A patient calls because their general dentist sent them to you for a second opinion, or because they want to talk something through with a specialist before committing to treatment. They're often unsure what to ask for — "I was referred," "I just need to come in and discuss it," "my dentist said to see you." Your front desk has to figure out whether this is a consult, get the referral details captured, and find the right slot, all while the next line lights up. Referral and consult calls are how specialty practices grow, and a dropped one is a patient who books their consult somewhere else.
DentalReception AI answers every one of those calls in under two rings and books the consult live, 24/7 — capturing the referral details and routing clinical questions to your team, while writing the appointment directly into Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, or CareStack.
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, or quote coverage.
What a D9310 call usually sounds like
D9310 is widely published as the CDT code for a consultation — diagnostic service provided by a dentist or physician other than the requesting dentist or physician. We state it only at that conservative level; confirm the official CDT definition and any payer rules with your clinical and billing teams.
On the phone, the patient says they "were referred," "need a consult," or want a "second opinion." The AI receptionist recognizes a consultation request — captures the referring source and reason in the patient's words, books the visit, and routes anything clinical to your team.
What the AI can safely capture and schedule
For a consult request, the agent handles the booking without a human:
- Captures the referral source and stated reason so your team knows who sent the patient and why.
- Confirms the patient and creates or pulls the record so the consult lands on the right chart.
- Books the consultation slot live in the correct provider column. See appointment scheduling.
- Captures or refreshes insurance details so intake is clean before the visit — see insurance verification.
What must be routed to clinical staff
The line is simple: the AI captures and schedules, it never advises. These go to your team:
- Clinical questions about the condition — what the specialist will recommend, whether a procedure is needed, symptoms. The agent captures and routes; it never interprets.
- Anxiety about a specialist visit — a nervous patient is captured with full context and routed; see dental anxiety calls.
- Coverage and cost specifics — whether a consult is covered or what it costs. The agent collects details and relays the question rather than quoting an answer.
Context passed into your PMS
Because the booking writes back in real time, your team opens each consult ready:
| Captured on the call | Written to the PMS |
|---|---|
| Patient identity / record match | Linked or new chart created |
| Referral source and reason | Logged on the appointment |
| Consultation intent | Booked in correct provider column |
| Insurance details (if new or changed) | Attached for verification |
| Full call summary | Notes attached to the appointment |
Works alongside your routing — see emergency triage and the confirmed integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AI answer questions about what the specialist will recommend?
No. Anything about the patient's condition, what a consultation will conclude, or whether a procedure will be needed is clinical, so the agent captures the question and routes it to your team rather than answering it. The reference to D9310 here is informational only — confirm the official CDT definition independently. The AI's role is to capture the referral cleanly, book the consult in the right column, and make sure every clinical question reaches the specialist's team with full context, never to predict or interpret what the consultation will find.
Does it capture the referral details?
Yes. When a patient says they were referred, the agent captures the referring source and the stated reason for the consult in the patient's own words, attaches them to the record, and books the appointment. Your team opens the consult already knowing who sent the patient and why, so the visit starts prepared. The agent does not interpret the clinical reason — it records it faithfully and routes any clinical question to your staff.
Can it book a consult for a brand-new patient?
Yes. For a patient new to your practice, the agent captures their identity, creates the record, gathers insurance details, and books the consultation live in the correct provider column. The visit lands on a clean chart with the referral reason and insurance attached, so intake is largely done before the patient arrives. See appointment scheduling for how new-patient bookings are handled.
Does the booking actually land in our schedule?
Yes. For Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, and CareStack, the consult 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, captures the referral, and routes any clinical question to your team as a flagged task.