Why I Use...Pearl Voice

I’ve always been tech-forward, but if something doesn’t improve patient care or communication, I consider it a toy, not a tool. Pearl is as much a communication tool as it is a diagnostic one. When parents look at a black-and-white X-ray, they don’t see what we see. Second Opinion reads thousands of shades of gray and highlights problem areas in color, so everyone in the room can understand exactly where the decay is.

When you’re seeing 50-plus patients a day like we do, you need a smooth workflow. Our office was the first in the country to integrate Pearl within Eaglesoft, and having AI-powered caries detection in my imaging software keeps things efficient.

Putting Voice to the Test

Many of my new patients are referred for full-mouth rehabilitation under general anesthesia. These consultations run long, and I need records I can trust completely. The first time I used Pearl Voice, I thought it might just be another dictation app—until I put it through its paces during one of these visits.

I intentionally worked out of order: medical history first, x-rays before clinical photos, a detour into orthodontics because the child was a thumb-sucker, then back to anesthesia and the treatment plan. Within 30 seconds of ending that 24-minute consult, Voice delivered a fully organized, incredibly detailed note. Everything was in its place—it didn’t change the meaning of anything I said, and it even picked up Mom’s questions along the way.

Most dental software has fi ll-in-the-blank “auto notes,” which can fall short medicolegally: If doctors pull up their last 7 consults, they may all have the exact same verbiage. Voice records the conversation, and the notes reflect what was really said. It’s a safety net that saves me an hour to an hour and a half every day.

What excites me most is Pearl’s recent rollout of customizable note templates. I now have separate Voice templates for phone calls, recall exams, short parent consults, and detailed anesthesia consults.

My staff has templates of their own, too, making their notes faster and more consistent. Our entire workflow has sped up tremendously.

More Time for What Matters

When I lecture, I show an image of a heart that’s half microchip, half clasped hands—a symbol of technology as an adjunct to care, not a replacement.

That’s the goal: If I’m not spending 30 minutes typing notes or filling in charts, I can step away from the screen and actually talk to my patients. My dream is to walk in, give a high-five, hand out stickers and balloons, and spend the extra time discussing oral hygiene and diet. Tools like Pearl will get us there.