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WhatsApp for dental clinics: front desk, reminders and recalls

How to set up the clinic's WhatsApp in InvestCRM, on Meta's official API: an AI front desk, appointment reminders sent as utility messages, recall invitations for patients who drifted away, and a pipeline for treatment plans. With Odonto Invest connected, the agent checks the clinic's schedule and books, confirms and reschedules appointments after confirming who the patient is.

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The problem

Where a clinic's WhatsApp usually gets stuck

At a dental clinic, the person answering WhatsApp is almost always the one covering the front desk and the phone. The most common question ("any slot on Thursday?") depends on the schedule, and the schedule lives in another system. When a patient writes at lunchtime or after 6 p.m., the answer waits until the next day, and they may book with whoever replied first.

  • No-shows and gaps: confirming tomorrow's schedule one patient at a time, from the front desk's phone, eats the afternoon and leaves no record of who confirmed.
  • Recalls nobody remembers: cleanings, brace adjustments and check-ups depend on someone remembering to call the patient, and the list of who drifted away sits in the practice system, far from WhatsApp.
  • Health data on a personal phone: X-ray photos, exams and treatment questions land on the staff member's own phone. Under Brazil's LGPD, health data is sensitive personal data.
  • A message is also advertising: Brazil's Dental Code of Ethics applies to ads in any medium, and a marketing message with a price, installments or a "free assessment" falls under the bans in article 44.

The setups below tackle each of these points with what InvestCRM already does, and each one says which plan it works on.

Setups in InvestCRM

Four setups for the clinic's routine

Names in bold are the labels on screen (in Portuguese). The setups work on their own and add up; how the agent works inside is covered in AI customer service.

From the Business plan

1. AI front desk linked to Odonto Invest's schedule

Starts when

In Settings → Integrações (API), on the Odonto Invest card, you click Conectar (Connect).

How to set it up

  1. Sign in with your Odonto Invest access and authorize the clinic. Each Odonto Invest clinic is linked to a single InvestCRM account.
  2. The connection creates the Paciente Odonto Invest label, four fields (Prontuário, CPF, Data de nascimento and E-mail, all with "(Odonto Invest)" in the name: chart number, tax ID, date of birth and email) and the Recepção Odonto Invest agent, with the tool that checks the clinic's schedule and payments. In the agent editor this tool shows up as an Integration: you can only switch it on or off.
  3. Patients arrive in pages of 200 until the import ends; after that, every 15 minutes, only those changed in Odonto Invest come in. The import fires no automation at all, and a name your team already typed on a contact is never overwritten.
  4. In the welcome flow, connect the "Já sou paciente" (I'm already a patient) button to the Atendimento com IA block with the Recepção Odonto Invest agent. Only that agent can reach the clinic's data.
  5. Add your OpenAI or Anthropic key in Settings → Agente de IA: without a key, the agent does not reply.

What happens next

Before showing any data, the agent confirms identity with the CPF or the date of birth. Then it shows open slots, books, reschedules, cancels and confirms appointments and reports pending payments, always repeating the day, time and professional and asking for the patient's "yes" before saving. If the person mentions pain or an emergency, the chat goes to someone on the team.

InvestCRM screen: Behavior tab of a sample AI agent, with three skills switched on (Agendar visita through the Calendar, Consultar pedido through an external system via API, and Transferir para Financeiro) and the agent rules field
Real InvestCRM screen, with sample data.

From the Start plan

2. Appointment reminder as a utility message

Starts when

The patient gets the "Confirmar consulta" tag (the Tag atribuída ao contato trigger, "tag assigned to contact").

How to set it up

  1. Submit the lembrete_consulta template for approval in the Utility category (the text is in the templates section below).
  2. In Automations, create a flow with the Tag atribuída ao contato trigger and pick the "Confirmar consulta" tag.
  3. Connect a Modelo aprovado (approved template) block with the reminder. In the template variables, {{1}} = Primeiro Nome (first name) and {{2}} = Campo 1 (field 1).
  4. After the template, add an Ações (actions) block with Remover Tag "Confirmar consulta", so the same tag works for the next appointment.
  5. The day before, the front desk imports a spreadsheet of the next day's appointments (CSV or XLSX, with the phone and the day and time in the Campo 1 column), which updates the patient already on file, then applies the tag on the Contacts screen, one by one or several at once: the contact card has nowhere to type Campo 1. If your schedule lives in another system, it can do the same through the InvestCRM API (Business plan): the contact arrives with Campo 1 and the tag, and the flow runs.

