Usman Salam

How Life Smiles Dental Care Cut Missed Calls and Gained a 24/7 Receptionist with Zaha AI

Zaha AI · After-Hours Coverage · Front Desk Efficiency

With a full schedule up front and calls arriving during treatment, after hours, and at weekends, Life Smiles Dental Care added Zaha AI as an around-the-clock receptionist, so the team could stay with patients in the chair without leaving callers on voicemail.

• Fewer missed calls when the front desk is short staffed
• Real-time emergency notifications, including nights and weekends
• Spanish-speaking callers served in their own language

Usman Salam has been managing Life Smiles Dental Care for almost five years. His days are a whirlwind. One minute he is helping a patient understand a complex treatment plan. The next minute he is handling a scheduling conflict up front. Then he is back in a room calming a nervous pediatric patient.

Here is the problem he kept running into. While he was tied up with patients, the phone kept ringing. Prospective patients with questions. Existing patients with emergencies. Insurance calls that needed an immediate answer. And because his front desk staff is often busy checking in a full schedule of patients, calls would go unanswered.

I may not always be available to answer important phone calls, whether it’s during business hours or even after business hours. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

He knew he was losing revenue. Every missed call is a potential new patient who hangs up and calls the dentist down the street. Every after-hours call that goes to voicemail is a patient who feels ignored.

But what could he do? Hiring another front desk person for nights and weekends was not realistic. That is when he heard about Zaha AI, an AI-powered receptionist built specifically for dental practices.

When Usman first learned about Zaha AI, one thing grabbed his attention immediately. This was not just another piece of software. It was like hiring a secondary employee, a virtual team member that works when he cannot.

I really feel like this tool that we have with Zaha using the AI is extremely beneficial to have for any office, not just ours. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

The idea of having a reliable backup system that never gets tired, never takes a lunch break, and never needs a day off was a game changer for him.

Usman did not just need a basic answering service. He needed intelligence. And Zaha AI delivered in three specific ways that surprised him.

• First, the language capability. His practice sees Spanish-speaking patients regularly. Zaha AI can detect when someone is speaking Spanish and switch languages seamlessly. That means no more hang-ups because a patient cannot communicate their needs in English.
• Second, the smart scheduling. The AI can actually understand what a patient is calling about, check the practice’s schedule in real time, and find an available appointment slot without human intervention.
• Third, the ability to handle any kind of communication that would normally require a person to be available. Whether it is a simple question about office hours or a request to reschedule, Zaha handles it.

Usman knows that every dental office struggles with missed calls and slow follow-ups. When the front desk is short staffed or slammed with patients, calls pile up. And by the time someone returns those voicemails, the patient has often found another office.

Zaha AI changed that equation completely.

If I have a short front desk staff, anything that is missed I am able to rely on this service to help me go back and see what was missed or what needs to be addressed right away. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

He no longer has to wonder what he missed. The system captures everything and gives him a clear view of calls that need attention.

Here is where Zaha AI really shines. Dental emergencies do not wait for regular business hours. A patient with a cracked tooth at 8 PM on a Saturday does not want to leave a voicemail and hope for a callback Monday morning.

With Zaha AI, emergency calls get handled immediately. The system can direct patients to emergency services if needed. But more importantly, Usman and his team get a real-time notification the moment an emergency call comes in.

This system allows them to let them know that hey, they can contact any emergency services and they can always reach out to us, or we get a notification right away from Zaha that this is what’s transpired. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

That kind of responsiveness builds patient loyalty. When someone is in pain, and your practice responds instantly, they remember that.

One of the most powerful aspects of Zaha AI is that it works around the clock. Weekends. Holidays. The middle of the night. It never stops.

Whether it’s on the weekends, after hours, holidays, any potential calls or leads can get slipped through. That service will help us always have like a standby employee, so to speak, that’s always there to help. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

Think about the cost of a single lost lead. A new patient who calls on a Sunday afternoon, gets no answer, and books with a competitor instead. That one patient could be worth thousands of dollars over their lifetime. Zaha AI prevents that leak.

Usman knows that some practice owners are skeptical about bringing artificial intelligence into their office. They worry about the technology being too complicated. They worry about patients hating it. They worry about losing the personal touch.

His response is direct and honest.

I would tell them that this is something obviously that’s kind of recently introduced into different practices. Everybody may handle it differently, but I see it as a very beneficial tool. There’s more pros than there are cons in having a service like this. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

He believes that integrating Zaha AI with your practice will help you excel in production, improve patient satisfaction, and make everything run smoother.

At the end of the interview, Usman was asked a simple question. If another practice owner asked whether Zaha AI is worth exploring, what would you say?

His answer was immediate and emphatic.

Absolutely 100 percent. I think it’s certainly something that every practice should at least have or some sort of service like this. Things get busy. We are always multitasking different responsibilities. Just to know that there is a backup system that we can have that can help out during business hours or even after hours is something I would certainly want other offices to input into their own practice. Usman Salam, Operational & Front/Back Office Manager, Life Smiles Dental Care

He is not just a satisfied user. He is a believer. And he plans to continue growing with the service.

Usman did not provide specific numbers in the testimonial, so the outcomes below are described qualitatively, based on his own comments.

• Fewer missed calls. When the front desk is short staffed, Zaha catches what would otherwise fall through the cracks.
• Faster response to emergencies. Real-time notifications mean the team can act immediately, even after hours.
• Higher patient satisfaction. Spanish-speaking patients get served in their language. After-hours callers get help instead of voicemail.
• Reduced manager stress. Usman no longer feels like he has to be everywhere at once. He has a reliable backup.
• No lost leads. Weekend and holiday calls get answered, scheduled, or properly routed instead of ignored.

If you are a dental practice owner or manager who feels stretched too thin, Usman’s experience is a clear signal. You do not need to hire another human being to solve your call volume problem. You need an AI receptionist that works 24/7, speaks multiple languages, and never drops a call.

Zaha AI is not about replacing your front desk staff. It is about giving them a powerful backup so they can focus on patients in the chair while the AI handles the phone.

The hesitation around AI is understandable. But as Usman said, the pros far outweigh the cons. And in a competitive market where every missed call could be a lost patient forever, can you really afford not to explore this?

Usman Salam closed the conversation with a simple thank you and a look toward the future. He appreciates the help Zaha AI has provided and looks forward to continuing to grow with the service.

His advice to every other dental practice out there is clear. Get this, or get something like it. Because things get busy. And you need a backup system that never sleeps.