The Doers Webinar Recap: Turning Dental Calls into Patients with VoiceStack

Dentists are doers. Your day is packed with treatments, emergencies, and patients who want answers yesterday. You thrive on solving problems, calming nerves, and creating smiles. But here is the part that often gets overlooked. If your phones are not working the way they should, you are losing patients before they even set foot inside your practice. That was the blunt truth revealed in our latest Doers Webinar.

To dig into the real challenges and the solutions that work, Carlos Restrepo, Enterprise Sales at VoiceStack, teamed up with Traci Nervo, CEO of Dental Executive Consulting. Together, they unpacked how the right mix of data, systems, and AI can plug the leaks. Spoiler alert! VoiceStack is built to tackle exactly these issues.

The Real Problem Doers Face with Dental Phone Systems

Most dental practices are quietly losing patients every single day, and the scary part is that they often do not realize it. The leaks are not dramatic. They do not appear in flashing lights. They slip through the cracks silently, like a dripping faucet in the background that nobody notices until the floor is soaked.

Let us look at the three biggest culprits.

Low Call Conversion: Think about it. A new patient finally picks up the phone and calls your practice. They are motivated and ready to book. According to data from Viva Concepts, as shared by RevenueWell, the average US dental practice converts just 23% of new patient calls. That means a staggering 77 percent of potential patients never get scheduled. Let that sink in. For most practices, this is not just a small issue. It is a hidden gap worth thousands of dollars every month.

Missed Calls: Your front desk staff is amazing, but they are also human. They juggle check-ins, insurance questions, scheduling, and the constant stream of “Can you help me with this?” moments from patients. Right in the middle of that, the phone rings. Sometimes it gets answered. Sometimes it does not. The problem? Patients today are not in the mood to wait. If they hear three rings with no answer, they do what anyone would do: they hang up and dial the practice down the street. Every missed call is more than silence on the line. It is missed revenue, missed trust, and missed loyalty.

No Data Visibility: Most dental practices have no idea how bad the problem really is. Without visibility into call volume, missed opportunities, or conversion rates, they are essentially flying blind. It is like trying to land a plane with the dashboard lights turned off. Decisions get made on gut feelings instead of facts, and the problems keep growing in the dark.

This is where VoiceStack changes the game. With built-in call tracking, analytics, and smart notifications, practices finally get to see the full picture in real time. Missed a call? You know instantly, and you have a chance to call back before the patient moves on. Conversion rates slipping? You spot the trend early and fix it before it snowballs into a bigger issue. VoiceStack turns phones from a source of stress into a source of clarity, confidence, and control.The Data That Doers Need

Carlos said it best. Data is your “map.” Without it, you’re wandering around in circles hoping you’ll bump into success. With it, you know exactly where the potholes are, where the shortcuts lie, and how to get to your destination faster.

So what numbers should you really care about? Forget vanity metrics. The five KPIs every dental practice should track are simple and powerful.

1. Call Volume – How many people are actually dialing your number?
2. Answer Rate – Are those calls being picked up, or just ringing into the void?
3. Missed Call Rate – Every missed call is basically money slipping out the back door.
4. Missed Call Return Time – How quickly are you calling people back before they move on?
5. Call Conversion Rate – Out of all those calls, how many end with “Yes, let’s book you in”?

Here’s the truth that most practices ignore. Patients don’t wait around anymore. If your team takes hours to return a call, the patient has probably already booked elsewhere. The winners are the ones who move fast.

The Doers Standard

Speed matters, but speed with care matters even more. The Doers Standard is clear. Aim to return missed calls within fifteen to thirty minutes. That window is your golden opportunity. Quick enough to impress. Personal enough to win trust. Think of it like the prime time of patient engagement.

This small adjustment alone can turn a trickle of conversions into a steady stream. Answer fast. Follow up fast. And watch how the patient numbers climb without needing to add more hours to your day.

