1041: AI & HR for Private Dental Practices - Alan Twigg

AI is showing up everywhere in dentistry, but how far should you go with it in HR—and where does it create risk? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Alan Twigg, HR professional and leader at Bent Ericksen, to unpack practical, low-risk ways to use AI in a private dental practice, where it can backfire, and why compliance and culture still require trained human judgment. You’ll learn what AI does well today, what it gets wrong, how employees may use it against you, and how to protect your practice while staying efficient. Listen to Episode 1041 of The Best Practices Show! Main Takeaways: AI can summarize information confidently even when it is wrong, so you should not use it as a source of HR compliance guidance. Employees and patients can use AI tools to research employment and practice issues faster, increasing the need for accurate HR compliance. Using AI to write or review policies can miss common real-world scenarios and still requires significant human time to verify and maintain. AI’s default “agreeable” responses can be risky in HR decisions like termination because it may not challenge high-risk choices. Useful AI applications in HR are generally administrative or creative support, not legal interpretation or employee-relations decision-making. Culture and trust remain key differentiators for private practices, especially as larger organizations pursue efficiency through automation. The real value of technology should be freeing time for human connection, not compressing more tasks into the day. Snippets: 00:00 AI is everywhere—would you use it for HR? 01:00 Alan explains what he does and why HR support matters in dentistry. 04:00 Kirk on “this will change everything” predictions and why trust still runs dentistry. 08:00 The five Cs that differentiate humans from AI: communication, compassion, curiosity, creativity, courage. 11:00 Why AI can be dangerous for HR compliance information, with real examples of errors. 14:00 The Workday lawsuit and what it could mean for AI-driven hiring tools. 17:00 What happens when a practice tries to use AI to build policies and procedures. 22:00 How AI’s “agreeable” nature can increase risk in terminations and employee conflict. 25:00 Safer, practical uses of AI: UEP drafting, appreciation ideas, and reducing admin drudgery. 28:00 Five years out: efficiency vs. work intensification, and the hope for more human connection. 32:00 Final cautions: don’t let AI change your vision, and don’t use it for compliance decisions. Guest Bio/Guest Resources: Alan Twigg is the president of Bent Ericksen & Associates. For over 10 years, he has guided thousands of clients and consultants through the ever-changing world of HR and employment compliance. He is a speaker, consultant, and author who is passionate about bringing education and peace of mind to such a confusing topic. As a strong proponent of symbiotic employer-employee relations, Alan is passionate about teamwork and positive work cultures, with an emphasis on long-term personnel retention and employment compliance, where his solutions-oriented outlook excels. Resources mentioned: https://bentericksen.com/ More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life: The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/ Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/ Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com