal's end of day report and the cash count.
You get backTakings by payment type and clinician, each difference with its likely cause, such as a payment posted to the wrong patient, and anything to put right the next morning.
You stillInvestigate the differences it cannot explain, and sign the day off.

Chasing outstanding balances

Works through patients with money owing and drafts a reminder suited to the amount and how long it has been outstanding.

Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareEmail
Scheduled taskSkillPractice softwareEmail
You give itThe aged debt report from your practice software.
You get backA reminder for each patient, firmer the longer the balance has been owed, and a list of balances for the practice manager to decide on.
You stillDecide which balances to write off, and which patients to speak to before treating them again.

Matching patient finance payouts

Matches the money paid by each finance lender to the patients and treatments it covers, net of the lender's fee.

SkillConnectorPatient financeAccounting
SkillConnectorPatient financeAccounting
You give itThe lender's remittance and the bank statement.
You get backEach payout matched to a patient, the lender's fees shown separately, and treatment already started where no payout has arrived.
You stillChase the lender about anything missing.

Processing a refund

Drafts the refund paperwork for a patient, with the reason, the amount and the effect on the clinician's pay.

SkillPractice softwarePayments
SkillPractice softwarePayments
You give itThe patient's account and the reason for the refund.
You get backThe refund note, the message to the patient, the adjustment for the clinician's statement and, for a financed case, the notice to the lender.
You stillApprove the refund. A refund is often part of settling a complaint.

Preparing the month for the accountant

Gathers the month's transaction files, supplier invoices and receipts into what your accountant needs, and lists what is missing.

SkillConnectorAccountingSpreadsheetFile storage
SkillConnectorAccountingSpreadsheetFile storage
You give itExports from your practice software and accounting system, and the month's invoices.
You get backIncome by type ready to import, supplier invoices coded to your chart of accounts, and a list of missing receipts and unmatched bank lines.
You stillMake the coding decisions that affect tax, with your accountant.

Associate and clinician pay

Monthly statements for associates, hygienists and therapists.

6 use cases
Highest time

Building the associate pay statements

Builds each associate's monthly statement from fees, lab bills, plan income and finance fees, on their own split. Samera, who sell software for this, put it at three to five hours a month for one site.

ProjectSkillPractice softwareSpreadsheetAccounting
ProjectSkillPractice softwareSpreadsheetAccounting
You give itExports of fees by clinician, the matched lab bills, plan income and each associate's contract terms.
You get backA statement for each associate showing gross fees, lab deductions, plan income, the split and the amount due. Every figure traces back to its source, and anything that does not reconcile is marked.
You stillCheck the statements before they go, and handle any query yourself. Associates choose where they work, and a mistake costs trust.

Answering an associate's pay query

Traces a disputed figure on an associate's statement back to the appointments, payments and lab bills behind it.

SkillSpreadsheetPractice software
SkillSpreadsheetPractice software
You give itThe query and the month's statement workings.
You get backThe figure broken down to the patients and lab cases behind it, any error found, and a draft reply.
You stillDecide how to resolve it, and speak to the associate if the answer is not what they hoped.

Paying hygienists and therapists

Works out what each self-employed hygienist and therapist is owed from sessions worked, fees and plan income, on the terms in their agreement.

SkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
SkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe month's sessions and fees by clinician, and their agreements.
You get backA statement for each clinician, and a note of sessions where the diary and the fees do not match.
You stillApprove the payments.

Keeping associate status records

Keeps a record for each self-employed associate of how the arrangement works in practice. HMRC withdrew its long standing approach to associates in April 2023, so each one is judged on its facts.

ProjectSkillFile storage
ProjectSkillFile storage
You give itThe associate's contract, and how they actually work: days, choice of nurse, holidays and equipment.
You get backA summary set against the factors HMRC and the tribunals look at, the points that read like employment, and the questions to take to your adviser.
You stillTake advice on status from your accountant or solicitor. This organises the facts and decides nothing.

Reading an associate agreement

Reads a draft or existing associate agreement and sets out the terms that affect pay and how they will be worked out.

