Providers2 July, 2025

The Complete Guide to Using AI to Increase Dental Patient Referrals

Mario Paganini
Mario Paganini
Senior VP of Marketing, Overjet
The Complete Guide to Using AI to Increase Dental Patient Referrals
Mario Paganini
Mario Paganini
Senior VP of Marketing, Overjet
Providers2 July, 2025

Patient referrals are a critical source of growth for dental practices, yet many struggle to generate them consistently. Communication gaps, low case acceptance, and unclear diagnostics often stand in the way. Dental AI—especially Overjet—offers a powerful solution.

Why Patient Referrals Matter

Referrals reflect patient trust and lead to:

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How AI Improves Dental Referrals

AI transforms the referral process by improving diagnosis clarity and communication. With Overjet, dental practices benefit from:

These features lead to stronger patient engagement and more peer-to-peer referrals.

Why Overjet Is the Top Choice

Overjet stands out as the leading dental AI platform because it offers:

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AI is not just the future of dentistry—it’s today’s competitive edge. Overjet helps your practice deliver better care and earn more referrals through clinical precision and patient confidence.

Understanding the Referral Economy in Dentistry

Patient referrals are one of the most valuable growth drivers for dental practices. In an increasingly competitive market, understanding the dynamics of dental patient referrals is essential for building a stable and scalable practice.

What Are Dental Patient Referrals?

Dental patient referrals occur when a new patient chooses your practice based on a recommendation. This can come from:

  • Existing patients who had a positive experience

  • Other dental professionals, such as general dentists referring to specialists

  • Marketing channels that encourage satisfied patients to share reviews or use referral programs

Referrals are powerful because they come with built-in trust, which often leads to faster case acceptance and stronger long-term relationships.

Types of Dental Referrals

There are three core types of referrals in dentistry:

  • Internal referrals: Word-of-mouth recommendations from current patients

  • Professional referrals: Specialist or general dentist-to-dentist handoffs

  • Marketing-driven referrals: Generated through online reviews, social media, or referral incentive programs

Understanding and optimizing each of these sources is key to driving sustainable practice growth.

Key Metrics to Track

To succeed in the referral economy, dental practices should monitor:

  • Referral rate: The percentage of new patients who come through referrals

  • Case acceptance rate: Especially among referred patients, which tends to be higher

  • Patient lifetime value (LTV): Referred patients often stay longer and refer others

By using data and tools like Overjet’s AI analytics, practices can better measure, understand, and grow their referral pipeline with precision.

How Dental AI Transforms Referral Strategies

Dental patient referrals depend on clinical trust, effective patient communication, and seamless collaboration. Traditional approaches often lack consistency—but with dental AI software, particularly Overjet, practices can transform how referrals are generated and managed.

Clinical Accuracy Builds Trust

Overjet’s FDA-cleared AI analyzes radiographs with clinical precision. It automatically identifies conditions like decay and bone loss, offering:

  • Standardized, evidence-based findings

  • Consistent diagnostic support across providers

  • Greater confidence for both patients and referring professionals

This level of clarity strengthens patient trust and enhances collaboration between general dentists and specialists.

Better Case Presentation for Patients

Many patients struggle to understand complex dental conditions. Overjet improves case presentation with:

When patients understand their diagnosis, they’re more likely to accept care and refer friends or family to a provider they trust.

Enhanced Inter-Practice Collaboration

Dental AI facilitates smarter collaboration by:

  • Generating consistent, AI-supported clinical insights

  • Enabling faster second opinions and referrals

  • Reducing friction in multi-provider treatment planning

This dental practice efficiency improves the patient experience and referral satisfaction on both ends.

Data-Driven Referral Optimization

Overjet’s analytics help practices refine referral strategies by:

  • Tracking top referral sources and performance metrics

  • Guiding outreach and marketing efforts based on real data

  • Uncovering trends to drive strategic growth

By leveraging Overjet, practices don’t just increase referrals—they elevate the entire patient journey with smarter, AI-powered insights.

Why Overjet Dental AI helps get Referrals

When it comes to increasing dental patient referrals, not all AI solutions are created equal. Overjet stands out as the industry leader in dental AI—trusted by DSOs and top-performing private practices nationwide. With FDA-cleared dental AI technology and seamless integration, Overjet empowers practices to boost referrals through clinical accuracy, efficiency, and patient trust.

FDA-Cleared AI for Clinical Diagnostics

Overjet is one of the only dental AI platforms to receive FDA clearance for detecting and outlining decay and bone loss on radiographs. This ensures that every diagnosis is:

  • Clinically accurate and consistent

  • Backed by evidence-based insights

  • Easy for both providers and patients to understand

This level of diagnostic precision builds confidence among referring professionals and encourages patients to recommend your practice.

Seamless Integration with Practice Systems

Overjet integrates effortlessly with most major practice management systems (PMS) and imaging software. This means:

  • No workflow disruptions

  • Minimal training time

  • Real-time AI support within your existing tools

The result? Smarter, faster referrals without added complexity.

Trusted by Leading DSOs and Private Practices

Overjet is the dental AI partner of choice for many of the nation’s leading dental service organizations (DSOs) and multi-location private practices. Their success stories demonstrate consistent improvements in:

Real-Time Insights That Elevate the Patient Experience

With Overjet, providers gain real-time clinical insights at the point of care. These insights support better communication, more informed decision-making, and a smoother referral process—enhancing both the patient experience and provider collaboration.

