Compare Arini, Weave and Smith.ai around your PMS, appointment rules and staff handoff. Separate appointment requests from confirmed bookings, and confirm which capabilities belong to the chosen AI or human service.
A dental workflow depends on the practice management system (PMS), appointment rules and who handles questions outside approved information. Compare the actual booking path; a generic calendar connector is not proof of a dental PMS write.
| Starting option | Dental workflow | Scheduling boundary | Before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arini | Purpose-built dental reception with provider and appointment-template rules. | The site describes direct PMS workflows for cloud and on-premise systems. | Confirm vendor/version, write permissions, durations and the practice-specific quote. |
| Weave AI Receptionist | Calls, texts and staff-reviewed appointment requests in a practice inbox. | Automatic booking and rescheduling apply only to qualified Dental PMS. | Check PMS eligibility and separate live features from coming-soon capabilities. |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI dental intake with optional human support for more complex requests. | The dental page describes bookings and human support, but does not establish every PMS or plan entitlement. | Verify the AI/human service, exact PMS access and paid human involvement. |
Consider Arini when the PMS and appointment template are central. Request a demonstration using your exact scheduling rules.
No public recurring amount or usage allowance was verified on the reviewed product page. Request a quote for your practice, PMS integration, inbound coverage and any outbound campaigns; do not infer a price from supplier revenue case studies.
Official pricing ↗Pricing checked:
Consider Weave for request handling or eligible direct bookings. Confirm which mode is available for your practice and subscription.
A public AI Receptionist price, included quota and overage rate were not verified on the reviewed product page. Ask which Weave subscription and receptionist add-on are required, and request a quote for your locations and channels.
Official pricing ↗Pricing checked:
Consider Smith.ai for dental intake with a human path. Verify the actual PMS connector and who performs complex scheduling in the chosen plan.
The current Free plan has 25 calls/month, then USD 3 per extra call. Pro starts at USD 150/month for 75 calls, with USD 2.50 per extra call at that tier. Enterprise starts at USD 500/month for 300 calls. Planned live-agent involvement is a per-call add-on; confirm its price and your call tier.
Official pricing ↗Pricing checked:
Ask for the supported PMS vendor and version, the connection method and the allowed records. Have the provider demonstrate a new-patient visit, an existing-patient visit and a reschedule using the right provider, duration, location and time zone. Do not accept a calendar screenshot as proof of a write to your PMS.
Recording a caller’s plan name is different from checking eligibility or quoting patient responsibility. Define which approved information may be repeated, which questions require staff and which billing or clinical questions cannot be answered by the receptionist.
Set a practice-approved path for urgent concerns, requests for clinical advice and questions the AI cannot answer. Confirm the staffed number, coverage hours and backup message for each location. This guide compares administrative reception, not medical advice or emergency assessment.
List locations, inbound coverage, texts, booking integrations, onboarding, optional outbound campaigns and staff involvement. Confirm access, retention, deletion and any contract required for patient information. The product pages do not establish suitability for every practice, and supplier revenue stories are not your expected return.
Official dental and product pages reviewed October 8, 2026. No real patient calls, PMS connection, clinical workflow or vendor accuracy test was performed. Smith.ai dental AI and human involvement must be confirmed for the chosen plan.