# AI Receptionist vs Call Centre for Dental Practices in Ireland
Irish dental practices lose an estimated €15,000–€40,000 per year to missed calls. Every unanswered ring is a potential crown, implant, or orthodontic consultation walking out the door — and straight to a competitor.
So you know you need phone coverage. The question is: should you outsource to a call centre or use an AI receptionist? This guide breaks down the real costs, capabilities, and trade-offs for Irish dental practices in 2026.
The Problem: Why Dental Practices Can't Afford to Miss Calls
A busy dental practice in Dublin or Cork might receive 40–80 calls per day. During peak hours — Monday mornings, lunch breaks, post-school — your reception team is juggling walk-ins, payments, and patient queries. Research from the Irish Dental Association suggests that practices without dedicated phone coverage miss 20–35% of incoming calls.
At an average treatment value of €150–€500, even five missed calls per day can mean:
- 5 missed calls × €200 avg value × 22 working days = €22,000/month in lost revenue
That's not a phone problem. That's a business problem.
Option 1: Outsourced Call Centre
How It Works
You contract a third-party call centre — typically based in Ireland or the UK — to answer overflow calls or provide after-hours coverage. Agents follow a script, take messages, and sometimes book appointments using your practice management software.
Typical Costs in Ireland
| Cost Component | Range | |---------------|-------| | Per-agent hourly rate | €15–€25/hr | | Monthly retainer (basic package) | €800–€2,500/mo | | Per-call charges (some providers) | €1.50–€4.00/call | | Setup/training fees | €200–€500 one-off | | After-hours premium | +30–50% surcharge |
For a mid-size dental practice needing weekday coverage plus Saturday mornings, expect to pay €1,200–€2,000/month — or €14,400–€24,000/year.
Strengths
- Human empathy for distressed or anxious patients
- Can handle genuinely complex queries (insurance disputes, complaints)
- Established industry with Irish-based providers
Weaknesses
- Staff turnover: Call centre attrition in Ireland runs 30–40% annually. Your callers rarely speak to someone who knows your practice.
- Hold times: During peak periods, callers queue. Average wait times of 2–4 minutes are common.
- Limited hours: True 24/7 coverage pushes costs above €3,000/month.
- No integration: Most call centres can't access Dentally, Exact, or SOE directly. They take messages; your team still has to action them.
- Scaling costs: Every additional call costs more. Busy months = bigger bills.
Option 2: AI Receptionist
How It Works
An AI voice agent answers every call instantly — no hold music, no queue. It understands natural speech, books appointments directly into your practice management system, answers FAQs (opening hours, directions, emergency protocols), and escalates complex calls to your team.
Typical Costs
| Cost Component | VoiceFleet Example | |---------------|-------------------| | Monthly subscription | From €99/mo (Starter) | | Calls included | Unlimited | | After-hours coverage | Included — 24/7/365 | | Setup fee | €0 | | Integration with Dentally/Exact | Included |
Annual cost: €1,188–€3,588/year depending on plan — compared to €14,400–€24,000 for a call centre.
Strengths
- Instant answer: Every call picked up in under 1 second. No hold time, ever.
- 24/7/365: Nights, weekends, bank holidays — all covered at no extra cost.
- Direct booking: Integrates with Dentally, Exact, and other Irish dental PMS platforms to book, reschedule, and confirm appointments in real time.
- Consistent quality: No bad days, no turnover, no training gaps.
- Scales free: Whether you get 20 calls or 200, the price stays the same.
- GDPR-compliant: Data processed within the EU, fully compliant with Irish Data Protection Commission requirements.
Weaknesses
- Not ideal for complex insurance negotiations or formal complaints (escalates these to your team)
- Some elderly patients may initially prefer a human voice (though modern AI voices are remarkably natural)
- Requires internet connection (standard for any modern practice)
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Factor | Call Centre | AI Receptionist | |--------|-----------|----------------| | Annual cost | €14,400–€24,000 | €1,188–€3,588 | | Answer speed | 30s–4min (queue) | <1 second | | Availability | Business hours (24/7 = €3K+/mo) | 24/7/365 included | | Appointment booking | Takes message → you book later | Books directly into PMS | | Consistency | Variable (staff turnover) | 100% consistent | | Scalability | More calls = more cost | Unlimited calls, flat rate | | GDPR compliance | Varies by provider | Built-in, EU-hosted | | Setup time | 1–2 weeks | Under 5 minutes | | Irish dental context | Generic scripts | Trained on dental terminology |
Cost saving: €13,200–€20,400/year by switching from a call centre to an AI receptionist.
