To get the best possible output when dictating your notes with clinical AI notes, it helps to know how to speak to the AI.
This guide covers recommended dictation techniques, what the AI automatically cleans up, and answers to frequently asked questions around dictation.
Why dictation matters
Although AI Notes work with natural speaking a few small adjustments can dramatically improve the outcome of your generated summaries. Clear, well-organised dictation helps the AI:
Identify each section of the exam
Understand findings and exceptions
Produce accurate, compliant notes
Avoid needing manual corrections later
For microphone recommendations take a read of our help article here.
How to dictate to AI notes (recommended approach)
1. Be clear and structured
Speak in short, separate statements. Pause briefly between sections so the AI can determine structure.
Example:
“Extraoral exam normal.
TMJ normal.
Intraoral exam: decay noted on UL6.
Otherwise intraoral exam NAD.”
2. Reference sections directly
Whenever possible, mention the exact area you’re assessing.
“Extraoral exam NAD”
“Soft tissues NAD”
“Periodontal charting: generalised bleeding noted”
“Radiographs: no abnormalities detected”
This helps the AI map your dictation to the correct note template.
3. Use consolidated phrases for all-normal exams
If an entire category is normal, you don’t need to list each component separately.
Example:
“NAD to all examinations conducted.”
This reduces dictation time and keeps notes concise.
4. Clearly state exceptions
When something is abnormal, call it out first, then confirm that the rest is normal.
Example:
“Decay noted on UL6, otherwise intraoral exam NAD.”
“Mobility on LR1, all other periodontal findings NAD.”
This ensures abnormalities are not missed in the transcript.
5. Avoid ambiguous phrases
Be confident in your notes - try not to use casual phrasing such as:
“Nothing really to note”
“Looks fine I guess”
“All good”
These can be interpreted incorrectly.
Instead use:
“NAD”
“NAD except for…”
“All findings within normal limits”
6. Use the AI notes template (strongly recommended)
AI note templates provides the structure the system expects.
When using it:
Follow the sections in order
Speak findings in the same sequence
Keep statements short and focused
If you aren’t using the template, you’ll need to verbally signpost each section so the AI knows where to place the information.
Example:
“Extraoral exam: NAD.
Intraoral exam: normal except for UL6.
Soft tissues: NAD.”
Details on setting up note templates for use with AI notes can be found here.
How AI notes cleans-up your dictation automatically
AI notes includes built-in guardrail protection and transcript cleanup. The system automatically:
Removes filler words - “Um”, “uh”, “like”, “you know”, “so yeah”, etc.
Removes repeated or accidental words - E.g., “The the patient reports…”
Filters out inappropriate or non-clinical language - This reduces the chance that transcripts trigger guardrails or are blocked by content rules.
Normalises phrasing into clinical language - Casual dictation will be converted into clear, standardised terminology where appropriate.
Take a read of our clinical AI notes FAQ article for more commonly asked questions.