What happens next

The reminder goes out as soon as the tag is applied, even if the patient has not written in the last 24 hours, because it is an approved template. Their reply lands in the team inbox, where you can assign the chat and leave an internal note the patient never sees.

From the Start plan

3. Recall invitation for patients who haven't been back in months

Starts when

A broadcast scheduled by date and time, for an audience picked by condition.

How to set it up

  1. Tag the patients who are due for a recall, for example "Retorno limpeza". If you use Odonto Invest, every patient already has the Paciente Odonto Invest label.
  2. In Broadcasts, pick the retorno_manutencao template (Marketing category) and, under Público alvo (target audience), the condition Tag is "Retorno limpeza".
  3. Click + Excluir público (exclude audience) and pick the Odonto Invest: sem marketing tag: it marks patients who asked, in Odonto Invest, not to get marketing. The broadcast does not leave that group out on its own.
  4. Tick Confirmo o opt-in (the system asks for it before publishing), schedule the date and time and choose the pace: Devagar (6 a minute), Padrão (20) or Rápido (60).

What happens next

The report shows sent, delivered, read and clicked. Anyone who types just SAIR, PARAR, STOP, CANCELAR or DESCADASTRAR goes onto the block list and is left out of future broadcasts. Tapping a button does not unsubscribe anyone: only the typed word does.

InvestCRM screen: Público alvo (target audience) of a broadcast, with the conditions menu open (Tag, Segment, Subscription sequence, Opt-in source), the count of contacts who will receive it and the Confirmo o opt-in checkbox
Real InvestCRM screen, with sample data.

From the Start plan

4. Treatment plans in the pipeline, with loss reasons

Starts when

A new patient taps "Primeira consulta" (first appointment) in the welcome flow.

How to set it up

  1. In the Pipeline, rename the stages of the first pipeline to match the clinic's routine, for example: Assessment booked, Plan presented, In treatment, Won and Lost.
  2. In the flow, connect the "Primeira consulta" button to an Ações block with Adicionar ao funil (add to pipeline), in the first stage.
  3. After the assessment, drag the card to Plan presented and enter the value of the plan. Create a task tied to the deal to get back to the patient: it shows up in Tasks and on the Calendar.
  4. If the patient does not go ahead, mark the deal as lost and pick a ready-made reason (price, no reply…) or write your own.

What happens next

The card shows how many days the plan has sat in the same stage, and the task traffic light flags who is still waiting for a call back. On Enterprise, the Conversion view brings together the win rate, the time in each stage and the most common loss reasons. More on the pipeline in WhatsApp CRM.

InvestCRM screen: sample sales pipeline in columns (Novo lead, Em contato, Proposta enviada, Negociação), with the total of each stage and, on each card, the value, the phone number and the labels
Real InvestCRM screen, with sample data.

Message templates

Templates for the clinic, in the right category

To message a patient first, outside the 24-hour window, you need a template approved by Meta, and the category sets what each delivery costs. Replace whatever is in square brackets with the clinic's details before you submit it.

  • Appointment reminder

    Utility

    Template name: lembrete_consulta

    Hi {{1}}, this is a reminder of your appointment booked for {{2}}. If you need to change the time, reply to this message and the front desk will help.

    • I confirm
    • I need to reschedule

    Why this category

    It is about an appointment the patient booked and it offers nothing: that is utility. Add something like "and while you are here, book a cleaning" and Meta may move the template to marketing.

  • Treatment installment notice

    Utility

    Template name: pendencia_pagamento

    Hi {{1}}, the installment for your treatment is due on {{2}}. If you have already paid, please ignore this notice; if you have questions, just reply here.

    Why this category

    It is a payment notice for a service the patient already signed up for, with no offer attached. Meta itself lists the payment reminder as a utility example.

  • Recall invitation

    Marketing

    Template name: retorno_manutencao

    Hi {{1}}! It has been a while since your last visit. Would you like the front desk to find a time for your check-up? [Clinic] · Technical lead: [name], CRO-[state] [number]. To stop getting messages like this, reply STOP.

    • Book a time

    Why this category

    Calling back a patient with no appointment is an invitation, and invitations are marketing even without a price. That is why the text carries the technical lead's name and CRO number, says nothing about price, installments or a "free assessment", and explains how to opt out with STOP.

