Dental answering services: what they cost and what to check
Most dental calls are about the schedule: new patients, changes, and emergencies like a broken tooth on a Saturday. An answering service is worth what it can put straight into your book.
What to check before you sign
- Booking into your practice softwareDentrix, Open Dental or Eaglesoft, directly or through a scheduling tool that syncs with it. Ask whether booking writes to the schedule or only sends a request.
- New-patient intakeInsurance carrier, reason for the visit and preferred times, captured the same way every time.
- Weekend emergenciesPain, swelling and trauma need a clear path to the on-call dentist.
- A business associate agreementDental practices are HIPAA covered entities; the service needs to sign a BAA.
- Confirmations by textFewer no-shows matter more than a cheaper plan.
Compare prices at your call volume
| Provider | Type | From | At your volume | 24/7 live or AI | Spanish | HIPAA | Books appointments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 services that name dental practices | |||||||
| Abby Connect | Hybrid | $165/mo | $1,380 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AgentZap | AI | $109/mo | $295 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AnswerConnect | Live | $350/mo | $668 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Conversational | Live | $209/mo | $799 | Partly | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Map Communications | Live | $49/mo | $595 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Newo.ai | AI | $299/mo | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| PATLive | Live | $49/mo | $759 | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| General services, also scriptable for you | |||||||
| Alert Communications | Hybrid | $240/mo | Not published | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| AnswerFirst | Live | $30/mo | $908 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| AnswerForce | Live | $349/mo | $667 | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Avoca | AI | Quote | Quote only | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Back Office Betties | Live | Quote | Quote only | No | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Davinci Virtual | Live | $129/mo | $829 | Partly | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Dialzara | AI | $29/mo | $199 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Goodcall | AI | $79/mo | $104 | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| LEX Reception | Live | Quote | Quote only | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Moneypenny (US) | Hybrid | $69/mo | $309 | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk) | AI | $99/mo | $162 | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Nexa | Hybrid | Quote | Quote only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NextPhone | AI | $199/mo | $199 | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Phonely | AI | $50/mofree plan too | $113 | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| Posh | Hybrid | $65/mo | $900 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rosie | AI | $49/mo | $149 | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Ruby | Live | $250/mo | $1,725 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sameday | AI | $449/mo | $449 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Signius | Live | $45/mo | $561 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smith.ai | Hybrid | $150/mofree plan too | $338 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Specialty Answering Service | Live | $44/mo | $600 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Trillet | AI | $49/mo | $109 | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
Questions dental practices ask
Can an answering service book directly into Dentrix or Open Dental?
Some can, through official integrations or a scheduling layer that syncs with your software. Check the integration list on each provider page in this directory, and ask whether a booking lands in your schedule or arrives as a request for your team to confirm.
Is an AI receptionist a good fit for a dental office?
For booking, rescheduling and insurance questions it can be. Confirm it signs a BAA, test it with an emergency call, and make sure a person can take over when a patient is in pain.
How much does an answering service cost for a dental practice?
Of the 7 services in this directory that say they serve dental practices, live and hybrid plans start at $49 a month and AI plans at $109. What you actually pay depends on minutes or calls used, overage rates and setup fees, which is why the table estimates a monthly total at your volume.
Prices and features are read from each provider’s own website and dated. They change; check the provider before you sign. Nobody pays to be listed here, and there are no affiliate links.
Building or fixing the website itself? Dental practices: what a good website needs.
Your answering service is only half of it.
I don’t sell answering services. I build the parts around them for dental practices: a website that books appointments by itself, the connection that drops each call into your CRM or practice software, and AI assistants that answer the same questions in text.