Your Weave phone system is ringing. Your front desk is with a patient. The call goes to voicemail. That was a potential $1,200 new patient exam—now booking with your competitor down the street. For a typical 3-chair dental practice, this scenario repeats dozens of times a month, leaving $50,000-$100,000 in annual revenue on the table. The solution is to add a 24/7 AI receptionist that works in concert with your Weave platform. Arini's AI Receptionist Platform is purpose-built for dental practices, integrating seamlessly to answer every call, schedule appointments directly into your PMS, and ensure you never miss another revenue opportunity.

Key Takeaways

• Dental practices miss 30-35% of calls during peak times, lunch, and after-hours, representing massive lost revenue
• Weave's native TrueLark AI currently offers only SMS/text capabilities; voice AI is expected in 2025
• Arini provides an immediate voice AI solution for Weave users through a simple call-forwarding integration
• The integration process is straightforward, requiring only 1-4 hours for call setup and 1-2 weeks for full PMS integration
• Practices see a typical ROI of $50,000-$100,000 in annual revenue recovery from previously missed calls
• The system is fully HIPAA compliant, with secure PMS and telecom integrations
• Front-desk staff are freed from routine calls, allowing them to focus on in-person patient care

Unlock Efficiency: The Power of AI Receptionist for Your Dental Practice

For dental groups, DSOs, and private practices, the front desk is the nerve center of patient communication. Yet, even the most efficient team cannot be in two places at once. Calls are missed during patient check-ins, at lunch, after hours, and on weekends. This isn't just an operational inefficiency; it's a direct leakage of revenue and a dent in patient satisfaction.

According to healthcare communication research, missed patient calls represent one of the largest sources of revenue loss for dental practices, with industry studies confirming that approximately 30-35% of inbound calls go unanswered during peak periods.

An AI receptionist, specifically one built for the nuances of a dental practice like Arini, acts as an extension of your team. It's always available to answer the phone, greet the caller professionally, and handle their request. Its core functions are to answer 100% of inbound calls, book new and returning patient appointments, and answer common FAQs about insurance, billing, office hours, and directions.

The impact is immediate and measurable. Arini's platform is designed to relieve the burden on your front-desk staff, allowing them to focus their energy on the patients in your office, which directly improves the in-person experience. By converting missed calls into booked appointments, Arini directly drives revenue growth. The mission is simple: ensure your practice never misses a patient call, thereby capturing every opportunity for growth.

Seamless Communication: Integrating Arini with Your Weave Phone System

Weave provides a robust, all-in-one communication platform for healthcare, consolidating your phones, texting, and other tools. Arini complements this by adding a 24/7 voice layer that handles calls your team physically cannot.

The integration method is intentionally simple and non-disruptive: call forwarding. This means Weave and Arini don't need a complex, direct API connection. Instead, you configure your Weave phone system to forward calls to your Arini AI receptionist under specific conditions. This approach is reliable, quick to set up, and keeps your existing Weave infrastructure intact.

Integration Steps for Arini with Weave

1. Set Up Your Arini Account: Sign up for Arini and complete your practice profile, including your hours, services, and accepted insurance. You'll be assigned a dedicated Arini phone number.
2. Connect Your Practice Management System (PMS): Arini integrates directly with your PMS (like OpenDental, Dentrix, EagleSoft, or Denticon) to access real-time provider availability and book appointments directly into your schedule. This step is vendor-assisted and typically takes 1-2 hours.
3. Configure Call Forwarding in Weave: In your Weave dashboard, navigate to Phone Settings → Call Forwarding. You can create rules such as:
   
   • Forward to Arini when the line is busy.
   • Forward to Arini when there's no answer after 4 rings.
   • Forward all calls to Arini during after-hours and weekends.
4. Customize Your Arini Call Flow: Work with Arini's onboarding team to map your appointment types, set up provider-specific rules, and configure how Arini handles various scenarios (e.g., emergency calls). This ensures the AI acts exactly as your front desk would.

This process, powered by Arini's Integration & Workflow Customization Module, is designed for quick implementation with minimal disruption to your daily operations.

Beyond the Call: Weave Phone System Features Enhanced by AI

It's important to understand that Arini doesn't replace your Weave system; it enhances it. Weave's powerful features—like call pop (showing patient info when they call), SMS capabilities, and appointment reminders—remain fully functional for calls your staff answers directly.

Arini steps in for the calls that would otherwise be missed. This creates a powerful, layered communication strategy

• During Business Hours: Your staff handles calls for patients they recognize or for complex inquiries, leveraging Weave's full feature set. Arini handles overflow, busy signals, and calls that go unanswered.
• After Hours & Weekends: Arini becomes your primary receptionist, providing a professional, helpful experience 24/7. Patients no longer get a generic voicemail; they can book an appointment or get their question answered instantly.

This synergy ensures that every patient interaction is handled appropriately, maximizing the value of your existing Weave investment while plugging the critical gap of missed calls.

Never Miss an Opportunity: AI-Powered Call Answering and Scheduling

This is where the core value is delivered. Arini's Call Answering & Scheduling Module ensures that a live, intelligent agent is on the line for every single call. The AI uses natural language processing tuned specifically for dental workflows to understand caller intent.

For a new patient, Arini can collect their information, verify their insurance (from your pre-loaded list), check real-time availability for the next available new patient exam, and book the appointment directly into your PMS. For a returning patient, it can schedule their next hygiene visit, a follow-up, or a procedure.

