Henry Schein One has announced support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open integration layer within Dentrix Ascend designed to enable dental practices, dental service organizations (DSOs), and developers to access and utilize clinical and operational data more effectively. The MCP framework allows users to query data, deploy AI-driven tools, and develop customized workflows within the existing practice management platform.
Henry Schein One reports that its systems are used in more than 100,000 locations globally, including a significant proportion of large DSOs. The platform processes over 120 million claims annually, supports more than 191 million eligibility checks, and has facilitated more than 22 million completed digital forms. This volume of structured data underpins the functionality of MCP-enabled tools.
“We built the agents that do the work,” said Brian Weatherly, Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein One. “The build layer is there for practices and partners who want to go further, but most customers will see results immediately—without writing a single line of code.”
"The combination of embedded capabilities and deeper insights gives us greater flexibility in how we take action,” said Justin Carroll, Chief Financial Officer at MB2.
The MCP layer in Dentrix Ascend is organized into three functional tiers: Ask, Orchestrate, and Build.
The Ask functionality enables team members to query clinical, operational, and financial data using natural language. For example, users can request information such as unverified insurance cases and receive near-immediate responses. A preview version of this capability is currently available to Dentrix Ascend users.
The Orchestrate tier includes pre-configured automation tools designed to support routine administrative and operational processes. These include real-time insurance verification (Eligibility Pro), documentation quality review (Image Verify), claims reconciliation, recall management, and automated patient communications. The orchestration layer also enables coordination of workflows across practices and DSOs. Availability for select users is expected following the THRIVELIVE event, with broader release anticipated later this year.
The Build tier represents a forthcoming phase, in which practices and DSOs will be able to create custom workflows, dashboards, and AI-enabled tools aligned with their operational and clinical models.
Henry Schein One plans to demonstrate these capabilities at THRIVELIVE, its annual dental education event, where attendees will have access to a live testing environment. An additional session is scheduled at the Dykema DSO Executive Event.
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Dentrix Ascend’s MCP layer
