For Dental Office Managers ·
What you'll accomplish
Your practice details (the dentist's name, accepted insurance plans, communication style, common tasks) get loaded once. After that, every letter, policy, or communication Claude drafts is accurate and on-brand from the first message, with no re-explaining.
What you'll need
Go to claude.ai and create an account (free takes 2 minutes). On the left sidebar, look for the Upgrade button or navigate to your account settings. Subscribe to Claude Pro ($20/month). You'll see the interface update with more features, including a Projects section in the left sidebar.
What you should see: The left sidebar shows "Projects" above your chat history.
Troubleshooting: If you don't see Projects, your account may be on a free plan. Confirm your Pro subscription is active under Settings > Billing.
Click New Project in the Projects section. Name it something like "Dental Office: [Your Practice Name]." This project will hold all your practice context and every conversation you have within it starts with that context already loaded.
What you should see: A project page with a text area for "Project Instructions" and a space for uploaded files.
In the Project Instructions box, write a detailed description of your practice. Use this template as a starting point and fill in your actual details:
You are the AI assistant for [Practice Name], a [size, e.g. 3-dentist] private dental practice in [city, state].
PRACTICE OVERVIEW:
- Lead dentist: Dr. [Last Name]
- Other providers: [names and specialties]
- Practice focus: [e.g. family dentistry, cosmetic, pediatric]
- Number of staff: approximately [X]
- PMS software: [Dentrix / Eaglesoft / Open Dental]
INSURANCE:
We accept the following plans: [list your top 5-10 plans]
Our in-network networks: [e.g. Delta Dental Premier, Cigna DPPO, MetLife]
COMMUNICATION STYLE:
- Patient-facing communications: warm, friendly, clear (avoid jargon)
- Insurance/payer communications: formal, professional, direct
- Staff communications: clear, supportive, concise
COMMON TASKS YOU HELP WITH:
- Drafting insurance appeal letters
- Writing pre-authorization letters
- Responding to patient billing questions
- Social media posts for our Facebook and Instagram pages
- HR documents (job postings, performance reviews)
- Patient recall messages
When drafting any patient communication, always sign off as "[Office Manager Name]" and include our phone number [XXX-XXX-XXXX] in relevant communications.
Click New Chat within your project. Type a real task you'd normally spend 20+ minutes on:
"Write a pre-authorization letter for a crown (D2740) on tooth #19. The patient is a 52-year-old woman. The tooth has been broken with exposed dentin and the decay has reached the pulp, a crown is needed to prevent extraction."
What you should see: The AI writes a formal pre-authorization letter that already uses your practice name, Dr.'s name, and the communication style you defined. It will be dramatically better than starting from a blank page.
If the output is missing something (e.g., it doesn't include your NPI number, or the letter format doesn't match what a specific insurer expects), update your Project Instructions to include that detail. The more you refine the instructions over the first 2 weeks, the faster and more accurate the tool becomes.
Use these in your Claude Project whenever you need them:
Insurance Pre-Authorization: "Write a pre-authorization letter for [CDT code and procedure name] on tooth #[XX]. Patient is [age, gender]. Clinical indication: [brief reason]. Insurer: [name]."
Patient Balance Call Script: "Write a phone script for calling [patient scenario] about a $[amount] balance. The balance is because [reason]. Tone: calm, empathetic, solution-focused."
Job Posting: "Write a job posting for a [role] at our practice. Key duties: [list]. Benefits: [list]. Required experience: [describe]. Make it warm and specific."
Monthly Recap for Dentist: "Here are this month's numbers: Production: $[X], Collections: $[X], New patients: [X], AR 90+ days: $[X]. Write a one-paragraph executive summary for our monthly meeting."
Staff Policy Document: "Write an SOP for [process name] at our dental practice. Audience: front desk staff with no prior training. Include Purpose, Scope, Responsible Party, Steps, and Notes."
Click Save when done.
What you should see: The instructions save and appear at the top of the Project page.
Troubleshooting: If you're unsure what to include, start simple. Add more detail over time as you discover what the AI needs to be more accurate.