Guide to Choosing The Best Dental Software

When you run a dental practice, it's important to choose management dental software to help you organize and optimize your clinic.  

With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which one is best for your needs.  

This is where we come in. In this article, we will discuss what dental practice management software is and how to choose one for your practice. We’ll also provide a list of the best dental software available today.  

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Dental Software and Why is It Important?

Dental practice management software provides tools for dental practices to store patient information and records. It also enables them to oversee day-to-day operations.  

The goals of this management system are to streamline processes and help dental practices become more efficient – from delivering quality dental care to administrative tasks and patient follow-up.

This type of software is similar to an electronic health records system (EHR). It's packed with various features like appointment scheduling, reporting, data storing and sharing, treatment plans, patient notes, dental history charting, and more.  

You can use this software to ensure your dental practice runs smoothly. It’s particularly important for ensuring that patient information is stored securely and is easily accessible.  

5 Dental Practice Management Software Trends

When it comes to management software, it’s important to be aware of trends because it can help you deliver the best care possible to your patients and future-proof your business.  

The trends below are expected to become standard soon. This is why you need to find an all-in-one practice management solution that enables you to streamline your processes, attract new patients, and grow your practice.  

1. Artificial Intelligence – The use of AI is becoming increasingly common in every aspect of healthcare, including dental care. You can use AI solutions for things like better patient communication, answering basic patient questions promptly, improved scheduling features, and more.  

2. Mobile-Friendly Solutions – The global trend in digital communication is leaning toward mobile technology. 92.1% of internet users access the web via mobile. The same is true in the dental realm, which is why you will see trends such as HIPAA-compliant text messaging, mobile-friendly scheduling and communication, and mobile telemedicine.  

3. Integrated Digital Imaging – Third-party integrated digital imaging guarantees a smooth transition from using your existing imaging software to using new software. This allows you to accurately plan and improve dentist/patient communication.

4. Membership Program Management – To boost revenue and loyalty, more and more dental practices are adding patient membership programs. This can be incredibly helpful, especially for those who don’t have dental insurance.  

5. Reputation Management – is crucial in today’s digital world where a single negative review can impact your practice’s image and profitability. People also check out reviews and recommendations before they choose a dentist. Dental reputation and review management will make it easier for you to monitor reviews and social media mentions. .  

The Top 3 Criteria for Choosing the Best Management Software

There are dozens of dental management software systems out there so it can get overwhelming to choose the best one for your practice.  

Having a set of criteria can help you refine your list. It's useful to keep these criteria in mind:

• HIPAA Compliant – Choose a dental management system that adheres to HIPAA regulations. If you choose a dental management software that doesn’t make compliance, you’ll put your patients’ information at risk.  

• Value for Money – Not all dental management software systems are created equal. Since you’ll be investing money in one, it should offer the best value for its price.  
• Customer Support – It's critical to have dental practice management software that can provide you with top-notch customer support.  

These three are the main criteria that we feel are crucial to every practice, but you can add more, depending on your needs and demands.  

Essential Dental Software Features

More and more dental software vendors are offering all-in-one solutions with an ever-expanding list of features.  But what features are critical to your practice's growth and success?

• Periodontal Charts – Your management software system should have a graphical representation of the periodontal chart. This includes clickable teeth, 3D modeling, and more.  
• Documentation – You should be able to electronically document orders, patient history, progress, prescriptions, and more.  

• Patient Registration – Your software should allow patients or front desk staff to input patient information, like health history, insurance, and other details.  
• Electronic Prescriptions – You should be able to create and send digital prescriptions to patients. This is usually linked with electronic prescription services like SureScripts.  
• Billing/Claims – Your software of choice should be able to generate and submit claims to insurance for repayment. It should also include features that enable you to process payments for self-pay patients.  
• Web-Based Dental Software – Software licenses for on-premise systems are expensive. Opting for web-based software is cheaper since there’s no need to invest in expensive servers. Web-based systems are also easier to access on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, whether in or out of the office, compared to on-premise systems.  

Top 5 Picks for Dental Office Management Software

1. Curve Dental

The dental curve is one of the most popular web-based all-in-one dental practice management solutions.  

What dental practices love about Curve Dental is that it can be used with any operating system on any computer.  

Free Demo: Yes

Pricing: The company bases its pricing on the number of dentists in your practice, so you’ll have to reach out to them for pricing.

Training: Curve Dental provides mobile and internet training, as well as regular webinars.  

Support: Support is available 24/7 via mobile or you can create a support ticket within the software.

Cloud-Based Hosting: Yes

HIPAA Compliant: Yes

2. Dentimax

Dentimax is a flexible dental practice management software solution. It can be hosted in the cloud or installed on any Windows device.  

It's another popular choice among dental practices because it can easily be integrated with existing imaging or charting systems.  

Dentimax also provides all-in-one practice management capabilities, from employee time tracking to x-ray sensor integration, and many more.  

Free Demo: Yes

Pricing: Dentimax offers several packages to fit different practice needs. Setup fees start at $199 and software packages begin at $49.

Training: Free training is available. However, you can always purchase additional extensive in-office or online training if necessary.  

Support: You can access support via phone or email, as well as their local support portal.  

Cloud-Based hosting: Yes

HIPAA Compliant: Yes

3. Denticon

Denticon was the first cloud-based dental office management software. It was released in 2003 and is suitable for practices of all sizes.  

Denticon has both business and clinical functionalities as well as patient communication, imaging, charting, records management, treatment planning, and claims management features.  

Free Demo: Yes

Pricing: Reach out to the sales team for a quote.  

Training: Training is part of client onboarding.

Support: Support is provided as a part of your monthly subscription fee. You can email, call, or submit a support ticket from your account dashboard when necessary.  

Cloud-Based Hosting: Yes

HIPAA Compliant: Yes

4. iDental Soft

iDental Soft is a cloud-based dental practice management software that enables you to turn your dental clinic completely paperless. It’s also compatible with any operating system on any device, which makes it easier for you to adopt and use with your existing platforms.  

Free Demo: Yes

Pricing: Starts at $250 with a free trial.  

Training: Unlimited 1:1 training available anytime.  

Support: Support is available from 9 AM to 8 PM EST via phone, email, or support ticket.  

Cloud-Based Hosting: Yes

HIPAA Compliant: Yes

5. Maxident

Maxident is a web-based dental practice management system that's also compatible with all other operating systems. What's great about it is that it offers features that allow you to run your practice smoothly from the exam room to the reception.  

It has electronic records, automated tasks, treatment planning, and a “never lose a patient” system that enables you to take your practice to the next level.

Free Demo: Yes

Pricing: Pricing starts at $199.95 per feature, per month. It’s best to contact Maxident to determine your exact price.  

Training: Free trial, on-site, and online training is available as well as an extensive library of how-to videos.

Support: You can access support via phone and email.

Cloud-Based Hosting: Yes

HIPAA Compliant: Yes

What’s Next After Choosing The Best Dental Management Software for Your Practice?

Now that you know the trends, features, criteria, and the top 5 dental practice software to choose from, use it to your advantage when refining your options.  

You can also consult experts at Digital Resource to help you decide on software that not only makes your clinic more effective in providing quality treatment but also efficient in generating new patients.  

Once you’ve found the best management software for your practice’s needs, it’s time to focus on digital marketing. Marketing is the key to growing your business!

Contact us today to get started!  

‍