  • Survey after the visit

    Utility

    Template name: pesquisa_atendimento

    Hi {{1}}, how was your visit today? Reply with a score from 1 to 5. Your answer only goes to the clinic team.

    Why this category

    A survey about a visit that just happened, with no request for a public review and no offer. Feedback surveys are among the utility examples in Meta's rules.

What it costs

One month of a clinic's messages, on Meta's rate card

An example clinic with one number: reminders, installment notices and surveys as utility, recall invitations as marketing, and the front desk and agent chats inside the 24-hour window, which Meta has billed as service since October 2026. InvestCRM charges nothing per message: Meta bills the payment method on your account directly.

Sample bill using Meta's official rate card, Brazilian number
What forCategoryMessages a monthBilledPrice per messageCost for the month
Appointment reminders, installment notices and surveysUtility360360R$ 0.0350R$ 12.60
Recall invitations for patients who haven't been back in monthsMarketing200200R$ 0.3217R$ 64.34
Front desk and agent replies while the chat is openService (support)1,400400R$ 0.0350R$ 14.00
Estimated monthly total, paid straight to MetaR$ 90.94

The first 1,000 service messages of each number, every month, are free.

If the utility templates in this bill were classified as marketing, the same month would go from R$ 90.94 to R$ 194.15.

What moves the price is the category, not the length of the text: a reminder written with an offer stops being utility. For your own volumes, use the calculator.

The volumes are an example to show the math, not data from a customer.

Meta's BRL rate card for Brazilian numbers, effective Oct 1, 2026, checked on Oct 9, 2026. See the rate card at Meta

Run your own numbers in the calculator →

Industry rules

What the CFO, the LGPD and Meta require, and what the system does

A summary of the Brazilian rules that weigh on a dental clinic's messages, with a link to the official text. InvestCRM delivers and organizes the messages; the content remains the responsibility of the clinic and its technical lead.

  • Advertising without prices, freebies or payment terms

    Brazil's Dental Code of Ethics (CFO Resolution 118/2012) allows advertising in any medium as long as it follows the code (article 42). Article 44, I, makes it an ethical offense to advertise with prices, free services, payment terms or before-and-after images. Article 43 requires the name and CRO registration number and, for a company, also those of the technical lead.

    In InvestCRM

    InvestCRM does not read or correct your templates against the CFO's rules: Meta only reviews its own. Write the marketing template within the code from the start, with the name and CRO number, as in the recall invitation above.

    Source: Dental Code of Ethics (CFO Resolution 118/2012)

  • Patient images only with signed consent

    CFO Resolution 196/2019 allows a selfie with a patient and images of the diagnosis and of the finished treatment taken by the dentist who performed it, always with a signed informed consent form (TCLE). It bans images that identify equipment, instruments, materials or tissue, videos of the procedure outside scientific publications, and sensationalist wording or promises of results. Every image or video carries the professional's name and registration number.

    In InvestCRM

    A marketing template accepts an image, video or document in its header; choosing the image and getting the consent form are up to the clinic. Photos that patients send in the chat open in the inbox only through a signed link that expires within 60 to 90 minutes.

    Source: CFO Resolution 196/2019

  • Outbound telemarketing is still banned

    CFO Resolution 271 of June 18, 2025 rewrote item XIV of article 44: discount cards and online direct mail were dropped from the text, and it is still banned to offer dental services to lure patients through outbound telemarketing to the general public, loudspeakers, street flyer handouts and similar means.

    In InvestCRM

    A broadcast goes to the contacts in your base that match the audience condition, and the system asks you to confirm opt-in before publishing. Inviting people who were never patients and never asked to be contacted is what most resembles outbound telemarketing: keep broadcasts for your patients.

    Source: CFO Resolution 271/2025

  • Health data is sensitive personal data

    Under the LGPD (Law 13,709/2018), data about health is sensitive personal data (article 5, II). It can only be processed under the cases in article 11, such as the patient's specific and highlighted consent, or health protection in a procedure carried out by health professionals. Consent can be withdrawn at any time (article 8, paragraph 5).

    In InvestCRM

    The Recepção Odonto Invest agent only looks up data after confirming who the patient is, and never shows someone else's data. The account has two-step verification and access levels for the team. InvestCRM holds no LGPD seal: how data is handled is set out in the privacy policy.

    Source: General Data Protection Law (Law 13,709/2018)

  • Opt-in, opt-out requests and ID numbers

    The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy requires opt-in from recipients and that every request to stop receiving messages is honored. It also asks businesses not to request full payment card, financial account or national ID numbers, and bans using WhatsApp for telemedicine or to exchange health information where the applicable law does not allow it.

