PortmanDentex signs AI deal to cut dental admin

PortmanDentex has signed a two-year partnership with Heidi to deploy clinical AI across its dental practices in the UK and Ireland, marking a large-scale use of AI in dentistry in both markets.

Under the deal, Heidi's clinical scribe will be introduced across the organisation alongside Heidi Evidence and other tools. The system is designed to reduce clinicians' administrative workload, improve the consistency of clinical records and free up more time for patients.

The rollout follows a pilot in selected practices that delivered measurable gains in record-keeping and administration time. About 60 new clinicians are going live with the system each month, and the software is already used daily across the network.

Heidi's software listens to consultations and generates structured notes and letters for clinicians to review and complete. Dentists and other clinicians retain control of the final record and can edit, approve and file documents into practice systems.

Pilot Results

The agreement gives PortmanDentex a longer-term framework for broader deployment following the initial trial. The group said the pilot demonstrated strong clinician engagement, indicating staff support ahead of the wider rollout.

PortmanDentex is one of the largest dental groups in the UK and Ireland, giving Heidi access to a substantial network of practices and clinicians. More broadly, the move reflects growing interest across the dental sector in using AI tools to manage documentation and other routine clinical tasks.

Cathal Hayes, head of clinical transformation and strategy at PortmanDentex, said: "We are committed to transforming patient care through innovation that delivers meaningful, measurable impact. Our partnership with Heidi marks a major step forward in harnessing clinical AI, supporting our clinicians by streamlining administrative tasks, improving efficiency in record keeping, and enhancing how dental care is delivered across the UK and Ireland. By freeing up clinicians' time and improving the quality and consistency of clinical notes, we can ensure even greater focus on what matters most: our patients."

Broader Push

The partnership also reflects a broader shift in healthcare towards ambient AI tools that capture and summarise conversations during appointments. Supporters say these systems can reduce the burden of note-taking while leaving clinicians to check and sign off on the resulting records.

For PortmanDentex, the priority is to fit the technology into busy practices without disrupting appointments or clinical workflows. Wider deployment is expected to increase adoption of Heidi's tools across the network.

Heidi, founded in Melbourne, says its products are used in emergency departments, general practice and specialist clinics. It says it supports more than 2.3 million consultations each week across 190 countries and in 110 languages.

The company has raised USD $96.6 million from investors, including Point72 Private Investments, Blackbird, Headline, Latitude, Possible Ventures and Archangel. It also says it adheres to standards including the NHS, HIPAA, GDPR, and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Dr Tom Kelly, chief executive officer and co-founder of Heidi, said: "Clinicians face some of the most demanding administrative workloads in frontline healthcare. Detailed clinical notes are critical for safe, high-quality care, but they can take a real toll on clinician time and energy.

"Our partnership with PortmanDentex shows what it looks like to put AI to work in a way that is clinically grounded and genuinely useful for clinicians day to day. By embedding Heidi's ambient clinical AI across one of the UK's largest dental groups, we are helping to give clinicians back time and headspace, improve the quality and consistency of records, and support a more sustainable way of working.

"The pace of adoption we have seen already, combined with the feedback from PortmanDentex clinicians and the measurable impact from practices already using Heidi, gives us real confidence that ambient clinical AI can play a central role in the digital transformation of dentistry across the UK."