Implementing AI in Your Practice to Increase Referrals

Adopting dental AI doesn’t have to be complicated. With Overjet, practices can implement powerful technology quickly—and start increasing patient referrals through improved diagnostics, communication, and data-driven insights. Here’s how to get started.

Step-by-Step: Onboarding Overjet

Getting started with Overjet is fast and seamless. The platform integrates with most major practice management systems and imaging tools. The typical onboarding process includes:

  • Initial consultation to assess your practice’s workflow and goals

  • Integration with PMS and radiograph software for real-time AI analysis

  • Calibration and customization to align with your clinical standards

  • Go-live support from Overjet’s implementation team

Most practices are up and running with Overjet in just a few days—ready to deliver smarter diagnostics and better patient experiences.

Training Your Team for Case Communication

AI is most effective when your entire team knows how to use it confidently. Overjet provides:

  • Team training sessions to interpret AI findings and overlays

  • Resources for front desk and clinical staff to enhance patient conversations

  • Templates and scripts for improving treatment presentation and referral messaging

With everyone aligned, your practice can deliver clear, consistent communication that boosts trust and referrals.

Leveraging Analytics for Referral Growth

Overjet’s built-in analytics dashboard empowers practices to:

  • Identify top referral sources and channels

  • Track case acceptance rates and treatment trends

  • Pinpoint opportunities for referral program expansion

These insights allow you to make data-driven decisions that directly impact your referral strategy.

Real-World Results and Testimonials: How Overjet Drives Dental Referrals

When it comes to implementing AI in your dental practice, results matter. Overjet has helped hundreds of practices—from solo providers to large DSOs—achieve measurable improvements in referral volume, patient satisfaction, and revenue growth.

What Overjet Customers Are Saying

“Overjet has completely changed how we present cases. Patients understand their conditions better and are more likely to accept treatment—and refer others.” — Dr. Maria Bennett, DDS, Private Practice

“Since implementing Overjet, we’ve seen both our referral numbers and treatment acceptance go up. It’s a game-changer for our organization.” — Clinical Director, National DSO

Measurable Impact on Revenue and Satisfaction

With more referrals and higher case acceptance, practices using Overjet often experience:

  • Increased production and collections

  • Shorter time to treatment acceptance

  • Higher patient satisfaction scores

Improved retention and word-of-mouth referrals

Next Steps: Start Driving More Referrals with Overjet

If you’re ready to transform your referral strategy and grow your dental practice, adopting AI with Overjet is the smartest next step. From improving diagnostic accuracy to simplifying case communication, Overjet empowers practices to earn more trust—and more referrals.

AI Is the New Standard for Referral Growth in Dentistry

In today’s dental landscape, building a strong referral network requires more than word-of-mouth or traditional marketing. To scale effectively, practices need tools that improve clinical accuracy, enhance patient communication, and streamline referral workflows. That’s exactly what dental AI delivers—and Overjet leads the way.

Overjet empowers practices with the technology and insights needed to drive consistent referral growth. It’s more than just a diagnostic tool—it’s a complete platform for smarter, data-driven patient engagement and provider collaboration.

With Overjet, practices benefit from:

  • FDA-cleared AI diagnostics for accurate, consistent radiograph analysis

  • Visual AI overlays that improve patient understanding and case acceptance

  • Seamless PMS integration with minimal workflow disruption

  • Inter-practice collaboration tools that speed up referrals and second opinions

  • Analytics dashboards that track referral sources and optimize marketing strategies

These features work together to improve the patient experience and make referrals more likely—from both patients and other providers.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a large DSO, implementing Overjet can elevate your referral strategy and boost long-term growth.

AI is no longer a future tool—it’s a present-day advantage. Practices that adopt dental AI now are positioned to lead in care quality, efficiency, and patient loyalty.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Using AI to Increase Dental Patient Referrals

What is dental AI and how does it increase patient referrals?

Dental AI uses artificial intelligence to analyze radiographs, support diagnoses, and enhance patient communication. Platforms like Overjet make diagnostics clearer and more consistent, which builds trust and leads to more internal and professional referrals.

How does Overjet improve case acceptance?

Overjet provides visual AI overlays and real-time analysis that help patients better understand their oral health. When patients clearly see and comprehend their condition, they’re more likely to proceed with treatment—and recommend your practice to others.

Can Overjet integrate with my current dental software?

Yes, Overjet seamlessly integrates with most major practice management systems (PMS) and imaging software. This allows practices to adopt AI technology with minimal disruption to workflow and no need for complicated setup.

What types of referrals can dental AI impact?

Dental AI positively impacts internal referrals (from existing patients), professional referrals (from other dentists), and marketing-driven referrals (from campaigns or online reviews) by making care delivery and communication more accurate and trustworthy.

Is there data to support referral growth with Overjet?

Absolutely. For example, one multi-location DSO using Overjet saw a 32% increase in patient referrals within six months, and another private practice improved case acceptance by 22%, both contributing to higher referral rates.

What training does my team need to use Overjet?

Overjet provides onboarding support and training for both clinical and front office staff. This includes interpreting AI findings, enhancing treatment communication, and using scripts that support better case presentation and referral engagement.

Where can I see real results or get started with Overjet?

You can request a demo to see how Overjet works in real time. You can also download the free checklist or read referral success stories from real practices already using Overjet to grow.

Mario Paganini

Mario Paganini

Mario Paganini is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Overjet, where his focus is making dental AI the industry standard for oral health. He is a four-time head of marketing — leading two startups to unicorn status and one through exit. Outside of work, Mario is a competitive ultramarathon runner, eats more vegetables than you, and is way better at basketball than he looks.