SkillFile storage
SkillFile storage
You give itThe agreement.
You get backA one page summary covering the split, how lab fees are shared, whether pay is on fees charged or fees collected, plan income, payment dates, notice and restrictive covenants, with anything unclear listed.
You stillNegotiate the terms, and have a solicitor review the agreement.

The associate monthly review pack

Prepares the figures for a monthly conversation with each associate: days worked, gross, average daily yield, plans presented and converted, and failed appointments.

SkillArtifactsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
SkillArtifactsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe month's exports from your practice software.
You get backA one page pack for each associate comparing this month with their own average and with the practice, and two or three points worth discussing.
You stillHave the conversation. Helping an associate grow their book is your job.

Rotas, HR and recruitment

Rotas, holidays, hiring and payroll.

7 use cases
Highest time

Building the rota

Builds the month's rota so every clinician session in the diary has a nurse, reception is covered and holidays are respected.

SkillCoworkRota softwareSpreadsheetPractice software
SkillCoworkRota softwareSpreadsheetPractice software
You give itClinician sessions, staff hours and holidays, and your rules, such as which nurses work with which dentist.
You get backA draft rota, sessions with no nurse, staff close to their maximum hours, and the diary changes the rota implies.
You stillDecide who covers what. You know who works well together and who needs a break.

Covering a sick day

When someone calls in sick, finds who could cover, drafts the message to them and records the absence. Statutory sick pay has been due from the first day of sickness since 6 April 2026.

SkillConnectorRota softwareMessaging
SkillConnectorRota softwareMessaging
You give itWho is off, the rota and staff availability.
You get backA list of people who could cover, a message to each, the absence recorded for payroll, and the patients to move if nobody can.
You stillMake the call on cover, and check on the person who is unwell.

Recruiting a dental nurse

Writes the advert, screens applications and books interviews for a nurse vacancy. The BDA found 77% of practice owners have difficulty recruiting dental nurses.

SkillConnectorEmailFile storage
SkillConnectorEmailFile storage
You give itThe role, the hours, the pay and the applications.
You get backAn advert, each application checked against the requirements including GDC registration, interview invitations, and questions for the interview.
You stillInterview and choose. Whether someone will fit the team does not show on a CV.

Building a new starter's file

Collects and checks what CQC's Schedule 3 requires for each new member of staff, and lists what is missing before their first day.

SkillProjectFile storageEmail
SkillProjectFile storageEmail
You give itThe documents the new starter sends.
You get backA checklist filled in from the documents: identity, DBS, references, employment history with any gaps that need explaining, qualifications, GDC registration, indemnity, hepatitis B status and right to work.
You stillDecide whether a gap or a reference is acceptable, and check identity documents in person.

Keeping holiday records

Keeps holiday and holiday pay records for every employee, including bank staff and those on irregular hours. Since April 2026 employers must keep these records for six years.

Scheduled taskConnectorRota softwareSpreadsheet
Scheduled taskConnectorRota softwareSpreadsheet
You give itHoliday requests, hours worked and payroll.
You get backHoliday taken and remaining for each person, accrual for irregular hours staff, and the records kept in a form the Fair Work Agency could ask to see.
You stillApprove the requests, and decide between competing ones.

Sending payroll to the bureau

Puts together the payroll instruction from overtime, sickness, holiday, starters, leavers and bonuses.

SkillConnectorSpreadsheetRota software
SkillConnectorSpreadsheetRota software
You give itThe rota, overtime and absence records, and bonus figures.
You get backA payroll instruction in your bureau's format, and a list of changes from last month to check.
You stillApprove bonuses and any change to pay.

Updating staff policies for the new law

Redrafts the staff handbook and policies for the Employment Rights Act changes, including the duty from 30 October 2026 to prevent harassment by third parties such as patients.

ProjectSkillFile storage
ProjectSkillFile storage
You give itYour current handbook and policies.
You get backRedrafted policies with the changes marked, a list of contract changes needed, and a short briefing for the team.
You stillHave an employment adviser approve the changes before they are issued.

CQC and compliance

Audits, logs, certificates and the evidence CQC asks to see.

9 use cases
Highest time

Writing up the six-monthly IPC audit

Turns the completed infection control audit and the daily decontamination logs into the audit report and action plan. CQC expects the audit every six months.

