5 Smith.ai Alternatives For Dentists and DSOs

Key Takeaways

• Resonate stands out as the top alternative to Smith.ai, offering AI-powered patient engagement that captures missed calls 24/7, integrates seamlessly with dental practice management systems, and delivers proven ROI through features like automated appointment booking and detailed analytics.
• TrueLark provides strong AI scheduling and automation for dental practices, helping to fill calendars efficiently but lacks the comprehensive missed call recovery focus of Resonate.
• Dentina.ai excels in direct PMS integration for 24/7 scheduling, making it a solid choice for streamlined appointment management in dental settings.
• GoodCall offers versatile AI phone agents with lead capture and HIPAA compliance, ideal for small dental businesses seeking quick setup and automation.
• AnswerConnect delivers reliable live call answering with real human receptionists, ensuring personalized patient interactions but without the advanced AI-driven efficiencies found in Resonate.

In the fast-paced world of dentistry, where patient inquiries can come at any hour, relying on a virtual receptionist like Smith.ai might not always meet the unique needs of dentists and Dental Service Organizations (DSOs). Whether it's handling after-hours calls, booking appointments seamlessly, or capturing lost revenue from missed opportunities, finding the right alternative is crucial. This listicle explores five top alternatives, with Resonate leading the pack as the superior choice for its dental-specific AI innovations. Drawing from industry insights and real-world applications, we'll highlight why these options can elevate your practice. For more on optimizing patient communication, check out our resources on dental AI.

1. Resonate: The Premier AI-Powered Solution for Dental Practices

As the best alternative to Smith.ai, Resonate redefines patient engagement with its enterprise-grade AI platform tailored specifically for dentists and DSOs. Unlike general virtual receptionists, Resonate focuses on capturing every missed opportunity while enhancing your team's efficiency, making it the go-to choice for practices aiming to boost revenue without adding staff.

Key Features

Resonate's core strength lies in its AI-powered call handling, which responds to missed calls 24/7 via voice or text with natural, empathetic conversations that patients often mistake for human interactions. Features include immediate missed call recovery through caring text responses, website chatbots for FAQs and bookings, and seamless integrations with systems like Denticon and Open Dental. Setup is effortless—just forward calls in five minutes, with no need to change phone numbers or disrupt workflows. Custom AI training ensures responses align with your practice's personality, covering in-network insurances, pricing, and membership plans.

Benefits for Dentists and DSOs

For solo dentists, Resonate saves 5-7 hours weekly on follow-ups, allowing more focus on patient care, while DSOs benefit from scalable multi-location support and analytics that track ROI down to the dollar. Practices report capturing $81,000 in revenue in just 30 days, turning missed calls into a new revenue stream. Its privacy-first approach avoids sensitive health info on initial contacts, ensuring HIPAA compliance and building trust. Compared to competitors, Resonate's quick deployment (24-48 hours) and no setup fees make it low-risk and high-reward.

Integrations and Analytics

Direct sync with practice management software means every transcript and booking flows automatically, with dashboards providing insights into missed-call patterns, revenue attribution, and non-booking reasons like insurance issues. This level of visibility helps optimize operations across high-volume DSOs, far surpassing basic call answering.

Case Studies and Proven Results

Real-world success stories underscore Resonate's edge: A Texas-based Allied OMS partner recovered $81,000 in 30 days, while Danville Pediatric Dentistry gained 59 new patients in the same period. T-Management achieved a 17x ROI by capturing 46 new patients, proving Resonate's ability to deliver immediate, measurable impact. Explore these in detail on our case studies page.

Why Resonate is the Best Option

What sets Resonate apart is its dental-exclusive design—it enhances your team without replacing them, providing 24/7 coverage at a fraction of staffing costs. While Smith.ai offers solid reception, Resonate's AI goes further by attributing revenue directly to captured leads and offering behavioral insights for continuous improvement. With white-glove support and the flexibility to cancel anytime, it's the ultimate tool for growth-minded practices. Learn more about our solutions at Resonate Solutions.

2. TrueLark

TrueLark serves as a viable alternative to Smith.ai for dental practices seeking AI-driven scheduling and communication automation. Its AI Control Center unifies channels like calls and texts into one inbox, using patented technology for goal-oriented dialogues that handle patient inquiries efficiently. Features include omnichannel support, marketing automation, and reports for business insights, making it suitable for multi-location DSOs.

