Blog · Dental
The Hidden Cost of Missed Calls in Dental Practices:
How AI Recovers $10k+ Monthly
February 8, 2026 · 5 min read
35% of dental office calls go unanswered during business hours. Your front desk is checking in patients, processing insurance, and handling walk-ins. Meanwhile, new patient calls—each worth $1,200–$1,500 in first-year revenue—ring through to voicemail and never call back.
The Numbers Most Practices Don't Track
For a general dental practice averaging 300 inbound calls per month:
- 300 calls/month (new patients, existing patients, insurance questions)
- 35% missed during business hours = 105 unanswered calls
- ~30% are new patients = 31 potential new patients lost
- Average new patient lifetime value: $1,350 (first-year hygiene + treatment)
- If just 35% would have booked: 10.8 new patients/month lost
- Lost first-year revenue: $14,580/month
This doesn't include the cascade effect: each lost patient represents 5–15 years of hygiene visits, referrals, and treatment. A single new patient lost today is $5,000–$15,000 in lifetime value walking out the door.
The After-Hours Gap
Most dental practices are open 8 AM–5 PM. But patients search for dentists in the evening—after work, after dinner, when they finally have time. 62% of dental-related Google searches happen between 5 PM and 9 AM. Every one of those calls goes to voicemail or a generic answering service that can't book an appointment.
Emergency dental calls (broken tooth, severe pain) are especially time-sensitive. The patient calls 3 offices; the first one that answers gets the case. That emergency visit is worth $400–$1,200 and often converts to a long-term patient.
How AI Fills Your Schedule
Vox for Dental Offices doesn't just answer the phone—it handles the full booking workflow:
24/7 Appointment Booking
Vox checks your real-time availability and books directly into Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, or your PMS. Patients get confirmed on the spot—no callback needed.
Insurance Pre-Screening
Vox asks for insurance provider and member ID upfront, so your team can verify before the patient arrives. No surprises at checkout.
Recall & Reactivation
Vox can proactively call patients overdue for hygiene, filling those last-minute cancellation slots with existing patients who haven't been in for 6+ months.
Overflow During Business Hours
When your front desk is busy, Vox picks up after 3 rings. The patient never knows the difference. Zero hold time, zero missed calls.
The ROI Case
Without Vox
105 missed calls/month
~11 new patients lost/month
-$14,580/month in first-year revenue
With Vox ($250–$500/month)
0 missed calls
Even 3 extra new patients/month
+$4,050/month in first-year revenue
That's an 8x–16x return on your Vox subscription. And that only counts first-year revenue—the lifetime value multiplier makes it even more compelling.
What to Do Next
If your front desk is overwhelmed and new patient calls are going to voicemail, you're leaving money on the table every single day. See how Vox works for dental offices →
Stop Losing Patients to Voicemail
Set up in 15 minutes. No contracts. Every call answered 24/7.