The problem
After a long examination or treatment-planning appointment, the notes are written in the gaps between patients or at the end of the day. If a dentist spends 6 minutes on each of 45 fuller appointments a month, that's 270 minutes, 4.5 hours, per surgery.
What the AI does
Dentally lists AI clinical notes on its Starter (limited trial), Essentials and Pro plans. The AI drafts the note for an appointment; the dentist reads it against what happened, corrects it and signs it off. The clinical record stays the dentist's responsibility under GDC standards. Check Dentally's help pages for how the draft is captured and what patients should be told.
A worked example
A three-surgery practice in Bristol uses the Essentials allowance of 45 AI notes per surgery a month (135 across 3 surgeries) for new-patient exams and treatment-planning appointments only.
Before
6 minutes writing each of 135 fuller notes a month: 13.5 hours
After
About 2 minutes to read, correct and sign each AI draft: 4.5 hours
What it's worth
About 9 hours a month saved (4 minutes on 135 notes: 540 minutes), worth around £720 if a dentist's time is worth £80 an hour. The £238 is for 3 surgeries, so confirm your tier. It is the same Essentials plan as the Portal, so the cost is shared if you use both.
How to set it up
- Confirm on Dentally's pricing page that AI clinical notes are included on your plan and in your country; they are not available in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
- Start with one dentist and one appointment type, such as new-patient exams.
- Read every draft against what you did and said, correct it, and only then sign it off.
- Update your privacy notice and tell patients how AI is used in their record; check what Dentally advises.
- Record who reviewed each note, and review the first month's drafts together as a team.
What goes wrong
- The allowance is 45 AI notes per surgery a month on Essentials and 90 on Pro, and Starter has a limited trial only, so it covers fuller appointments, not every visit.
- A draft can add something that didn't happen or leave out something that did. The signed note is your clinical record, so read it properly.
- Don't use a consumer chatbot for this. Patient notes are special-category data and should only go into a system your practice has a data processing agreement with.
- Time saved depends on how much you correct. If you rewrite most drafts, the saving shrinks.