The benefits are clear

• Eliminates Voicemail Frustration: Patients get an instant, helpful response.
• Captures After-Hours Leads: Calls at 8 PM or on a Sunday are converted into booked appointments.
• Supports Custom Rules: Arini can follow your practice's specific scheduling logic, including block scheduling and provider preferences.
• Provides Real-Time Notifications: Your staff receives a notification every time a new appointment is booked, so they can prepare for the patient's arrival.

This 24/7 availability turns your phone from a potential liability (a missed call) into a consistent revenue-generating asset.

FAQs and Beyond: Enhancing Patient Communication with AI

Not every call is about scheduling. Many are simple inquiries: "Do you accept my insurance?" "What are your hours?" "How do I get to your office?"

Arini's Patient FAQ & Communication Module handles these requests effortlessly. You provide a knowledge base of answers during setup, and the AI uses it to respond accurately and consistently to callers. It can even provide turn-by-turn directions by integrating with mapping services.

This has a double benefit

• It provides a superior patient experience, giving them an immediate answer without a callback loop.
• It significantly reduces the volume of calls that need to be escalated to your human staff, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks and in-person patient care. The system learns over time, and you can continuously update the FAQ library to keep information current.

Measure Your Success: Analytics for AI Receptionist and Weave

You can't manage what you don't measure. Arini's Analytics & Notifications Module provides clear, actionable insights into the performance and revenue impact of your AI receptionist.

Your dashboard will show you

• Total call volume and the percentage answered by Arini.
• The number of new and returning patient appointments booked by the AI.
• The direct revenue impact of those appointments.
• A direct comparison of your missed call rate before and after Arini.

This data is crucial for understanding your return on investment. Practices using Arini report significant revenue recovery from previously missed calls, with implementation typically showing measurable ROI within the first 30-60 days. These analytics prove that the AI receptionist isn't just a convenience tool—it's a core growth engine for your practice.

HIPAA Compliance and Security: Protecting Patient Data with AI and Weave

In healthcare, trust is paramount, and that starts with data security. Both Weave and Arini are built with this in mind. Arini is fully HIPAA compliant for all patient interactions. This means secure PMS and telecom integrations, a robust data privacy framework, and a commitment to patient data protection.

Arini provides a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) to all its healthcare clients, a non-negotiable requirement for handling protected health information (PHI). Their security practices, aligned with healthcare compliance standards, include role-based access control and data minimization. As a customer, you can review their compliance posture through their public Trust Center. This shared commitment to security ensures that your patient data remains safe and private, whether they are interacting with your Weave system or your Arini AI.

Getting Started: Integrating Your AI Receptionist with Weave – A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to stop missing calls and start driving revenue? The implementation process is designed to be smooth and collaborative.

1. Book a Demo: Start by scheduling a personalized demo with the Arini team to see the platform in action and discuss your specific needs.
2. Onboarding & Setup: After signing up, an Arini specialist will guide you through the process. You'll provide your PMS credentials so they can establish a secure, real-time connection.
3. Weave Configuration: The Arini team will provide you with their dedicated phone number. You'll then log into your Weave dashboard and configure your call forwarding rules. This step usually takes less than 15 minutes.
4. Call Flow Customization: In a series of short sessions, you'll work with your Arini specialist to customize the AI's voice, greeting, appointment types, and FAQ responses to perfectly match your practice's style and protocols.
5. Soft Launch & Go Live: Arini recommends a soft launch, starting with after-hours calls only. This lets you and your staff get comfortable with the system before expanding its hours to cover overflow during the business day.

The entire process, from initial contact to full deployment, typically takes 1-2 weeks. The result is a seamless, 24/7 front desk that works tirelessly to grow your practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I choose a third-party AI like Arini over waiting for Weave's TrueLark voice AI?

Weave's TrueLark, acquired in May 2024, currently only offers SMS/text AI capabilities, with voice AI still in development and expected to launch in 2025. If you need a 24/7 voice solution to capture missed calls now, a third-party platform like Arini is your only viable option. Arini provides a fully-featured, voice-based AI receptionist that can be integrated with your Weave system within days.

Does the call forwarding setup create any technical issues or delays for callers?

No, the caller experience is seamless. When a call is forwarded from Weave to Arini, it happens in the background in a fraction of a second. The patient simply hears the Arini AI receptionist answer the phone with your practice's custom greeting, with no indication they've been "forwarded" or that they are talking to an AI.

Can Arini's AI handle complex, multi-step scheduling requests for multiple family members?

Yes, Arini's call flow can be customized to handle sophisticated scheduling scenarios, including booking appointments for multiple family members in a single call. During the onboarding process, you can map out these specific workflows with your Arini specialist to ensure the AI follows your practice's exact protocols for family scheduling.

How does Arini prevent double-bookings when syncing with my PMS?

Arini uses real-time, bidirectional synchronization with your PMS at intervals of 30-60 seconds. This is far more reliable than batch syncing, which can cause delays and double-bookings. The AI constantly checks your live schedule before confirming any appointment, ensuring its view of your availability is always accurate.

What is the typical implementation timeline and support offered?

The technical setup for the PMS integration and Weave call forwarding can be completed in 1-2 days. The full onboarding process, including call flow customization and staff training, typically takes 1-2 weeks. Arini offers white-glove onboarding support, working directly with you to ensure a smooth and successful deployment. You can book a demo to get a detailed, personalized plan for your practice.