Why I’ll be at The Dentistry Show on 16 May, and why I think this panel matters

There is no shortage of noise right now about AI, technology and the future of dentistry.

Every week brings a new promise. A new platform. A new voice bot. A new “revolution” that claims it will transform patient communication, reduce admin, save time and somehow make everyone richer, calmer and more efficient by next week.

Which is exactly why I’m looking forward to appearing on the panel session The tech-powered patient journey at the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show on Saturday 16 May 2026, from 14:30 to 15:15 in the Dental Business Theatre.

I'm delighted to be taking part with Kish and Jin from Smile Dental Academy, Adam from Boxly and Les Jones from Practice Plan.

The official session description says we’ll be exploring how AI and digital tools are being used in dental practices to streamline workflows, support communication and enhance the patient experience. The published learning outcomes focus on understanding where these tools can genuinely improve communication, efficiency, trust and retention.

That matters, because I think the profession is standing at a very interesting moment.

On the one hand, there is no doubt that digital systems and AI are already changing the patient journey.

From first digital contact, to how enquiries are handled, to how consultations are recorded, to how treatment plans are presented, the opportunities are real. I’m seeing practices use Loom video brilliantly. I’m seeing Gamma.app turn dull treatment plans into attractive, patient-friendly presentations. I’m seeing CRM systems finally begin to earn their keep. And I’m seeing note-taking software remove friction from the consultation process.

On the other hand, I also think there is a danger that practices jump too fast.

One of the phrases that came up when we were discussing the panel was this: "don’t miss the boat, but don’t jump on the boat so fast that you fall off the other side of it!"

That, for me, is the conversation.

Not whether AI exists. Not whether technology matters. Of course it does.

The real question is where it genuinely improves the patient journey, where it supports the team rather than unnerving them, and where it helps clinicians do better work without stripping out the human touch that still matters most.

Because that, in the end, is the line we must hold.

AI can help with speed, structure, communication and consistency. It can support the patient journey at multiple touchpoints.

But it cannot do hospitality. It cannot replace genuine warmth at front of house, a meaningful conversation in surgery, or the reassuring confidence of a well-led team looking after a nervous patient.

So if you are curious about where the profession is really going, if you want to hear practical views rather than hype, and if you’d like to think more clearly about how technology should fit into the patient journey rather than dominate it, then come and join us.

I suspect it will be lively. I suspect there will be debate. And I suspect there will be quite a few audience questions as well.

Which is exactly as it should be.

Here’s the link to sign up: https://invt.io/1exbfr1gf06