AI and Dentistry :How Practices Will Get Found Over the Next Decade

AI is changing how patients find dentists—but it's not replacing your front desk tomorrow. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Evan Maass (Founder/CEO of DentistOffices.com) to break down what's real vs. hype in AI, where dental marketing is still failing practices (hello, "mystery SEO reports"), and how visibility is shifting from traditional Google search toward AI-driven recommendations. Evan also shares where reviews, directories, and user-generated content (like Reddit) fit into the next decade of "getting found." What You'll Learn The biggest problems dentists face with SEO and ad spend (and how to spot "scam SEO") Where AI is useful today (keyword intent, targeting, automation) vs. where it's not ready (phone answering agents replacing humans) How AI search and traditional Google search overlap—and what "AI visibility" really means Why reviews + user-generated content will matter even more in the future What to ask a marketing agency before signing a contract (ownership, references, specialization) How directories (DentistOffices, Yelp, Healthgrades, etc.) can influence being recommended by AI tools — Key Takeaways 00:38 Welcome + Sponsors + Episode intro 01:46 Meet Evan Maass + background 02:50 What DentistOffices.com is and how it works 05:55 How DentistOffices compares to ZocDoc 06:55 State of dental marketing: SEO frustration + ad waste 08:50 AI in dental marketing right now: what's useful vs. hype 11:05 Why AI phone agents aren't "prime time" yet 13:27 The review risk: AI agent frustration + negative reviews 14:34 A safer setup: auto-attendant for new vs. existing patients 15:10 Testing AI agents (the "rhinoplasty" question) 16:02 AI security + "jailbreak" concerns 17:30 In 5 years: what roles AI may replace in practices 20:00 Will Google disappear? AI search vs. Google evolution 23:39 Reviews and trust signals: why they matter more over time 24:35 Why Reddit influences AI recommendations 25:15 How dental offices can use Reddit carefully 31:00 Questions to ask marketing agencies before hiring 35:00 Specialist vs. "do-it-all" marketing + budget realities 38:50 Lightning round success, habits, mindset, favorites 43:25 How to reach Evan + add your practice to platform 45:20 Wrap-up + "Your reputation matters"   — Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com. This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here. This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here. Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!