6 NexHealth Alternatives For Dentists and DSOs

While NexHealth excels at digital patient engagement with online booking and digital forms, dental practices increasingly face a critical gap: 30% of calls go unanswered, and 78% of patients book with the first practice that responds. For practices losing revenue to voicemail backlogs and after-hours inquiries, these seven alternatives address specific needs across AI phone automation, all-in-one communication, and enterprise-scale patient retention. This analysis examines each platform's strengths, pricing, and ideal use cases to help dental practices and DSOs make informed decisions.

Key Takeaways

• AI phone reception addresses the biggest revenue gap: Resonate AI's 24/7 virtual receptionist captures the 40% of calls that occur outside business hours, while NexHealth and other digital platforms focus on online engagement rather than live call handling
• Cost efficiency varies dramatically by approach: AI dental receptionists deliver 92% cost savings compared to human staff
• Integration breadth serves different practice sizes: Resonate AI's universal call forwarding works with any existing phone system without hardware changes
• Deployment speed impacts time-to-value: Resonate AI goes live in 24-48 hours with white-glove setup, while enterprise platforms may require weeks of implementation

The dental technology landscape has shifted as practices recognize that digital engagement alone doesn't solve their biggest operational challenge: capturing missed calls and converting them into scheduled appointments. Each platform in this comparison serves distinct use cases, from AI-powered call automation to comprehensive patient portals.

1. Resonate AI: Purpose-Built AI Dental Receptionist for 24/7 Call Handling

Resonate AI stands as the only patient communication platform designed specifically for AI-powered phone reception, enabling dental practices to capture every call without adding staff. The platform's conversational AI handles actual phone conversations—booking appointments, answering insurance questions, and triaging emergencies—around the clock.

Key Features:

• 24/7 AI phone reception with human-like conversations that handle dental terminology, insurance discussions, and urgent care protocols
• Immediate missed call response within seconds of voicemail
• Three integrated agents: Voice Agent for calls, SMS Agent for text communications, Chat Agent for website inquiries
• Real-time calendar integration with direct appointment booking into Denticon, Open Dental, Dentrix, Eaglesoft, and Curve
• Automatic Spanish switching for bilingual patient populations
• Analytics dashboard with missed-call heatmaps and revenue attribution
• Multi-location DSO support with centralized oversight and location-specific customization

Pricing Structure:

• Three tiers available: Small Practice, Growing Practice, and Enterprise DSO
• Free trial available
• No setup fees with month-to-month flexibility
• Custom quotes available

Documented Results:

• A Texas-based Allied OMS Partner: 41 new patients captured in 30 days, $81,000 in revenue recovery, 61x ROI in first month
• Family First Dental: 1,479 missed calls eliminated, 175 appointments captured, $131,000 annual revenue generated
• Fresh Dental NC: 7x ROI, 143 appointments booked in 30-day pilot, $211,000 annualized revenue

For practices seeking to bridge communication gaps during non-business hours, Resonate AI's AI receptionist capabilities provide the only solution that actively answers and converts calls rather than simply sending automated text reminders.

2. Weave

Weave differentiates through its integrated VoIP phone system combined with patient engagement tools, providing a single vendor for calling, texting, and payment processing.

Key Features:

• Built-in VoIP system: Patient caller ID and call management
• Missed call functionality: Auto-text capabilities
• Two-way texting: Appointment reminder delivery
• Payment processing: Contactless payment options
• Review requests: Reputation management features

Pricing Structure:

• Base plans starting at $249/month
• Ultimate, Elite, and Pro tiers

Weave holds strong user ratings, reflecting its established presence in dental communication. The platform's all-in-one approach integrates calling capabilities with patient engagement.

Best for: Practices seeking unified phone and engagement tools from a single provider, ready to adopt integrated VoIP systems.

3. Solutionreach

Solutionreach targets enterprise dental organizations with its extensive integration ecosystem and sophisticated patient retention campaigns.

