Cutting Through the AI Hype: What Really Works for DSOs and Group Practices
The dental industry is buzzing with AI promises, but how do you separate genuine innovation from empty marketing? Sheena Hinson, Director of Partnerships and Growth and veteran dental hygienist, offers a refreshingly pragmatic approach to evaluating AI tools for dental organizations.
The AI Washing Problem
“There’s definitely a lot of noise, a lot of what some would call AI washing,” Hinson explains, “where they’re taking an old technology that maybe is not a bad technology, and then it’s like, oh, this is AI.”
For busy DSO leaders and practice owners drowning in vendor pitches, this creates a real challenge. Every company claims to be AI-powered, but not every tool delivers meaningful results.
Hinson’s solution? A simple measuring stick: “If it doesn’t grow revenue or save time, it’s hype. It is not helpful.”
This straightforward framework cuts through the marketing noise and focuses on what matters: tangible business outcomes.
AI Won’t Take Jobs—It Will Remove Headaches
One of the biggest concerns Hinson encounters is the fear that AI will replace dental team members. Her take? The opposite is true.
“AI is not replacing jobs,” she states firmly. “What AI is doing, if you’re using the right AI tools, if you’re using them in the right way, the most efficient way, you are actually using that to reduce friction in your job.”
She encourages team members to think about it differently: “What headache can I get rid of? And how can I use AI to do that?”
The real risk, Hinson argues, isn’t AI replacing people—it’s people who refuse to adapt getting left behind. “If we’re not adapting and adopting and using these technologies and becoming experts in the tools available within our wheelhouse, you’re gonna get left behind,” she warns. “You get with the program or you get left.”
Investment vs. Expense: The Critical Question
For DSO leaders evaluating AI tools, Hinson offers a clear framework: “Is it creating time or is it creating capital? That’s the first question in some way, shape or form.”
She breaks down capital creation into several categories:
- Direct cost savings
- Improved team efficiency leading to higher productivity
- Reduced stress contributing to lower employee attrition
“I’ve heard some amazing speakers in the space talk about the cost of employee attrition,” Hinson notes. “I think technology is one of the key pots of gold that we have to really reduce their stress and help them be more successful.”
Real-World Examples That Deliver
Hinson doesn’t just talk theory—she shares specific technologies making measurable impact:
Voice Perio Charting (Alta Voice)
“With the voice perio charting, it’s doing a couple of things, it’s saving time, of course, but it’s also acting to increase treatment acceptance because patients are more involved,” Hinson explains.
She highlights the perio report feature that lets patients scan a QR code and take information with them, eliminating the time hygienists and front desk staff spend printing and explaining charts. “That frees up time to do those things” that actually drive revenue—discussing treatments, cosmetic options, and building patient rapport.
AI Patient Finders
“You can get these qualified leads, and it’s a lot more consistent, predictable, and the ROI is a heck of a lot higher if you can get these leads to the right patients,” Hinson says. The key is targeting patients actively searching for the procedures your practice wants to offer more of.
Call Recording Technology
Even with great marketing, “if you aren’t making sure that whenever that patient calls, that they’re having the same experience they got through that funnel, through that website, if that doesn’t match up, then you might as well take that money… crumple it up, toss it in the garbage,” Hinson warns.
Patient Education Software
Tools like Toothority serve multiple purposes: optimizing SEO through increased website engagement, allowing patients to research before appointments, and saving chairside explanation time. “The more efficient we are with this conversation, that leaves more time for the next,” Hinson points out.
The Change Management Gap
Perhaps Hinson’s most valuable insight comes from her understanding of organizational dynamics in DSOs. She identifies a critical disconnect between C-suite decision-makers and boots-on-the-ground teams.
“A lot of times the fires that are put out, boots on the ground, they’re in survival mode,” she explains. “The ones that are like those consistent headaches in the day, I don’t think they—and it’s not out of malice, they just don’t make their way up to the top.”
Her recommendation? Involve team members from all levels when evaluating technology:
“If you’re like, ‘I don’t know if this voice perio charting thing works,’ do a trial. Have your teams try it out and then say, ‘Did that make your life easier?’ versus just a hard no or hard yes at the top.”
She suggests including a range of performers—”Don’t just bring in one, bring in some of your lower performing hygienist. Bring in somebody that’s middle of the road. Bring in maybe your best. Don’t just surround yourself in an echo chamber.”
The Leadership Mindset Shift
Hinson advocates for an inverted organizational mindset: “If you think of an org chart, most people think like, leader, teams, patients. But as a leader, you’re at the bottom and you’re holding it up.”
This approach—leaders supporting teams, teams supporting patients—creates better adoption rates, reduces turnover, and ultimately drives better outcomes.
“The team needs to understand: we’re bringing this in. This is what it’s gonna do for us. This is the stress it’s gonna take off your plate. And then this is gonna free up your time so that you can do more of this,” she explains. “It’s very definitive.”
Without this clarity, team members may feel uncertain about what to do with freed-up time, creating resistance rather than enthusiasm.
The Bottom Line
Hinson’s approach to AI in dentistry is refreshingly practical. She acknowledges that “there are a lot of great products and tools that have an amazing pitch deck” but “pragmatically at a practice level, especially when you get down to boots on the ground, it may not be as efficient or honestly, even as necessary.”
Her advice for evaluating any AI tool comes back to three questions:
- Does it save time or grow revenue?
- Does it reduce stress for team members?
- Does it bring value to patients?
“If you’re doing it right, you’re gonna have more revenue. You’re gonna have more growth pathways,” Hinson says. But success requires intentionality—proper training, change management, and involving the right people in decisions.
As she succinctly puts it: “AI does not steal jobs. It steals headaches.”
For DSO leaders navigating the crowded AI landscape, that’s the perspective that cuts through the noise.
Want to learn more? Watch the full course “Cutting Through the Hype to What Really Works for DSOs and Group Practices” and earn 1 hour of CE credit through the Alta AI Learning Series.
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