Ask Dentorb: check the workflow before relying on it
Evaluate Ask Dentorb with a clear workflow test: inspect source records, permissions, proposed work, approval controls and the actual result.
Published by Dr Sim Raiyat
Clinical Director, Dentorb — Private General Dentist
Ask Dentorb is Dentorb's assistant for practice administration. The most useful way to assess it is to follow one real type of task from the source record to the result. Check what it can see, what it prepares, who may approve an action and how you know the action happened.
Use fictional records for an initial demonstration. A smooth answer is not evidence that the source is current or that a proposed action has been carried out.
Choose a task with a clear finish
Start with an ordinary administrative workflow: find an open task, prepare an enquiry reply or examine a rota-cover suggestion. Say what a successful outcome would be before the demonstration begins.
For example: “Show an authorised manager an overdue task, its owner and the information used to prepare a follow-up. Let the manager inspect the wording and show the final recorded outcome.” This tests something observable rather than the broad promise that AI will “handle admin”.
The Ask Dentorb product page describes preparing work from practice information. Confirm the specific functions enabled for your account. Do not infer a clinical PMS connection, clinical judgement capability or identical approval rules for every action.
Follow five checks
| Check | Question to ask | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Which record and version informed this work? | A traceable source the reviewer can inspect |
| Access | What can this role use or change? | Both an allowed and a restricted example |
| Preparation | Is this an answer, draft, suggestion or action? | Clear status and editable proposed work where supported |
| Decision | Who may approve this action, and when? | The workflow's actual configured controls |
| Result | What happened, failed or remains pending? | Recorded outcome, not just a success-sounding message |
Ask for plain explanations. If a source is missing or two records disagree, the person reviewing the work needs to see that limitation.
Test the difference between suggestion and completion
Hypothetical rota example: a nurse becomes unavailable. A cover option is prepared. The reviewer checks role, timing, availability and the responsible lead's decision. The suggested person still needs to be appropriately confirmed; the existence of a suggestion does not prove a clinic is covered.
Our rota example shows how a filled cell can hide a clash. Apply the same care when the proposed entry comes from an assistant.
Keep these states distinct: proposed work, authorised decision, action attempted and confirmed result. The exact sequence depends on the workflow. A demonstration of one approval step does not establish that every action in the product follows the same gate.
Ask to see an exception
Try a missing record, a role without permission or an action that cannot be completed. If you edit a draft, check which version is ultimately approved and recorded. If an action is retried, ask how duplicate work is avoided.
For a message, distinguish a prepared draft from sending and any supported delivery status. For a task, distinguish assigning an owner from the owner completing the work. For a summary, check a sample against its source rather than assuming polished wording means accuracy.
Dentorb's AI safety information is relevant to this discussion. Review the actual data use and controls with the responsible product and privacy people. The ICO's security guidance remains relevant where personal information is involved; the assistant's name does not establish that a particular use is suitable.
Choose a narrow starting use
Select a workflow the team understands and can check. Record the starting process, enabled scope, approval roles and how to report a mistake. Keep clinical judgement, employment decisions and other sensitive matters with the appropriately qualified and authorised people.
Use the operations-software onboarding checklist for role-based practice and acceptance. Dentorb's task tools provide a relevant workflow to discuss alongside the assistant.
Measure what you actually observe: handling time, corrections and unresolved items. Time released is not automatically cash saved, and a short demonstration is not proof of a permanent improvement.
Leave the demonstration with four facts: the workflow tested, the source checked, the controls observed and the limitations still open. Those are a practical basis for deciding what to adopt first.
