It's a busy afternoon and the caller is a patient — or a caregiver — trying to coordinate care across several appointments, providers, or special needs. They have logistics to sort out, they are juggling a lot, and they need someone to help line things up. Your front desk is the right place for that, but the desk is mid-checkout, the other line is ringing, and the call ends up in voicemail. Coordination calls take time and attention, which is exactly why they get bumped when the desk is slammed — and a dropped coordination call can mean a patient who never gets their care organized.
DentalReception AI answers every one of those calls in under two rings and captures the request live, 24/7 — booking what it safely can and writing into your schedule in Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, or CareStack while the patient is still on the line.
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, quote prices, or determine coverage.
What a D9997 call usually sounds like
D9997 is commonly published as the CDT code for dental case management. We state it only at that conservative level and make no clinical claims; confirm the official CDT definition and any payer rules with your clinical and billing teams.
On the phone, patients never mention a code. They say they "need help coordinating a few appointments," they are "managing care for a family member," or they "have a complicated situation and don't know where to start." The AI receptionist recognizes that as a coordination request and treats it as a capture-and-route task — gathering the details and handing complex coordination to your team, not making care decisions.
What the AI can safely capture and route
For a case management call, the agent handles the routine front-desk work without a human:
- Matches the patient to their record so everything lands on the correct chart.
- Books the straightforward appointments the caller asks for in the right columns, live during the call. See appointment scheduling.
- Captures the coordination request — who, what, and what the caller is trying to arrange — in their own words.
- Collects or refreshes insurance details so intake is clean ahead of time — see insurance verification.
- Creates a detailed task and summary so your coordinator can pick up the complex parts. See front-desk task creation.
What must be routed to clinical and coordination staff
The line is simple: the AI captures and routes, it never advises. These go to your team, not the agent:
- Care decisions and clinical questions — sequencing of treatment, what care a patient needs, or any judgment about their situation.
- Coverage and cost specifics — what a plan covers across a multi-step plan or what anything costs. The agent collects details and relays the question rather than quoting an answer.
- Code or billing requests — patients asking what will be billed are routed to staff.
- Sensitive or complex coordination — anything requiring human judgment is handed to your coordinator with full context.
Anything outside a clean booking becomes a task or transfer for the front desk.
Context passed into your PMS
Because the agent writes back in real time, your coordinator opens each case ready to go:
| Captured on the call | Written to the PMS |
|---|---|
| Patient identity / record match | Linked to existing chart |
| Coordination request (caller's words) | Detailed task created |
| Appointments the caller asked for | Booked in correct columns |
| Insurance details (if new or changed) | Attached to record for verification |
| Full call summary | Notes on the record |
Works alongside your follow-up and recall workflows — see treatment follow-up and the confirmed integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AI assign the D9997 code to the call?
No. The agent captures the caller's coordination request and routes it; it does not assign, confirm, or bill any CDT code. Code selection stays with your clinical and billing staff at the point of care. The reference to D9997 here is informational only — confirm the official CDT definition independently. The AI recognizes the coordination request, books any straightforward appointments, and writes a detailed task and summary so your coordinator knows what the caller needs before they pick it up.
Can the AI actually manage a patient's care plan?
No. The agent does not make care decisions, sequence treatment, or manage a case clinically — that work stays with your coordinator and clinical team. It captures the logistics the caller describes, books the simple appointments, and routes the complex coordination to your staff with full context. The AI handles the front-desk capture and scheduling so your coordinator spends their time on the judgment calls, not on transcribing what the caller wanted.
Can it tell the caller what a multi-step plan will cost or cover?
It collects and relays, it does not quote. The agent captures the patient's carrier and member details and can answer the general coverage questions you configure. Anything specific — what a plan covers across multiple visits or what something costs — is routed to your team rather than guessed, keeping coverage statements with the people authorized to make them.
Does what it captures actually land in our system?
Yes. For Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, and CareStack, appointments and tasks write back into your live schedule in real time while the caller is on the line — 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 needed task for your team.