Use Google Sheets AI to Find Remake Patterns

What This Does

Google Sheets now has a built-in AI assistant (Gemini) that can analyze your case tracking data and answer questions in plain English — like "which dentist has the highest remake rate?" or "what case types take the longest to finish?" You don't need to know any formulas.

Before You Start

• You have a Google account (free or Workspace)
• You have case tracking data in a Google Sheet (even basic: case number, dentist, case type, date, remade yes/no)
• Time needed: 15 minutes to set up your sheet; 2-3 minutes per analysis
• Cost: Free (Gemini in Sheets available to all Google accounts)

Steps

1. Set up your case tracking sheet

If you don't have one yet, create a new Google Sheet with these columns:

• Column A: Case number
• Column B: Dentist name
• Column C: Case type (Crown, Bridge, Denture, etc.)
• Column D: Date received
• Column E: Date shipped
• Column F: Remade? (Yes/No)
• Column G: Remake reason (if applicable)

Add your last 30-60 cases of data. Even 20 rows is enough to start seeing patterns.

2. Open the Gemini sidebar

1. In your Google Sheet, click "Extensions" in the top menu.
2. Select "Gemini in Sheets" (or look for the sparkle ✨ icon in the toolbar).
3. The Gemini sidebar opens on the right side.

What you should see: A chat panel on the right asking "What would you like to know about this spreadsheet?"

3. Ask your first analysis question

Type a question in plain English:

• "Which dentist in column B has the most remakes?"
• "What is the average time between date received and date shipped for bridge cases?"
• "Show me a summary of remake reasons by case type."

What you should see: Gemini reads your data and gives you a direct answer, sometimes with a suggested formula or a summary table.

4. Act on what you find

If a specific dentist has a high remake rate, you now have data to have a professional conversation about scan quality or prescription completeness. If one case type consistently runs long, you can adjust your quoted turnaround time.

Real Example

Scenario: You've been doing remakes but aren't sure if it's a pattern or just bad luck.

What you type in Gemini: "How many remakes are in column F, and which dentist accounts for the most of them?"

What you get: "You have 7 remakes total. Dr. Kaplan accounts for 4 of them (57%). The most common reason in column G is 'poor impression quality.'"

What you do: Use this data to have a constructive conversation with Dr. Kaplan's office about impression technique or to start requiring better scan quality before accepting cases.

Tips

• The more consistent your data entry is (same spellings for dentist names, same case type labels), the better Gemini's analysis will be.
• You can ask follow-up questions in the same conversation: "Now show me just the remakes from this year."
• Export the analysis to a PDF and share with your lab manager or owner — this is the kind of data that drives real decisions.

Tool interfaces change — if Gemini in Sheets has moved, look for similar AI/analyze options in the Extensions or Tools menu.