SkillProjectCompliance softwareFile storage
SkillProjectCompliance softwareFile storage
You give itThe completed audit tool, the logs for the period and the last action plan.
You get backThe report, an action plan with owners and dates, the actions from last time still open, and any days missing from the logs.
You stillWalk the decontamination room and judge whether practice matches the paperwork.

Checking the week's logs

Reads the week's autoclave, waterline, fridge and emergency kit logs and lists any check that was missed or out of range. The Resuscitation Council asks for emergency kit checks at least weekly.

Scheduled taskSkillCompliance softwarePhotos
Scheduled taskSkillCompliance softwarePhotos
You give itPhotos or exports of the week's logs.
You get backMissing entries, readings out of range and emergency drugs close to expiry, with who to ask about each.
You stillAct on anything out of range, and decide whether equipment should come out of use.
Highest value

Keeping the staff compliance matrix

Keeps one table of every person's GDC registration, indemnity, CPD, hepatitis B status, DBS and training dates, and chases what is due.

Scheduled taskProjectCompliance softwareSpreadsheetEmail
Scheduled taskProjectCompliance softwareSpreadsheetEmail
You give itYour staff list and their certificates.
You get backThe matrix brought up to date, everything expiring in the next 90 days, a reminder drafted to each person, and registrants who have not renewed by the GDC deadlines.
You stillDecide what happens when someone is not compliant, including whether they can work.
Highest time

Re-mapping your CQC evidence

Re-indexes your policies, audits and minutes against CQC's new assessment approach, which replaces quality statements with key lines of enquiry.

ProjectCoworkFile storageCompliance software
ProjectCoworkFile storageCompliance software
You give itYour current evidence folders and CQC's published framework for primary care.
You get backEvery document mapped to the new key lines of enquiry, a list of gaps, the documents that are out of date, and an index to keep current.
You stillDecide what good looks like at your practice, and lead the inspection yourself.

Preparing for a CQC inspection

Builds the pack for an inspection from your evidence: policies, audits, staff files, certificates and meeting minutes.

ProjectCoworkFile storageCompliance software
ProjectCoworkFile storageCompliance software
You give itYour compliance folders.
You get backAn index by key question, the documents an inspector usually asks for first, and the items that are missing or out of date.
You stillShow the inspector how the practice really works. Inspectors talk to the team as well as reading the folder.

Reviewing a practice policy

Checks a policy against current guidance and how you actually work, and redrafts what has changed. Policies that quote GDC standard numbers will need new references if the GDC replaces its standards.

SkillProjectFile storageCompliance software
SkillProjectFile storageCompliance software
You give itThe policy and any guidance it refers to.
You get backA redrafted policy with changes marked, references checked, and the staff who need to read and sign it.
You stillApprove the policy, and make sure the team works the way it says.

Writing up the radiograph audit

Takes the clinicians' image quality grades and justification checks and produces the radiography audit report.

SkillSpreadsheetFile storage
SkillSpreadsheetFile storage
You give itThe sample of radiographs with each clinician's grading.
You get backResults by clinician and grade, a comparison with the last audit, and an action plan.
You stillThe clinicians grade the images and the radiation protection supervisor decides the actions. The judgement on each image is clinical.

Tracking premises and equipment certificates

Reads servicing and inspection certificates as they arrive and keeps one register of what is due: autoclave validation, pressure vessels, X-ray testing, fire, Legionella and electrical.

Scheduled taskSkillFile storageCompliance software
Scheduled taskSkillFile storageCompliance software
You give itThe certificates and reports.
You get backA register by site with next due dates, a reminder to book each one, and certificates that are missing or expired.
You stillBook the contractors, and act on anything a report says is unsafe.

Writing a DPIA for a new system

Drafts the data protection impact assessment for a new system that handles patient data, including any AI tool.

ProjectSkillFile storage
ProjectSkillFile storage
You give itWhat the system does, the supplier's documentation and your record of processing.
You get backA draft assessment covering the data used, the risks, the safeguards, the supplier's contract terms and the questions still to answer.
You stillDecide whether the risk is acceptable. Patient records are health data, and the responsibility stays with you.

