Dental AI receptionists compared (2026)

Last updated October 17, 2026 · Prices and features change, so check the linked sources before you buy.

Bottom line: the real difference between dental AI receptionists is whether they write the appointment into your PMS during the call or just take a request for your team to confirm. Next comes how they charge: flat, per minute or per credit. Pick the model that fits your call pattern, then test it on your own hardest calls.

We have no commercial relationship with any vendor below, and none paid to be listed. Prices are what each vendor (or a named third party) published as of October 17, 2026. Get every number in writing before you sign.

At a glance

Vendor	Books into PMS?	Published price	Notable
Dentina	Yes, writes back to Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve, Denticon, Cloud9 and others [1]	Standard Inbound from $299/mo per location (billed annually, up to 3 providers). Premium from $399 [1]	Inbound plus outbound (recalls, confirmations). 30-day free trial, no setup fee. English and Spanish on Standard, 57 languages on Premium. Standard takes a message by default; warm transfers are on Premium [1].
Arini	Yes. Arini lists native bidirectional OpenDental, EagleSoft, Denticon, Dentrix and Curve integrations [2]	Not on Arini’s site (“custom, demo-based”). Capterra lists Starter at $499/mo and Growth at $799/mo [3]	BAA included. Up to 15 simultaneous callers per Arini’s own guide [2].
Enamly	Yes. Native NexHealth, otherwise through NexHealth middleware or direct API [4]	From $399/mo including 600 talk minutes, plus a one-time setup fee [5]	Built by a dentist and founded in 2025. English and Spanish. Public demo line [4].
Viva AI	Answers calls, texts and web chat. Higher tiers replace your phone system [6]	Credit-based. Gold includes 4,000 credits/mo; AI calls cost 10 credits a minute and overage is $0.10 a credit. Viva headlines plans “from $350/mo” [6]	Gold keeps your phone system and gives you a new number to forward to. It can’t answer texts to your existing number [6].
Weave AI Receptionist	Auto-booking is “for qualified Dental PMS only.” Otherwise it captures requests for your team [7]	Not listed on the feature page	Built into Weave’s phone, text and inbox. Hands off to staff with a summary [7].
HeyGent	Says it books in your PMS [8]	Not published	Voice, text, email and web widget. Recall campaigns [8].
Bellwicket	No. Requests “remain pending until the practice confirms” [9]	Paid pilot; pricing not shown	Managed, white-label service. Openly says it has no verified customer stories yet [9].

You may see “HeyFrontDesk” mentioned alongside these. As of this writing it’s a hotel operations platform, not a dental receptionist [10].

Booking vs. request capture: which do you want?

Direct booking (Dentina, Arini, Enamly, Weave with a qualified PMS) means the patient hangs up with a time. The risk is the AI breaking your scheduling rules, such as provider blocks, operatory constraints and new-patient lengths. Ask the vendor to show those rules being followed live.

Request capture (Bellwicket, Weave without a qualified PMS) is safer for your schedule. It also means someone still has to call the patient back the next morning, and some of them will have booked elsewhere by then.

Pricing models, decoded

Flat per location (Dentina): predictable, and busy Mondays don’t cost extra.
Minutes included (Enamly: 600 minutes): check your average call length and peak months.
Credits (Viva): you pay for what the AI handles. Estimate your volume first.
Quote only (Arini, Weave, HeyGent): get the setup fee, contract term and cancellation terms in writing.

Seven questions for the demo

Will you sign a BAA before go-live? (HHS explains when a vendor must sign one [11].)
Show a booking landing in our PMS version, following our provider and operatory rules.
What exactly happens on a dental emergency call at 2 a.m.?
How does the patient reach a human, and how fast?
What counts toward billing, and what’s the overage rate?
Who owns the recordings and transcripts, and how long are they kept?
What is the contract term, and can we cancel during or after a pilot?

All of this is on one printable page in our free AI front-desk checklist.

Get one useful dental AI brief a week. What changed, what to ignore, and one thing to try before Monday. Free for 4 weeks, then $12/mo. Start free →

And your website?

Phone AI covers callers. Patients who visit your site at night are asking the same questions in text: insurance, hours, “do you see kids?” A website bot that answers only from your published pages and hands everything else to a person covers that channel. Read why website chatbots fail before buying one (our sister service Botday builds them, minus PHI).

FAQ

What is the best AI receptionist for a dental practice?

There is no single best one. Choose by whether it books directly into your PMS, which PMS versions it supports, how it charges and whether it signs a BAA. Dentina, Arini and Enamly all advertise direct PMS booking. Weave auto-books only for qualified dental PMS. Bellwicket captures requests for your team to confirm.

How much does a dental AI receptionist cost?

Published prices in October 2026: Dentina from $299 per month per location (billed annually), Enamly from $399 per month with 600 minutes plus a setup fee, and Viva AI credit-based plans headlined from $350 per month. Arini does not publish prices, but Capterra lists $499 and $799 per month plans. Get quotes in writing.

Do dental AI receptionists sign a HIPAA BAA?

Several say they do. Arini lists a BAA as included, and Dentina and Enamly describe themselves as HIPAA compliant. Under HIPAA, a vendor that handles protected health information for you generally needs a business associate agreement, so make a signed BAA a condition before go-live.

Can an AI receptionist book directly into Dentrix or Open Dental?

Some can. Dentina lists write-back to Dentrix and Open Dental, Arini lists native bidirectional integrations, and Enamly connects through NexHealth or direct APIs. Ask the vendor to show a booking in your exact PMS version during the demo.

Should we start with all calls or only after-hours calls?

Most practices start with after-hours and overflow calls. Dentina says this is how most of its practices begin. It limits risk while you review transcripts and tune the rules.

Dental AI receptionists compared (2026)

At a glance

Booking vs. request capture: which do you want?

Pricing models, decoded

Seven questions for the demo

And your website?

FAQ

Sources

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