Guide

A second opinion on tap: Smart Assistant and the drug checker

Two tools for the moments between patients: an AI clinical assistant for technique and planning questions, and a drug interaction checker for safer prescribing.

Updated

Some questions come up mid-clinic and cannot wait for a study club. Which cement for this substrate. Whether that antibiotic is safe alongside the patient's warfarin. myCliniBot includes two tools for exactly these moments: the Smart Assistant, a clinical knowledge partner you can question in plain English, and the Drug Interaction Checker, a prescribing safety net. Both support your judgement. Neither replaces it.

The Smart Assistant

Open Smart Assistant from the navigation, type a question the way you would ask a senior colleague, and get a detailed, evidence-based answer in seconds. It understands dental terminology and UK practice context, so questions like when to use glass ionomer versus composite for a Class II, or how to bond to zirconia for a repair, land exactly as intended.

  • Clinical techniques. Step-by-step guidance for restorative, endodontic, surgical and prosthodontic procedures, including isolation methods and troubleshooting.
  • Adhesive dentistry. Bonding protocols for enamel, dentine, ceramic and metal, surface preparation for lithium disilicate and zirconia, and how to handle adhesive failures.
  • Treatment planning. Evidence-based recommendations for implant planning, cosmetic sequencing, full mouth rehabilitation and weighing alternative options.
  • Material selection. Composite versus amalgam versus glass ionomer, ceramic choices, temporary materials and cement selection for specific scenarios.
  • Diagnostics. Differential diagnosis for tooth pain, radiographic interpretation, soft tissue assessment and special test interpretation.
  • Patient communication. Clear ways to explain complex procedures, discuss risks and benefits, and structure consent conversations.

Beyond quick chairside questions, it earns its keep in case planning, staying current with evidence, and talking through cases with junior team members. For critical decisions, cross-reference against current guidelines. It is a discussion partner, not an oracle.

The Drug Interaction Checker

The checker combines RxNorm, the drug database from the NIH National Library of Medicine, with AI analysis to give dental-specific prescribing guidance. Every check is a fresh analysis, nothing is served from a cache, and results arrive in seconds.

  1. Enter the patient's current medications

    Start typing and autocomplete suggests from the RxNorm database. Generic and brand names are both recognised. Include everything, over-the-counter drugs and supplements too.

  2. Enter what you plan to prescribe

    The amoxicillin, metronidazole or ibuprofen you are considering, at the dose you intend.

  3. Check interactions

    One click returns a severity rating for each combination with the clinical reasoning behind it.

Results are graded from severe, meaning do not prescribe, through moderate, prescribe with caution and monitoring, to minor and none. Each result explains the mechanism in plain English and adds what a prescribing dentist actually needs: dental-specific recommendations, safer alternatives when an interaction is significant, monitoring advice and patient counselling points.

The classic use case is the post-surgical patient on warfarin: check amoxicillin, metronidazole and ibuprofen together before writing anything. Or the older patient who arrives with a medication list of five items and needs clarithromycin. Thirty seconds of checking, documented in the notes, is due diligence that protects both patient and practice.

Common questions about decision support

Is this a replacement for the BNF or specialist advice?
No. Both tools provide decision support and educational information. Patient-specific factors, current BNF guidance and specialist input still govern the final decision, which remains yours.
What is the drug data based on?
The checker draws on RxNorm, the drug terminology database maintained by the NIH National Library of Medicine, combined with AI clinical analysis tuned for dental prescribing.
Can the Smart Assistant answer non-dental questions?
It is built for dentistry: terminology, UK practice context and dental evidence. That focus is what makes its answers clinically useful rather than generic.