Try VoiceFleet Free for 5 Days
See how an AI receptionist handles your dental practice calls — no card required, cancel anytime, go live in under an hour.
What About a Hybrid Approach?
Some practices use both: an AI receptionist for standard calls (appointments, hours, directions, reminders) and escalate complex matters to a human — either in-house staff or a specialist service.
This is actually VoiceFleet's default behaviour. The AI handles 70–85% of calls autonomously and transfers the rest to your team with full context. You get the cost savings of AI with human backup for edge cases.
The result? Your in-house receptionist spends less time on the phone and more time with patients in the practice — improving both efficiency and patient experience.
Real Numbers: A Dublin Dental Practice Scenario
Practice profile: 3-chair practice in South Dublin, 2 dentists, 1 hygienist, 1 receptionist.
| Metric | Before (No Overflow) | With Call Centre | With VoiceFleet | |--------|---------------------|-----------------|----------------| | Daily calls received | 55 | 55 | 55 | | Calls missed | 15 (27%) | 3 (5%) | 0 (0%) | | After-hours calls captured | 0 | 8 (with premium) | 12 | | Monthly cost | €0 (but €9,000 lost revenue) | €1,800 | €199 | | Annual cost | €108,000 lost | €21,600 | €2,388 | | Appointments booked automatically | 0 | 0 (message only) | 85% of bookable calls |
Net impact of VoiceFleet vs call centre: saves €19,212/year while capturing more appointments.
GDPR and Compliance: What Irish Practices Need to Know
Both call centres and AI receptionists must comply with GDPR. Key questions to ask any provider:
- Where is patient data stored? (Must be EU-hosted for Irish practices)
- Is call recording compliant? (Callers must be informed)
- Data retention policy? (How long are records kept?)
- Data Processing Agreement? (Required under GDPR Article 28)
VoiceFleet stores all data within the EU, provides a full DPA, and gives practices complete control over data retention policies. Call centres vary — always check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an AI receptionist handle Irish accents?
Yes. Modern AI voice agents are trained on diverse accents including Irish English. VoiceFleet has been specifically optimised for Irish speech patterns, place names, and dental terminology.
What happens if the AI can't answer a question?
It seamlessly transfers the call to your team with a summary of the conversation so far. The caller never has to repeat themselves.
Do I need to change my phone number?
No. VoiceFleet works with your existing practice phone number through simple call forwarding. Setup takes less than 5 minutes.
Is it really GDPR-compliant?
Yes. EU-hosted data, full Data Processing Agreement provided, caller notification built in, and data retention controls in your dashboard.
What if I already have a receptionist?
VoiceFleet complements your existing team. It handles overflow calls, after-hours enquiries, and peak-time surges — so your receptionist can focus on in-person patient care.
Can it integrate with my dental software?
VoiceFleet integrates with Dentally, Exact/SOE, and other major practice management platforms used in Ireland. Appointments are booked directly into your system.
The Verdict
For Irish dental practices in 2026, the maths is clear:
- Call centres cost 5–10× more than AI receptionists
- Call centres still miss calls during peaks and can't book appointments directly
- AI receptionists answer instantly, book automatically, and work 24/7 — for a fraction of the price
The call centre model was built for an era before AI voice technology matured. Today, it's an expensive middleman between your patients and your appointment book.
Ready to Switch?
No credit card required. No contract. Go live in under an hour. Setup support included.
Try VoiceFleet Free for 5 Days →
Or call our demo line to hear the AI in action: experience a live conversation before you commit.
Ready to try VoiceFleet?
See how AI voice agents can transform your business at 80% lower cost.