A joint AI initiative by Wildix and RoboReception has resulted in significant improvements in patient access and operational efficiency across 65 dental practices in the UK.
The 24/7 AI receptionist system, developed with input from practising dentists, has answered over 50,000 patient calls since its rollout in May 2025, with no missed calls reported. The developers note that previously, up to a third of new patient calls could go unanswered, a scenario that impacted both patient experience and practice revenues.
The adoption of this clinician-designed technology has, according to Wildix and RoboReception, led to GBP £9 million in recovered care revenue and returned more than 2,000 staff hours to frontline clinical teams during the first few months of use. These improvements have been attributed to the agentic voice automation that underpins the system's workflow.
Missed calls challenge
Missed calls have long been identified as a challenge in healthcare. Data cited by the companies from industry publications suggests that over a third of new patient calls traditionally go unanswered, with many potential patients not calling back. Those who do get through are often faced with extended waiting times and low booking rates, resulting in lost revenue for practices and reduced access to care for patients.
The combined solution leverages Wildix's Unified Communications as a Service platform, powered by Wilma AI, alongside RoboReception's dentist-built workflows. This approach gives dental practices oversight, including when AI should engage, when human staff should intervene, and how call records should be updated. There is also a mechanism for seamless escalation from AI to live human agents when necessary.
Clinicians at the centre
RoboReception was founded specifically to address the daily front-desk challenges experienced by clinicians. DR Grant McAree, Co-Founder of RoboReception, commented on the motivation behind the development:
We were never taught business at dental school, only how to serve patients. Yet every missed call meant a patient lost and pressure piling on our teams. I've lived that moment, drill in hand, while the phone rang unanswered. That's why we built RoboReception, not a plug-and-play gadget, but a controllable system created by clinicians for clinicians. Together with Wildix, we've proven AI can work hand-in-hand with staff, giving practices back control and patients the access they deserve.
Operational impact
Reported benefits since the launch include every one of 50,000 calls answered, compared to around a 35% miss rate prior to the AI's introduction, and over 2,000 hours of staff time returned to patient care. RoboReception and Wildix state that nearly GBP £700,000 in new patient value has been captured since launch, with projected totals of GBP £2 million in the first year and a lifetime value of GBP £9 million across the participating practices.
The system resolved 96% of calls entirely through the AI, with only 4% escalated to human staff. Monthly new patient bookings increased to 500, with booking rates rising from 18% to 70%. Additionally, late cancellations have fallen by 75%.
Security and compliance have also been highlighted, as the system operates in accordance with GDPR, including encrypted communications, role-based access, and audit logs for all interactions.
Industry response
Dimitri Osler, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of Wildix, commented on what distinguishes this system from other solutions:
The difference here is simple: this isn't AI running wild, it's AI designed hand-in-hand with clinicians and live in weeks. That's why practices aren't just trialing it, they're scaling it to hundreds of sites. It shows AI can be safe, trusted and still completely game-changing for healthcare.
The consolidated platform replaces older front-desk tools by integrating with patient records, customer relationship management systems, and scheduling platforms, enabling real-time appointment booking, record updating, and call transfers. Focus CX, a Wildix reseller, credited Wildix's open APIs and engineering support with enabling rollout at what it described as an unprecedented speed in healthcare technology adoption.
Expansion plans
The companies have announced that the rollout is being extended to more than 500 practices in markets including Ireland and Australia. The expansion is presented as part of Wildix's focus on AI-enabled unified communications technology directed at supporting operational growth in healthcare and other sectors.