Artificial intelligence (AI) has fundamentally changed our lives as consumers. Today, we expect AI algorithms to figure out what we want and deliver it in seconds — from YouTube to Netflix, Amazon to DoorDash, Google to ChatGPT.
The truth is, we bring the same expectations to the dentist as patients.
But for dental practices, it’s difficult to create this kind of effortless experience. Modern dentistry is complicated: Practices manage thousands of patients, perform sophisticated procedures, submit claims to insurance companies, maintain regulatory compliance, and much more. It’s not surprising that the process of getting a cavity filled isn’t as simple as buying new socks online.
So the question is, what do we — as patients — really think about the dentist?
How does our actual patient experience compare to our high expectations?
The Overjet Patient Survey
To find out, we conducted our first Patient Survey of 1,000 adults across the USA. We intentionally collected a diverse demographic sample, with representation across genders, age groups, and home states. Our goal was to objectively understand the patient perspective — in what we hope to make an annual thing.
The results were eye-opening. They highlight some of the most critical problems that dental practices face in the present, and by extension, some of the most impactful opportunities for practices to improve care in the future.
My big takeaway from the Patient Survey is a lack of confidence when patients go to the dentist:
On one hand, this data makes a lot of sense. Patients are not trained experts at interpreting their X-rays, nor do they grasp the nuances of insurance benefits. But on the other hand, the data reveals a major risk for dental practices, which threatens the health of both their patients and their business:
Confusion. Uncertainty. And worst of all, mistrust.
So what’s causing this breakdown in trust? Let’s take a closer look at four specific themes from the Patient Survey…
Patients Value Their Oral Health
Here’s the good news: Patients really do care about their smile! Almost half of all respondents, 48%, said that oral health is “extremely important” compared to other priorities in life, while just 2.7% of patients said it is “not important.”
It’s clear to me that we highly value our dentists — despite any shortcomings with the current patient experience.
Patients Don't Understand Their Diagnosis
The problem isn’t that patients don’t care. It’s that they don’t understand.
Successful dental practices need patients to 1) learn what’s happening inside their mouth, 2) realize they will suffer negative effects if they don’t address serious conditions, and 3) agree to the appropriate treatment. Yet the Patient Survey indicates that, for many patients, this process is not working. Specifically, only 55% of patients say they “fully understand” their diagnosis and the need for treatment. The other 45%? They’re already off track, right at step 1.
In my opinion, the root of the problem is that conventional dental imaging is one-sided. It helps expert dentists, but does not tell the same story for us patients. This is one of the reasons Overjet was founded: our technology transforms X-rays that most patients can’t follow at all, into color-coded maps that start meaningful conversations.
When patients don’t understand the need for treatment, the outcome is bad for everyone involved. Per the Patient Survey, 36% of patients have “felt pressured to receive treatment that wasn’t necessary,” while 39% “seek out second opinions before moving forward with major procedures.
36% OF PATIENTS HAVE FELT PRESSURED TO RECEIVE TREATMENT THAT WASN’T NECESSARY.
While these numbers would be shocking in most other areas of medicine, dentists probably won’t be surprised that some patients consider dentistry to be “nonessential.” In fact, 37% of patients say they’ve “prioritized fun purchases, like restaurant meals or vacations, over paying for dental care.”
If you’re reading this blog, you know that dentistry is indeed essential, especially because of the strong connection between oral health and whole person health. Better patient education is the first step to changing how we perceive dentistry.
Patients Want More Adoption of AI
Full disclosure, this is where the Patient Survey overlaps with our work at Overjet. We wanted to understand the actual value of showing patients an X-ray that our AI platform has analyzed and annotated with color-coded findings. So we included this image:
The result? More than 85% of patients say they would “feel more confident” in their diagnosis, if they could clearly see the problem for themselves. Meanwhile, almost 3 in 4 patients, 72%, say they’d be more likely to accept treatment, if presented with AI findings.
These numbers match what we’ve observed in the real world. The average Overjet customer increases their case acceptance by 25%. For many clinicians, the difference is night and day:
"I’VE EXAMINED HUNDREDS OF PATIENTS USING OVERJET. NOT ONE SINGLE PATIENT HAS SAID NO TO MY RECOMMENDATIONS, ONCE I BROUGHT AI INTO THE CONVERSATION.”
However, supply has not yet caught up with demand for dental AI. About 31% of patients say their dentist uses AI to analyze their X-rays, which is huge progress from a decade ago, when technology like Overjet didn’t exist. Today, we find ourselves at a turning point — where patients increasingly expect to encounter AI at the dentist.
Patients Need to Know the Cost Upfront
Beyond better education, maybe the biggest opportunity for practices to improve their patient experience is cost clarity.
According to the survey, almost two thirds of patients, 63%, say they’ve felt “confused and uncertain” about the costs of dental work. At the same time, only 33% say they “completely understand their dental insurance benefits.
Once again, this challenge is understandable, given that a patient’s out-of-pocket cost is determined not only by her dental provider but also by her dental insurer. Yet unclear cost is incompatible with our expectations as consumers, since we can shop for almost anything online and compare the prices upfront.
Just how much does cost clarity matter? Nearly 9 in 10 patients, 88%, say they would be more likely to accept a recommended treatment, if they knew the exact cost and had approval from their insurance upfront.
Fortunately, the dental community recognizes that this is a make-or-break issue. Overjet recently announced the Dental Clarity Network to streamline and simplify benefits for patients, alongside top DSOs like Dental Care Alliance and North American Dental Group, as well as top payers like MetLife and Guardian. By creating alignment between providers and payers, we can show patients exactly what their dental work will cost.
The ultimate result will be better outcomes for millions, if not billions of patients.
The New Era of Oral Healthcare
I may be biased, but I actually believe our Patient Survey forecasts a bright future for dentistry. To solve any problem, you first need to understand it. Now, our job is clear:
Create a seamless, consumer-like experience for patients.
Ultimately, we are witnessing the beginning of a New Era of Oral Healthcare — enabled by new technologies like dental AI. In this era, the patient experience will be at the center of everything we do, which will benefit everyone in the system. We will make going to the dentist as effortless as shopping on Amazon or finding a movie on Netflix.
And as patients, we will:
Deeply understand our own oral health
Receive care that is truly personalized
Get instant answers and clear costs
If that sounds like a worthwhile goal, we would love to partner with you.
