Real talk with Dr. Patricia Homer: Videa's impact at Cherished Smiles Family Dentistry

There’s the version of solo practice ownership that looks great on paper - and then there’s the version that shows up late at night, when the last patient is gone, and you’re still at your desk, double-checking notes you’re not entirely sure were documented correctly.

For Dr. Patricia Homer, that wasn’t the exception. It was the routine.

As the owner and sole dentist at Cherished Smiles Family Dentistry, everything ultimately rests on her shoulders. No associates. No safety net. Just her clinical judgment, her team, and the constant awareness that if something gets missed, there’s no one else to catch it.

That pressure doesn’t clock out at the end of the day.

But when Dr. Homer introduced Videa’s Clinical Assist and Voice Notes into her workflow, something changed. Not just in how the practice operated, but in how it felt to run it.

The late nights started to disappear. The second-guessing eased. Documentation became part of the visit rather than something waiting at the end.

For the first time in a long time, the weight of doing it all alone felt lighter.

We sat down with Dr. Homer to hear how that, in her own words, how that shift happened

Q1: What are the biggest pain points smaller practices face, and how does Videa help?

Dr. Homer:

Missing something on an X-ray is a real risk in a solo practice. Most patients don't need a full exam every visit, so if I miss something, it can become a much bigger problem by the time they return. Videa's Clinical Assist has helped me substantially.

The patient view is especially valuable. Patients can see the color overlays on their X-ray, which naturally opens the conversation and helps them understand why I'm recommending treatment. It removes the skepticism before it even starts. For a solo practitioner without a whole team reinforcing clinical recommendations, that kind of visual support is genuinely powerful.

Q2: How are you using Videa Voice Notes today, and what impact has it had?

Dr. Homer: It saves me at least 6 to 7 hours a week — and that's not an exaggeration. I used to stay up until 1 AM some days, reviewing my notes and my RDH's notes to make sure everything was documented correctly.

It's a game-changer knowing I don't have to worry about staying late. I haven't had a single patient tell me they didn't want to be recorded. The product is great. It's given me my evenings back, and honestly, it's reduced a level of stress I didn't even realize I was carrying.

Q3: How did your team adapt, and what should practices expect in the first few weeks?

Dr. Homer: The transition was smoother than I expected. I made it clear from the start that this was a team-wide shift and that I was fully in it with everyone. The key was daily use from day one — there's no shortcut to getting comfortable with a new tool except actually using it. Within one day, we all felt confident and consistent using Voice Notes.

My advice: don't overthink it. Set the expectation, use it every day, and let the results speak for themselves. My hygienist told me she can't practice without Voice Notes now. That says everything about how deeply it's become part of our clinical workflow.

Q4: What was your "wow" moment when you first started using Videa?

Dr. Homer: Honestly, it was the time savings. As a solo practitioner, I don't have a team of associates to share the load, and every administrative hour I spend is an hour I'm not with my family or recovering for the next day. The first week I realized I wasn't staying up past midnight to review notes — that was the moment.

Clinical Assist also gave me something I didn't know I was missing: a real safety net. It's like having a second set of eyes that never gets tired, never has an off day. That peace of mind is hard to put a number on.

Q5: What would you say to another solo practitioner who's on the fence about AI?

Dr. Homer: Just try it. Seriously. The onboarding is smooth, the learning curve is short, and the payoff is immediate. Within days, my team felt confident, and within a month, I couldn't imagine going back.

You don't realize how much time you're losing to documentation until you get those hours back. And for patients, it only makes you look more thorough, more prepared, more trustworthy. There's no downside I can point to. The only thing I regret is not starting sooner.

Q6: How would you sum up what Videa means for solo practice?

Dr. Homer: For a solo practice, AI isn't a luxury. It's how you take better care of your patients and actually go home at a reasonable hour.

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