May 20, 2026· Automation · Healthcare

After-Hours AI Receptionist

An AI voice agent that answers after-hours calls for a boutique dental practice.

StatusLive in production. Gathering call-volume and callback data.

Built with

Retell
n8n
Google Sheets
Claude

The problem

Golden Bear Dental (alias), a single-dentist practice, had no real after-hours solution. Calls either went to voicemail or rang the owner's personal cell, leaving patients with an inconsistent experience and the dentist on call around the clock.

What I shipped

An AI voice agent that answers after-hours calls with a script grounded in this practice's policies, services, and intake requirements. It triages emergencies with live transfer to the dentist, captures structured intake data, and surfaces every call in a morning digest for the front desk.

Automation workflow

Example: New Patient Looking for a Routine Cleaning

Sample after-hours call

0:000:00

Live recording. AI receptionist creates a seamless intake experience for the caller and captures all necessary information for the front desk to follow up without integrating with siloed PMS.

Design decisions

Handles unique caller personas. A single agent identifies what the caller needs (routine visit, emergency, price or FAQ) and adapts the conversation. Every path converges into one intake so the front desk can process follow-ups the same way each morning.
The agent does not book. Letting the agent schedule directly means messy PMS integrations and a wider HIPAA surface. This design stays clean: it captures intent and preferences and leaves scheduling to the front desk, so the workflow stays PMS-agnostic across most practice management systems.
Emergencies offer a choice. Severe enough to need the dentist tonight? The patient chooses direct transfer to the on-call dentist or callback. Removes the agent from making medical judgments.
Upfront AI disclosure. Required by California AB 489 as of Jan 2026.

The data layer

Google Sheet call log with columns for timestamp, urgency, patient info, reason for calling, and preferred times — Every call logged: timestamp, urgency, patient info, reason for calling, and preferred times.

The morning digest

Morning digest email grouped by emergency, scheduling, message, and FAQ with patient details — Grouped by emergency, scheduling, message, and FAQ, with patient details for each call.