Chatbot check · UK dental practices · October 2026
We asked 31 dental practice chatbots what patients ask.
17 of the 30 that answered got at least one question wrong, or couldn't answer it, when the practice's own website had the answer.
What we did
Asked like a patient, checked against the practice.
In October 2026 we found 31 UK dental practices with an AI chatbot on their website, the chat box that pops up to answer visitors' questions. We asked each one the kind of things a new patient asks: prices, opening hours, deposits and policies. Every question had a clear answer on the practice's own website, so each reply could be checked against the practice's own words.
Most answers were fine. But 17 of the 30 chatbots that answered slipped at least once, and 6 told us something their own website contradicts.
What they told us
It quoted last year's NHS price.
Their own website saysBand 2 – £76.60
A UK dental practice · 24 Oct 2026
It said the price isn't listed. It is.
Their own website saysInvisalign® Lite (14 Aligners) from £3000
A UK dental practice · 23 Oct 2026
It offered a slot after they close.
Their own website saysFriday: 9.00am – 4.00pm
A UK dental practice · 23 Oct 2026
It said there's no booking deposit. There is.
Their own website saysPlease note: to secure your booking, we take a £30 booking fee, credited back to you when you attend.
A UK dental practice · 24 Oct 2026
No practice named. Logos and addresses blocked out.
Where they slipped
The simple questions tripped them up.
| The kind of question | Asked | Wrong | Not answered | Half right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A price with a condition | 30 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| An answer from a deeper page (fees, policies) | 30 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Opening hours or a current price | 30 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| A question built on a wrong belief | 30 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| "Are you sure?" after a right answer | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
The simplest questions were where they struggled most: opening hours and current prices went unanswered 9 times in 30, even though they were on the practice's website. And 10 of the 30 asked for a name, email or phone number before they would answer at least one of them. A patient who only wanted to know when you close may not stay to hand those over.
Why it matters
What the chatbot says, the practice said.
Patients trust a practice's website, and the chat box sits on it. When it gives the wrong price, an appointment time you can't offer or a deposit rule you don't have, the patient hears it from you. Courts have started to agree: businesses can be held responsible for what their chatbot says.
- A cosmetic surgery clinic, Germany. Neither doctor was. A court ruled the chatbot's words were the clinic's own and banned it, with fines of up to €250,000 for doing it again. Source
- Air Canada. The airline's real policy said otherwise. The tribunal made it pay the customer back: "It should be obvious to Air Canada that it is responsible for all the information on its website." Source
Your chatbot
What does yours tell your patients?
We test a practice's chatbot against the questions its patients really ask, show exactly where it's going wrong, and check again once it's put right. Or start with a free check of three questions.
See a sample report How the check works