    In InvestCRM

    Before a broadcast is published, the system asks for the "Confirmo o opt-in" checkbox. Anyone who types just SAIR, PARAR, STOP, CANCELAR or DESCADASTRAR goes onto the block list. The Odonto Invest agent accepts the CPF or the date of birth to confirm identity: given this policy, prefer the date of birth and write that into the agent rules, in Settings → Agente de IA.

    Source: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy

  • Utility means a notice with no sales pitch

    Under Meta's category rules, a utility template has no promotional tone and deals with something specific to the user, such as the appointment they booked or the payment they owe. A template with mixed content, such as a notice with a promotion attached, is marketing.

    In InvestCRM

    When Meta changes the category of one of your templates, the Meus Modelos table, in Settings → WhatsApp, shows the warning "a Meta mudou de Utility" next to the new category, and that delivery is then priced as marketing.

    Source: Meta's template categories

Rules checked against the official sources on Oct 18, 2026. This is not legal advice: when in doubt, ask your professional council.

Plan

Which plan the clinic needs

With Odonto Invest, the plan is Business. The connection uses the API and integrations feature, which starts on that plan, and creates the Recepção Odonto Invest agent, which takes one of the plan's 5 agent slots. Business also brings the human support queue by department, where pain and emergency cases go, and room for you plus 3 people on the account (front desk, dentist and manager, for example).

Without Odonto Invest, Start covers the reminder automation (2 active automations), recall invitations by broadcast (1,000 broadcast messages a month), one pipeline and an AI agent answering questions at any hour. The AI only books appointments when it is linked to a schedule: Odonto Invest or another system with an API, through the "Consultar sistema externo (API)" skill (look up an external system).

Imported patients become contacts and count toward the plan's contacts. The number included in each plan is in the table.

InvestCRM plans: price, limits and features of each one
FeatureGrátisStartBusinessEnterprise
Price per monthR$ 0R$ 147R$ 297R$ 597
Yearly (35% off)R$ 0R$ 1,146.60 a year (same as R$ 95.55 a month)R$ 2,316.60 a year (same as R$ 193.05 a month)R$ 4,656.60 a year (same as R$ 388.05 a month)
People on the accountJust youYou plus 1You plus 3You plus 15
Contacts included1001,0005,000Unlimited
AI agents1, test chat only15Unlimited
Active automationsNot included21050
Broadcast messages per monthNot included1,000UnlimitedUnlimited
Sales pipelinesNot included15Unlimited
Human handoff with queues and departmentsNot includedNot includedIncludedIncluded
API and webhooksNot includedNot includedIncludedIncluded

See all plans and pricing →

Questions

Questions from people who run the front desk

Do I need Odonto Invest to use InvestCRM at my clinic?

No. Without it, reminders, recall invitations, the pipeline and the AI agent work the same way; the difference is that the AI cannot see the schedule and does not book appointments. Odonto Invest is the dental practice system from the same company behind InvestCRM, and the integration with it starts on the Business plan.

I don't see the Odonto Invest card under Integrações (API). Why?

The card shows up on accounts marked as health clinics and on accounts that have connected before. Right now that marking is done by the InvestCRM team: ask through the Talk to sales button at the end of this page.

Can the agent advise a patient about pain or treatment?

No. The rules that come with the Recepção Odonto Invest agent forbid diagnosis, clinical advice and promises of results, and tell it to hand over to a person when the subject is pain, an emergency or a complaint. Prices only as returned by the clinic system; discount requests go to the team.

The clinic has two locations. Can we use a single number?

Each InvestCRM account has one WhatsApp number, and each Odonto Invest clinic links to a single account. Two locations with separate schedules need two accounts, each with its own number and subscription.

Can the front desk keep replying from the phone?

Yes, with Coexistence: the same number stays in the WhatsApp Business phone app and on the API. Under Settings → Atendimento humano there is the "Pausar a IA quando um atendente responder (inclusive pelo celular)" option (pause the AI when an agent replies, including from the phone); it starts switched off.

What if the clinic disconnects Odonto Invest?

Access is cut on both sides right away: the agent loses the clinic's tool and is archived, and the key and the event notices to Odonto Invest stop. Contacts already imported stay in InvestCRM.

Keep reading

To set up your clinic in InvestCRM

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