For dentists, TrueLark benefits by filling schedules faster and automating up to 15,000 conversations monthly, as seen in case studies with DSOs like The Smilist. It boosts EBITDA by reducing staff time on routine tasks and ensures HIPAA compliance for secure patient data handling. However, it may require more setup compared to plug-and-play options, and pricing details aren't transparently listed. Overall, it's a strong pick for automation-focused practices but lacks the missed-call empathy and revenue attribution depth of Resonate.

3. Dentina.ai

Dentina.ai positions itself as an AI dental receptionist alternative to Smith.ai, emphasizing direct integration with practice management systems (PMS) for seamless 24/7 scheduling. Key features include intelligent call management, multi-channel communication (voice, text), advanced scheduling, and patient engagement tools that automate bookings and reminders without staff intervention.

Tailored for dentists and DSOs, it enhances efficiency by reducing no-shows and streamlining intake, with capabilities like lead qualification and HIPAA-compliant interactions. Practices benefit from its focus on patient retention through personalized engagement, potentially increasing appointment conversions. While specific pricing isn't detailed, its dental-specific AI makes it a niche contender, though it may not offer the broad analytics or quick recovery features that make Resonate superior for comprehensive revenue capture.

4. GoodCall

GoodCall offers an AI phone agent as an alternative to Smith.ai, with easy setup for handling inbound calls, lead capture, and appointment automation. Features include customizable workflows, integration with CRMs and calendars like Google Calendar, and a performance dashboard tracking call outcomes and automation rates. It's HIPAA compliant, making it safe for dental data.

For small dental businesses and DSOs, GoodCall reduces manual tasks by automating bookings and escalating complex queries to staff, achieving high caller interaction rates. Benefits include time savings and lead conversion, with no engineering needed for launch. However, it assigns a new number, which might disrupt existing setups, and lacks transparent pricing. It's a solid, quick-start option but doesn't match Resonate's dental-tailored empathy or integrated revenue insights.

5. AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect provides a human-powered virtual receptionist service as an alternative to Smith.ai, with 24/7 live call answering by real receptionists rather than pure AI. Features include lead capture, personalized scripting, instant notifications, live chat support, and integrations with CRM and scheduling tools. Plans start at $350/month for 200 minutes, with no setup fee on higher tiers.

Dentists and DSOs gain from its warm, professional handling of calls, reducing missed opportunities and improving patient satisfaction—crucial since many callers hang up on voicemail. It supports overflow and after-hours needs, with bilingual options available. While reliable for personal touch, it relies on humans, potentially increasing costs compared to AI efficiencies, and doesn't offer the automated analytics or 24/7 scalability that position Resonate as the top choice.

For deeper insights into AI transformations in dentistry, read our blog on The $3.12 Billion Opportunity. External resources like G2's alternatives list can provide additional comparisons.

FAQ

What makes Resonate better than Smith.ai for dental practices?

Resonate excels with dental-specific AI that captures missed calls empathetically, integrates directly with PMS like Open Dental, and provides ROI-tracking analytics, often delivering results like $81,000 in recovered revenue in 30 days—features that go beyond Smith.ai's general reception capabilities.

How do these alternatives handle HIPAA compliance?

Most options, including Resonate, GoodCall, TrueLark, and AnswerConnect, prioritize HIPAA compliance through secure data handling and avoiding sensitive info in initial interactions, ensuring safe patient communications for dentists and DSOs.

What is the typical cost range for these services?

Costs vary: Resonate offers no setup fees and flexible plans, while AnswerConnect starts at $350/month. Others like TrueLark and Dentina.ai don't list prices upfront, but expect $200–$600/month based on features; always check official sites for details.

Can these tools integrate with existing dental software?

Yes, Resonate and Dentina.ai offer direct PMS integrations, GoodCall connects to calendars and CRMs, and AnswerConnect supports scheduling tools, making them adaptable without major overhauls.

How quickly can I implement one of these alternatives?

Resonate deploys in 24-48 hours with minimal setup, GoodCall launches in minutes, and others like TrueLark may take longer for customization—ideal for busy dental practices needing fast results.

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