AI is reshaping dentistry faster than what most practices can keep pace with, and that gap between adoption and understanding is creating a serious risk.
In this episode of The DrBicuspid.com Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Kevin Henry sits down with Dr. Greg Grillo, president of Method Pro, to talk about where dentistry stands with AI right now and what practices must do to protect themselves.
Grillo has spent nearly three decades in dentistry, growing a hygiene-centered, multiprovider practice before transitioning into consulting, coaching, and dental marketing. He brings that clinical and business perspective to a candid conversation about the AI moment dentistry is living through -- one he describes as unlike any technological shift he has seen in his career.
"Right now with the AI revolution -- come on, even as consumers, I think we're all a little overwhelmed," Grillo says. "If there was ever a Wild West, I think we have it right now."
Grillo's concern isn't whether AI works, it's the potential ramifications -- legal and otherwise -- surrounding how AI is being used. Grillo cites surveys suggesting that at least 70% of dental offices use some form of AI without a formal policy, training, or compliance framework in place. The problem, he says, is that consumer-grade tools like ChatGPT are finding their way into clinical workflows, creating potential HIPAA exposure that many dentists don't even know exists.
His advice: Start with the basics. Before adopting any AI tool, ask whether the vendor will sign a business associate agreement. If they won't, the conversation is over. From there, practices need documented AI policies, staff training, and, ideally, continuing education that aligns the entire team on what is and isn't appropriate.
The good news, Grillo says, is that done right, AI delivers real returns. He describes an orthodontist client who saved eight hours a week -- the equivalent of a full workday -- simply by implementing AI-assisted note transcription.
Henry and Grillo also discuss how to evaluate AI vendors, why both overadoption and avoidance carry risks, and what it means to optimize a dental practice for AI-powered search -- a frontier most practices haven't even considered yet.
If your team is using AI -- and there's a good chance they are -- this is a conversation worth having.
Listen to our conversation below.
