We hear how Assistdent can help dental practices to be more profitable using software diagnostic tools to better preventative care.
Assistdent is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostic tool which, on top of its scope to improve dental diagnoses, can help dental professionals build a more profitable practice, by demonstrating the need for preventative oral hygiene regimes to patients.
Academically credentialed, Assistdent is the first of a planned portfolio of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software diagnostic tools which have been developed by a ‘spin out’ from the University of Manchester.
It is the only UK AI software company to have been published in a peer reviewed publication (British Dental Journal – October 22 2021). Importantly, the software was developed to be clinically and educationally-led before commercial applications were evolved.
Assistdent can identify the earliest signs of dental disease, currently early proximal caries, instantly from x-rays that otherwise might go unseen, especially in a busy practice setting with a high throughput of patients.
Missed opportunities
The subtle signs of early-stage caries can be difficult and time-consuming to detect on traditional X-rays. So the opportunity for preventative measures can be missed.
In turn, this means dental professionals could miss out on the revenue potential of preventative treatment as well as having a significant impact on improving the patient’s oral health.
Dental practices using Assistdent simply import patient x-rays into the software; it identifies the earliest signs of disease before the dental professional then validates the findings and generates a report, which allows them to recommend preventive treatments. All this within about eight seconds.
Based on a practice listing 5,000 active patients on its books, if just 5% (250) of those patients take-up an Assistdent initiated preventative treatment programme, they are expected to visit the practice hygienist twice per year.
If each of those 250 hygienist visits generates a net income of £33 after costs, plus an additional £15 net income per patient in remineralisation products, this totals £48 net income per patient. Over a 12-month period this would equate to £23,750 in net income for the 250 patients on a preventative treatment pathway.
Assistdent will cost £2,388 annually, or £199 + VAT per month per practice.
Saving you valuable time
According to Dr Ben Atkins, general dentist, former multiple practice owner, and Assistdent advocate: ‘Assistdent offers the opportunity for the dentist to show patients the results of their radiograph diagnosis, reflecting acutely and more accurately than ever before the true state of their oral health.
‘It also puts them in a position to evidence and ethically offer them the choice of taking preventative action immediately.’
He recommends the Assistdent AI software for any type of dental practice – from premium private practices to those operating via the NHS, saving valuable diagnostic time.
He also advocates that Assistdent isn’t the sole preserve of practice principals, but can be adopted by associates, therapists, and hygienists, because it’s such good value, to build their relationship with patients and to augment their income stream.
For more information, please visit: www.manchester-imaging.com/getting-started/