Complaints, reviews and records

Complaints, reviews and requests for records, each with a deadline.

5 use cases
Highest value

Responding to a complaint

Builds the timeline of a complaint from the records and drafts the response. The GDC expects patients to be updated at least every ten days while a complaint is open.

ProjectSkillPractice softwareEmailFile storage
ProjectSkillPractice softwareEmailFile storage
You give itThe complaint, the clinical record, the appointment history and staff accounts.
You get backA timeline, an acknowledgement, update letters dated to the ten day rule, a draft response, and the Dental Complaints Service details for a private patient.
You stillDecide what went wrong, and apologise in your own words. Speak to your indemnity provider before admitting anything clinical.

Logging a data protection complaint

Logs a complaint about how patient data was handled and drafts the acknowledgement. Since 19 June 2026 these complaints must be acknowledged within 30 days.

SkillEmailSpreadsheet
SkillEmailSpreadsheet
You give itThe complaint.
You get backThe complaint logged with its deadlines, an acknowledgement, a note of whether it is also a clinical complaint, and the ICO details the patient must be given.
You stillInvestigate what happened, and decide whether it is a breach that has to be reported.

Answering a request for records

Assembles a patient's records in response to a subject access request, which has to be answered within one month.

SkillConnectorPractice softwareFile storage
SkillConnectorPractice softwareFile storage
You give itThe request, and the patient's record, radiographs and correspondence.
You get backThe records in date order, anything that mentions other people marked for review, a covering letter, and the deadline tracked.
You stillReview what is being released, and decide on anything that should be withheld.

Replying to online reviews

Drafts replies to the week's online reviews in your practice's voice, without confirming that the reviewer is a patient or mentioning any treatment.

SkillClaude in ChromeReview sitesBrowser
SkillClaude in ChromeReview sitesBrowser
You give itThe reviews.
You get backA reply to each, a note of any review that reads like a complaint and should be handled as one, and the themes across the month.
You stillPost the replies, and phone the patient behind any review that needs a conversation.

Asking patients for reviews

Sends a review request to patients after a finished course of treatment, without picking out only the happy ones.

Scheduled taskConnectorMessagingReview sites
Scheduled taskConnectorMessagingReview sites
You give itThe week's completed treatments.
You get backA request drafted to each patient, timed after their final appointment, with anyone who has an open complaint left out.
You stillRead the replies that come back privately, and follow up the unhappy ones.

Marketing

Posts, campaigns, open days and the price list.

5 use cases

Writing the month's social posts

Writes a month of posts from your treatments, team news and patient questions, and checks each against advertising rules, including the ban on advertising botulinum toxin to the public.

SkillProjectAd platformsPhotos
SkillProjectAd platformsPhotos
You give itYour treatment list, photos, team news and the month's offers.
You get backA month of posts with captions, any claim that needs evidence on file marked, and any mention of a prescription only medicine taken out.
You stillChoose what goes out, and get written consent for any patient photo.

Updating the price list everywhere

When fees change, updates every place a price appears: the price list in reception, the website, treatment pages, plan leaflets and finance examples.

SkillClaude in ChromeBrowserFile storage
SkillClaude in ChromeBrowserFile storage
You give itThe new fee schedule, and your website and leaflets.
You get backEvery page and document with the changes marked, a check that headline prices include any unavoidable fees, and a list of places still showing the old figure.
You stillSet the fees, and approve the pages before they go live.

Running an open day

Prepares an aligner or implant open day: the invitations, the booking list, reminders, the information pack and the follow-up afterwards.

ProjectSkillEmailCalendarCRM
ProjectSkillEmailCalendarCRM
You give itThe date, the treatment, the offer and your past enquirers.
You get backInvitations, reminders, a pack for visitors, consultation times and a follow-up drafted for every visitor based on what they said on the day.
You stillRun the day. People book treatment with someone they have met and trust.

Writing the patient newsletter

Writes the monthly patient email from what is happening at the practice.

SkillEmail
SkillEmail
You give itTeam news, new treatments, opening hours and anything patients keep asking about.
You get backA newsletter ready for your email tool, with a subject line and a short version for social media.
You stillDecide what goes in. It should sound like your practice.
Highest value

Working out which marketing brings patients

Joins enquiries to the patients who booked and the treatment they accepted, so you can see what each channel produced.

