A growing number of patients are turning to artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews to find dental care—but most practices are not being surfaced in these recommendations, even when they meet the patient’s criteria. This discrepancy has prompted concern among dental professionals about how their practices are represented—or overlooked—by emerging AI search technologies.
In response, Digital Floss, a healthcare-focused digital strategy firm, has launched an AI Visibility Assessment intended to help dental practices understand how AI models interpret their online presence and where key gaps may lie.
This initiative follows an internal audit of over 100 dental practices conducted by Digital Floss, which found that 93% of those practices did not appear in AI-generated recommendations, even when their location, insurance compatibility, and patient language preferences aligned with the search query.
“We’ve had hundreds of healthcare practices reach out after we published those findings,” said Dr. Anissa Broussard, DMD, co-founder of Digital Floss. “They want to know: are we showing up when someone asks ChatGPT to recommend a provider? For most, the answer is no—and that’s a problem.”
A Shift in Search Behavior
While traditional SEO and Google optimization have long been part of digital strategy, newer AI platforms rely on a broader interpretation of online data. Rather than indexing individual websites, tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini draw from an aggregate of content—including provider bios, social media, video content, and patient reviews.
“Traditional SEO doesn’t guarantee visibility anymore,” Broussard said. “AI platforms pull from bios, videos, reviews, and social content. You can’t just rely on one channel—you need to be clear and consistent everywhere AI is listening.”
The speed of change is notable. According to Semrush, traffic from large language models (LLMs) is expected to surpass traditional search by 2027. Because many LLMs are trained on static data snapshots, practices that fail to establish a clear digital presence before each training cycle risk remaining invisible in AI-powered search results for extended periods.
Assessment Framework
The AI Visibility Assessment evaluates five areas that influence discoverability: website structure and clarity for AI interpretation; completeness and consistency of social media profiles (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn); Google Business Profile optimization and local listing accuracy; metadata and educational value of video content (YouTube, TikTok); and integration and engagement patterns on review platforms.
The output is a scorecard detailing how visible a practice is to AI platforms and which areas need improvement, with recommendations prioritized by urgency and impact.
While ChatGPT remains a focal point, the assessment also reviews visibility across several other widely used AI platforms in the United States, including Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Meta’s LlaMA, Perplexity AI, Anthropic Claude, and xAI’s Grok.
This cross-platform perspective offers a broader understanding of how various LLMs interpret and surface healthcare provider information.
Early Response and Next Steps
Since releasing its findings, Digital Floss has received inquiries from practices in more than 15 states. The company has indicated plans to extend the assessment service to other healthcare sectors in the coming months.
“AI doesn’t reward paid placement—it rewards clarity, consistency, and authentic expertise,” Broussard said. “This assessment gives dentists the visibility roadmap they didn’t know they needed.”
For dental professionals seeking to future-proof their digital presence, understanding how AI models perceive their practice may soon be just as important as optimizing for Google.
