It's mid-afternoon and a parent is calling on behalf of their teenager. The orthodontist found a tooth that hasn't come in on its own — usually a canine — and referred them to your office to have it "exposed" so braces can pull it into place. The parent has the referral, a list of questions, and a coordination headache between two offices. Your front desk is mid-checkout with a patient at the counter, so the call rolls to voicemail. A referral that bounces between an ortho and a surgical office is exactly the kind of call that gets dropped — and a missed referral is a patient who never books. These coordination-heavy calls are easy to lose and costly when you do.
DentalReception AI answers every one of those calls in under two rings, 24/7 — capturing the orthodontic referral, history, and questions the patient describes and booking the consult or surgical visit live in your schedule in Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, or CareStack — while every clinical and surgical judgment routes to your team.
Informational only — not clinical, coding, or billing advice; confirm CDT definitions and coverage independently. This page describes call handling only. The AI captures and routes; it does not diagnose, assign codes, triage severity, or quote coverage.
What a D7280 call usually sounds like
D7280 is published as the CDT code for the surgical exposure of an unerupted tooth to aid orthodontic treatment. We state that only at the most conservative level and make no clinical claim; confirm the official CDT definition and any payer rules with your clinical and surgical teams.
On the phone, callers describe a referral and a coordination need, not a code: "my orthodontist said a tooth needs to be uncovered for braces," "a canine never came in and they want to expose it," or "we were sent over to get a tooth exposed before treatment." The AI receptionist treats these as referral-driven intent and captures the patient's exact words, the referring orthodontist, and any history — it does not interpret what the description means clinically.
Capturing the referral without triaging severity
The rule holds: the AI listens and records, it never decides how a case should proceed. For an ortho-referral exposure call it gathers what your team needs:
- The referral details — which orthodontist sent them and for what, in the caller's own words.
- The patient's account — which tooth, any history, and whether the parent or patient is calling.
- Whether they call it urgent, plus identity and record match so the call lands on the right chart.
It then books an available consult or surgical slot or routes the call to your team. It never decides whether or how soon the exposure should happen. See emergency triage and how the AI handles wisdom teeth calls.
What gets routed to clinical staff
Anything needing a surgical, clinical, or coordination judgment goes to a person:
- Surgical and clinical decisions — whether and when to expose the tooth, and how it coordinates with orthodontic treatment. The agent relays; your clinician decides.
- Clinical questions — what the procedure involves, timing with braces, risks, or recovery. The AI never advises.
- Coverage and cost specifics — the agent collects carrier details and relays the question rather than quoting an answer. See insurance verification.
| Captured on the call | Written to the PMS |
|---|---|
| Orthodontic referral | Captured for your team |
| Patient account and history | Notes attached to the appointment |
| Identity / record match | Linked to existing or new chart |
| Requested timeframe | Slot booked or task flagged |
| Clinical or billing questions | Routed to your team |
Works alongside your surgical-scheduling and referral workflows — see appointment scheduling and the confirmed integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AI decide whether the tooth should be exposed?
No. The agent never makes a surgical or clinical decision and never tells a patient whether or when an unerupted tooth should be exposed. It captures the orthodontic referral, the patient's account, and any history, matches them to a record, and either books an available slot or routes the call to your team with full context. Whether and when to perform the exposure, and how it fits the orthodontic plan, is decided by your clinician. The reference to D7280 here is informational only — confirm the official CDT definition independently.
Can it coordinate between our office and the orthodontist?
It captures the coordination details rather than making decisions about them. The AI records which orthodontist referred the patient, what they were told, and what the family is trying to arrange, then writes a clear summary and task so your team can follow up with both the patient and the referring office. It does not contact the orthodontist on its own or commit to a treatment sequence. It makes sure the referral and its context reach your team so the handoff between offices doesn't fall through the cracks.
Will it explain the procedure or how it works with braces?
No. What the exposure involves, how it times with orthodontic treatment, the risks, and recovery are clinical and surgical questions that go to your staff, never the agent. The AI captures the patient's account and referral and routes them with a clear summary so your team can respond with the right context. It relays the question; it does not provide clinical or orthodontic guidance.
Does the booking actually land in our schedule?
Yes. For Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, and CareStack, the appointment writes back into your live schedule in real time while the patient is on the call — no re-keying. For other systems, DentalReception AI connects via API or works alongside your existing tools. Every call still produces a summary and any task your team needs, including the orthodontic referral captured on the line.