SkillArtifactsAd platformsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
SkillArtifactsAd platformsPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itYour enquiry list, ad platform reports and treatment plan exports.
You get backEnquiries, consultations, accepted plans and their value by channel for the month, and the enquiries with no source recorded.
You stillDecide where to spend next month's budget.

Reporting and KPIs

The monthly pack for the owner, the board or the area manager.

5 use cases
Highest time

Building the monthly KPI pack

Builds the monthly management pack from the practice software and the accounts: income, chair use, failed appointments, new patients, plan numbers, conversion and costs.

SkillArtifactsPractice softwareAccountingSpreadsheet
SkillArtifactsPractice softwareAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itThe month's exports from your practice software, accounts and plan provider.
You get backA pack in your usual format comparing this month with last month and last year, a short commentary on what moved, and the figures it could not find.
You stillDecide what to do about what the numbers show.

The morning income summary

Sends you each morning yesterday's income by clinician against target, the week so far and the whitespace in the coming days.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareEmail
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice softwareEmail
You give itAccess to the day sheet export.
You get backA short message every morning with income against target, the week to date and unfilled hours for the next three days.
You stillAct on it. The figures only help someone who will move the diary.
Highest time

Combining several practices' figures

Brings each practice's monthly figures into one group pack, including sites that run different practice software or keep separate accounts.

ProjectCoworkPractice softwareAccountingSpreadsheet
ProjectCoworkPractice softwareAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itEach site's exports and management accounts.
You get backOne pack with every site on the same definitions, a ranking on the measures you choose, EBITDA by site, and the sites whose figures arrived late or look wrong.
You stillDecide where to spend your time across the group.

Measuring failed appointments

Works out your failed appointment and late cancellation rates by clinician, day and appointment type from the diary.

SkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
SkillPractice softwareSpreadsheet
You give itA diary export for the month.
You get backRates by clinician, day and type of appointment, the chair hours lost, and the patients who missed more than once.
You stillDecide on your policy, and how firmly to apply it.

Writing the board or investor update

Drafts the quarterly update for the board, partners or investors from the monthly packs and what happened in the period.

SkillProjectSlidesSpreadsheet
SkillProjectSlidesSpreadsheet
You give itThe quarter's packs, and notes on acquisitions, recruitment and issues.
You get backA draft update with performance against plan, the risks, the decisions needed and an appendix of figures.
You stillWrite the view of what happens next. That part is yours.

Practice operations

Stock, suppliers, equipment, procedures and new sites.

6 use cases

Placing the weekly stock order

Builds the weekly order from the stock count, the coming week's diary and what was used last month.

SkillClaude in ChromeStock softwareBrowserSpreadsheet
SkillClaude in ChromeStock softwareBrowserSpreadsheet
You give itThe stock count and your supplier price lists.
You get backAn order by supplier, items where a cheaper equivalent is on your approved list, and emergency drugs close to expiry.
You stillApprove the order and choose any substitutes.

Checking supplier invoices

Checks supplier invoices against what was ordered and delivered, and against agreed prices.

SkillConnectorAccountingEmail
SkillConnectorAccountingEmail
You give itInvoices, orders and delivery notes.
You get backInvoices matched, price differences and short deliveries listed, and a credit request drafted for each.
You stillDecide which to dispute.

Logging an equipment fault

Records an equipment fault, drafts the request to the engineer and lists the sessions affected.

SkillEmailPractice software
SkillEmailPractice software
You give itWhat has failed and in which surgery.
You get backA fault record, the engineer request with the model and serial number, the affected appointments, and an entry in the maintenance log.
You stillDecide whether the surgery can run safely.

Writing a standard operating procedure

Turns how an experienced team member does a task into a written procedure others can follow, such as opening the practice or setting up for implant surgery.

SkillProjectFile storageCall recording
SkillProjectFile storageCall recording
You give itA recording or notes of them explaining the task.
You get backA step by step procedure in your format, with a checklist version.
You stillHave the expert check it, and train people on it.

Comparing suppliers

Compares quotes or contracts from suppliers such as labs, waste contractors, phone systems or practice software.