Key Features:

• 400+ system integrations: Accounting, labs, and imaging connectivity
• Advanced retention campaigns: Patient recall and reactivation tools
• Automated appointment tools: Reminders and confirmations
• Two-way texting: Patient survey capabilities
• Analytics dashboards: Reporting and insights
• 24/7 enterprise support: Dedicated assistance

Pricing Structure:

• Custom quotes

The platform's marketing automation capabilities stand out for practices with sophisticated patient retention needs.

Best for: DSOs requiring maximum integration flexibility across complex technology environments and advanced patient retention workflows.

4. RevenueWell

RevenueWell provides marketing-focused patient engagement at an accessible price point, making it suitable for cost-conscious single practices.

Key Features:

• Email and text campaigns: Patient communication tools
• Appointment scheduling tools: Reminder capabilities
• Patient recall campaigns: Reactivation functionality
• Review generation: Reputation features
• Marketing automation: Template-based campaigns

Pricing Structure:

• Starter, Professional, and Premium tiers
• Pricing upon request

Best for: Practices seeking basic digital patient engagement without premium pricing, handling core communication needs on a budget.

5. DemandHub

DemandHub emphasizes reputation management and AI-powered texting, serving practices prioritizing online reviews and lead generation.

Key Features:

• AI-powered review generation: Reputation monitoring tools
• Unified inbox: Cross-platform review management
• Lead management: Conversion optimization tools
• Two-way texting: Patient communication capabilities
• PMS integration: Major dental systems supported
• Analytics: Reputation performance tracking

Pricing Structure:

• AI Patient Coordinator, Starter, Growth, and Ultimate plans
• Pricing upon request

Best for: Practices where online reviews drive significant patient acquisition and lead conversion is a primary focus.

6. Adit

Adit offers a comprehensive practice management approach combining communication tools with operational software.

Key Features:

• Patient communication tools: Appointment reminder delivery
• Online scheduling: Booking capabilities
• Practice analytics: Reporting features
• Multi-location management: Centralized oversight
• PMS integration: Dental system connectivity
• Payment processing: Transaction handling

Pricing Structure:

• Schedule demo for pricing

Best for: Practices seeking broader practice management capabilities alongside patient communication with analytics focus.

The Complementary Approach

Many practices find the most effective strategy combines platforms that serve different functions. Resonate AI's phone automation capabilities work alongside digital platforms—practices can keep existing tools for forms and online booking while adding AI phone reception to capture the calls those platforms cannot address.

This approach recognizes that capturing missed calls and digital patient engagement serve different operational needs. The practices achieving the highest ROI often layer AI phone handling on top of their existing digital infrastructure rather than replacing one platform with another.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does AI phone reception differ from automated text responses?

AI phone reception, like Resonate AI's receptionist, conducts actual voice conversations with patients—discussing insurance, scheduling appointments, and handling emergencies in real-time. Automated text responses from platforms like NexHealth or Weave send scheduled messages but cannot answer inbound calls. This distinction matters because 40% of calls occur outside business hours when staff cannot answer, and those callers often reach voicemail rather than receiving immediate engagement.

Can I use Resonate AI alongside my current patient engagement platform?

Yes. Resonate AI integrates via simple call forwarding that works with any VoIP or traditional phone system, including Weave, Mango, RingCentral, and AT&T. The platform complements digital engagement tools by handling the phone channel while your existing platform manages online booking, forms, or reviews.

How quickly can these platforms be implemented?

Implementation timelines vary significantly. Resonate AI deploys in 24-48 hours through white-glove setup requiring no IT involvement from your practice. NexHealth and Weave typically require days to weeks depending on integration complexity and training needs. Enterprise platforms like Solutionreach may take longer for multi-location DSO deployments with custom configurations.

Is AI patient communication HIPAA compliant?

Resonate AI maintains HIPAA-compliant security with healthcare-grade encrypted communications and a North American development team for data governance compliance. When evaluating any platform, verify their specific HIPAA compliance certifications, data handling policies, and business associate agreements before implementation.