AI: Support for Doers, Not a Replacement

One of the biggest myths in dental practices is that a new patient scheduling call should take only 30 to 45 seconds. The reality is very different. It usually takes 4 to 7 minutes to listen, build trust, and convert that caller into a booked appointment. Rushed calls do not win patients; genuine conversations do.

That is why your front desk is the heart of your dental practice. They greet patients, juggle schedules, handle insurance, and keep the day moving. But even superheroes need backup, and that is where AI comes in.

After-hours help: While your team rests, AI is still there to catch calls, so no opportunity slips through.

Prioritizing: It highlights the implant lead so your staff knows exactly who to follow up with first.

Never tired: AI handles the repetitive “Do you take my insurance?” questions endlessly.

Rescue mode: Even hang-ups get logged, giving your staff a second chance to save the day.

Here is the balance that works. AI takes care of the routine and repetitive tasks, while your front desk brings warmth, empathy, and trust. For high-value treatments like implants or ortho, nothing replaces the comfort of a human voice. As Traci nailed it, “The first impression is not when the patient walks in. It is when they pick up the phone.”

Training Like a Call Handling Superhero for Dental Practices

If you want to consistently win new patient calls, training isn’t optional. It is your secret weapon.

1. Create Dedicated New Patient Call Handlers: Do not have your team juggling check-ins and new patient intake at the same time. Give new patient callers a VIP concierge. At Hershey Medical Center, clinics that used dedicated call handlers saw nearly 100 percent performance versus 74 to 85 percent when calls were handled by multitasking staff. That is not just better, it is superstar level.

2. Run Weekly Call Reviews to Coach, Not Criticize: Set aside time each week for positive, focused call reviews. Go over recordings as case studies to celebrate good moments and gently correct areas that could shine brighter.

3. Train on Active Listening: Active listening is not just nice; it is essential. Nearly 90 percent of prospective patients prefer calling healthcare providers instead of filling out impersonal online forms. Being present, repeating back key points, and avoiding distractions helps patients feel genuinely heard and that builds trust.

4. Emotional Intelligence is Your Superpower: A robotic “Okay, noted” is a guaranteed trust killer. A heartfelt, enthusiastic “That sounds like a real relief, yes we can absolutely help” is what wins hearts. Teams trained in emotional intelligence are better at understanding a patient’s underlying needs, helping them more effectively and quickly. Call centers that mix empathy with structured compliance also significantly boost satisfaction and retention.

5. Tone Matters: Cheerfulness Beats Monotone

Teach your team to speak like a helpful friend, not a buzzy robot. A warm and upbeat delivery boosts rapport, and patients sense the difference.

Training is only as good as the feedback loop. You cannot improve what you cannot measure, and that is where VoiceStack quietly becomes your team’s coach in the background. With AI-powered call scoring, practices get instant insights into how well calls are handled. Was the patient given enough space to talk? Did the team sound empathetic and human? Was the tone upbeat or flat? VoiceStack flags it all, so you are not guessing; you are growing.

Building Systems That Scale

Here’s the thing. Even the best front desk team can only do so much without the right systems. That is why the webinar spotlighted the power of small call centers. We are not talking about giant, faceless phone banks. Even two or three dedicated agents can bring structure, consistency, and peace of mind. Whether you are running one bustling office or juggling multiple locations, the goal is the same: no call slipping through the cracks, no patient left hanging.

Final Takeaway

If there is one message to walk away with, it is this: the phone is still your practice’s most powerful growth engine. But like any engine, it needs care. Track the right data. Put systems in place. Layer in AI to back up your team, not replace them. Do this, and those “missed calls” stop being lost opportunities and start becoming new patients, stronger relationships, and smoother experiences.

That is exactly where VoiceStack comes in. From real-time call tracking to smart notifications and AI support, VoiceStack helps dental practices turn phones into their most reliable growth channel.

Want to see how real doers are making it happen? Watch the Doers Webinar replay and get the playbook straight from the experts.