SkillClaude in ChromeBrowserSpreadsheet
SkillClaude in ChromeBrowserSpreadsheet
You give itThe quotes, the contracts and your current spend.
You get backA side by side comparison on price, terms, notice periods and service levels, and questions to ask each supplier.
You stillChoose the supplier and negotiate.

Bringing an acquired practice onto your systems

Plans the move of a newly acquired practice onto your policies, reporting and ways of working.

ProjectCoworkFile storageSpreadsheet
ProjectCoworkFile storageSpreadsheet
You give itThe practice's policies, staff list, contracts, systems and figures.
You get backA gap list against your group standards, the registrations to change, including CQC and HSE, a plan week by week, and a data checklist for any move of practice software.
You stillLead the people through it. Most of the risk in an acquisition sits with the team.

A practice manager's day

Clearing what does not need a practice manager.

5 use cases

Clearing the practice inbox

Sorts the shared inbox each morning into what needs you, what reception can answer and what can be filed.

ConnectorScheduled taskEmail
ConnectorScheduled taskEmail
You give itAccess to the practice inbox.
You get backA short list of what needs you today, replies drafted to routine questions, and supplier emails filed.
You stillAnswer the ones that need judgement.

Preparing the morning huddle

Writes the huddle sheet for the day: gaps, new patients, patients with outstanding treatment, lab work and staffing.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice software
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice software
You give itThe day's diary and yesterday's figures.
You get backA one page sheet for a ten minute huddle.
You stillRun the huddle.

Writing up the practice meeting

Turns the recording of the practice meeting into minutes and actions, which also serve as evidence for CQC.

ConnectorSkillCall recordingFile storage
ConnectorSkillCall recordingFile storage
You give itThe recording.
You get backMinutes, actions with owners, and a note of any compliance topic covered, filed for inspection.
You stillChair the meeting.

Preparing for a one-to-one

Pulls together what you need before a one-to-one or appraisal: the person's training, absence, feedback and last appraisal.

SkillFile storage
SkillFile storage
You give itThe person's record.
You get backA one page summary and the points to discuss.
You stillHave the conversation.

Writing a difficult letter

Drafts the letter you have been putting off, to a landlord, a supplier, a patient or a member of staff.

ChatEmail
ChatEmail
You give itWhat has happened and what you want to happen next.
You get backA draft in plain English with the facts in order and the points that need care marked.
You stillDecide what you are willing to say, and send it.
[THE NUMBERS]

What it is worth on your numbers

Nobody has published a reliable figure for how many hours a week a practice team spends on this work, so put in your own. For scale, NHS England, using NASDAL accountancy data from 190 private practices, put non-clinical staff wages at 19.4% of a private practice's income in 2024 to 2025.

£30000
8
8 hrs
50%
£60000

Costed at £32 an hour. An hour is costed from that salary plus employer National Insurance and pension, over 1,740 hours.

0
hours a week, back, per person
Hours a year across the team0
Working days a year back, each0
Cost of that time
£0
Not used
£0
Value of the time back
£0

This values the hours at what they cost you. It leaves out what the team does with them, which in a private practice is usually a gap in the diary filled or a treatment plan booked. Both are worth more than the hours, and both depend on your own figures.

[TWELVE MONTHS]

What good looks like in twelve months

Not a bigger team. The same team, with the work on the right hand side of that list mostly gone.

The practice manager starts every day checking the diary, the takings and the inbox by hand
The checks are waiting before nine, and the first hour goes on the team and the patients
Unbooked treatment plans sit on a report someone looks at monthly
Every plan gets a follow-up that refers to the consultation, and the coordinator spends the time on the calls
A cancellation at nine leaves an empty chair at eleven
The patients who could take the slot are listed with a message ready, and reception makes the calls
Associate statements take an evening of spreadsheets, and the queries take longer
They are drafted on the first working day, and every figure traces back to a patient or a lab bill
The CQC folder is rebuilt in a rush when an inspection is announced
The evidence is indexed against the new key lines of enquiry and kept current every month
The monthly pack is copied from three systems and is always late
It is ready in the first week, and the meeting is about what to do

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