AI in the Dental Office: The Top Takeaways from the First Episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors

Our first episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors explores a question many dental leaders are asking right now: how should dental practices use AI in the office?

Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Clinical and Strategy Officer at Henry Schein One, Marty Kearns, Executive Director of RCM Business Development at Henry Schein One, and Dr. Kristen Johnson, Leader, US Public Sector Strategic Engagement Teams at AWS examine the opportunities, risks, and real-world use cases for AI in dentistry, from administrative workflows and patient communication to clinical decision support and the future of dental care. 

We’re sharing the top takeaways from the conversation. 

Key takeaways: AI in dentistry can reduce repetitive administrative work, improve patient communication, support better clinical transparency, and help teams work more efficiently. But successful AI adoption in dental practices requires human oversight, honest conversations about risk, and a willingness to start small. 

1. How can AI help dental practices today? By reducing repetitive administrative work. 

One of the most significant themes was how AI is most immediately useful when it takes repetitive, manual work off staff members’ plates. In a dental office, that includes tasks like eligibility checks, claims work, and documentation, which drain time and energy from front office teams. 

The disruptor argument was simple: when AI handles the “mowing down” of mundane tasks, staff can spend more time doing what they do best: building relationships, creating a better patient experience, and focusing on the moments that actually require empathy and conversation. 

2. What concerns do dental teams have about AI? Accuracy, trust, and job disruption. 

The dinosaur perspective reflected concerns many teams have right now: Will AI be accurate enough? Will it create more work instead of less? Will it feel impersonal? Could it eventually replace my job? 

Those concerns matter. The episode made it clear that successful AI adoption won’t happen by dismissing fear. It'll happen by addressing it honestly, creating space for experimentation, and helping teams understand where AI can support them without undermining trust, autonomy, or job security. 

3. Can AI make clinical decisions in dentistry? Not without a human in the loop. 

The discussion drew an important distinction between using AI to support workflows and allowing AI to drive care decisions unchecked. In healthcare, trust, privacy, compliance, and patient safety are all too important to remove human oversight. 

That’s why one of the most important ideas in the episode was the concept of the human in the loop. AI may help surface information, improve transparency, or speed up documentation, but clinicians are still the ultimate decision-makers.  

4. Can AI improve patient experience in a dental office? Yes, especially through clearer communication. 

One of the strongest pro-AI arguments was that the technology can be used to improve communication and trust. If AI helps practices present information more clearly, support better financial conversations, and make diagnoses or treatment plans easier for patients to understand, that can lead to more informed decisions and higher treatment acceptance. 

In other words, AI could also help practices create a more transparent patient experience. 

5. Is the future of AI in dentistry bigger than automation? Yes. 

Dr. Johnson expanded the conversation beyond today’s tools by laying out three potential horizons of AI: current artificial intelligence, future artificial general intelligence (AGI), and eventually artificial superintelligence (ASI). Whether or not those timelines unfold exactly as predicted, her larger point was clear: the future will focus on unlocking entirely new ways of supporting care, personalization, and prevention, and now is the time to start building comfort with the tools that already exist. 

6. What is the best way for a dental team to start using AI? Start small. 

A recurring theme throughout the conversation was that people don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. They just need to start. Whether that's trying a free AI tool, experimenting with simple prompts, or using AI for a low-risk personal task, the advice was the same: build familiarity first. 

The idea isn’t to become an expert immediately. It’s to avoid getting left behind by waiting too long to engage. 

7. Why do human skills matter more as AI gets smarter? Because trust, judgment, and empathy still matter most. 

The most powerful idea in the episode may have been this: as machines get smarter, people need to lean harder into the qualities only they can bring, like creativity, judgment, empathy, ethics, and trust.  

That’s what makes this conversation so much bigger than technology adoption. It’s really about what kind of future dental teams want to create and how they make sure innovation strengthens the human side of care. 

Final takeaway: AI in dentistry works best when teams move forward thoughtfully 

Our experts don’t argue that AI in dentistry is all good or all bad. Instead, the most productive path for dental practices is to move forward thoughtfully. Start experimenting with practical use cases. Stay informed about privacy, trust, and patient safety. And don’t wait so long that your team gets left behind. 

Listen here and check back every other week for the latest episode of Dinosaurs vs. Disruptors.

FAQ: AI in dentistry and the dental office 

What is AI in dentistry? 
AI in dentistry refers to the use of artificial intelligence tools to support administrative workflows, patient communication, diagnostics, documentation, and other tasks in a dental practice. 

How can AI help a dental office? 
AI can help a dental office reduce repetitive administrative work, improve communication with patients, surface useful information faster, and support staff efficiency without removing the need for human oversight. 

What are the risks of AI in dentistry? 
The main risks include accuracy concerns, privacy and compliance issues, overreliance on automation, and the possibility of reducing trust if teams use AI without enough transparency or human review. 

What is the best way to start using AI in a dental practice? 
The best way to start is with a small, practical use case that saves time or improves consistency, while keeping people involved in review, decision-making, and patient care.