Multilingual patient support: how AI can help dental practices manage phone calls

When patients call but there is no common language

Patients with different native languages have long been part of everyday life in dental practices in Vienna. Many speak German well, while others may have difficulty explaining their concerns – particularly when they are in pain, feel uncertain or need information about a complex treatment.

When there is no common language on the telephone, even simple questions can take considerable time:

• Which treatments does the dental practice offer?
• When is the next appointment available?
• Which documents should the patient bring?
• How can an appointment be rescheduled or cancelled?
• What should patients do if they have an urgent dental problem?

This can lead to longer conversations, repeated explanations and additional questions for the practice team. At the same time, important information may not be fully understood or communicated.

Language barriers affect both patients and practice teams

Telephone communication is already an organisational challenge for many dental practices. Calls often arrive while treatments are in progress, during busy periods or outside regular telephone hours.

When language difficulties are added, the practice team may need to spend more time on each conversation. Other team members may have to assist, or the same information may need to be explained several times.

The situation can also be uncomfortable for patients. Someone who cannot explain their concern confidently may postpone contacting the practice or end the call without receiving the necessary information or arranging an appointment.

Which tasks can a multilingual AI telephone assistant handle?

An AI telephone assistant can be configured to handle frequently recurring patient enquiries in several languages.

Depending on the requirements and instructions of the individual dental practice, it can, for example:

• provide information about opening hours and available treatments,
• answer frequently asked organisational questions,
• record appointment requests,
• follow defined rules for rescheduling and cancellations,
• collect contact details and relevant information in a structured way,
• forward specific concerns according to predefined rules.

The DentalAce AI telephone assistant can be configured to handle patient conversations in up to six languages. The languages provided are selected according to the actual needs of the dental practice.

The assistant’s name, voice, greeting, tone and conversation flow can also be individually configured.

Multilingual availability without additional staffing

The benefit of a multilingual AI telephone assistant goes beyond translating individual sentences. It can conduct recurring conversations according to the practice’s instructions and transfer the collected information in a structured format for further processing.

The practice team does not have to answer every frequently asked question in several languages. Instead, it receives the information required for further patient support in an organised form.

This can extend the practice’s multilingual telephone availability without requiring separate personnel for every additional language.

Clear rules for medical concerns

An AI telephone assistant does not make independent medical decisions. The practice defines in advance which information it may provide and when an enquiry must be forwarded to the practice team.

Clear instructions are particularly important for urgent concerns, unclear symptoms or medical questions. In such cases, the assistant’s primary role is to record the concern in a structured way and forward it according to the practice’s predefined procedures.

Medical assessment and treatment naturally remain the responsibility of the dentist.

Connection to the practice’s existing online calendar

Under certain conditions, the AI telephone assistant can be connected to the online appointment calendar already used by the dental practice.

Suitable available appointments can then be checked during the telephone conversation and – depending on the chosen configuration – booked directly.

This requires the respective calendar provider to offer a suitable technical interface and authorise its use.

Individually adapted to each dental practice

Opening hours, treatments, frequently asked patient questions and appointment rules differ from one dental practice to another. The AI telephone assistant is therefore not implemented as a uniform standard solution.

The individual configuration may include:

• the required languages,
• the assistant’s name and voice,
• the greeting and tone of communication,
• information about treatments and opening hours,
• appointment-booking rules,
• procedures for specific or urgent concerns,
• forwarding rules for the practice team.

To ensure that the telephone assistant continues to fit the practice’s daily procedures, the stored information should be reviewed regularly and updated whenever necessary.

Conclusion

Language barriers on the telephone can be challenging for both patients and dental practice teams. An individually configured multilingual AI telephone assistant can answer frequently asked organisational questions, record information in a structured way and forward clearly defined concerns.

It does not replace personal patient care or medical assessment. When properly configured, however, it can improve telephone availability and reduce the burden of recurring administrative tasks on the practice team.

Dental practices interested in learning how a multilingual AI telephone assistant could be integrated into their existing procedures can contact DentalAce for a non-binding consultation.