Best Dental Practice Management Software 2023

Learn how to select the right dental practice management software (PMS) for your practice and what to look for in terms of features, cost, and security.

Running a dental practice is no easy feat. It’s a delicate balance of providing top-notch patient care, managing appointments, and handling administrative tasks. And, as any practice owner knows, the right tools can make all the difference.

However, with so many options out there, it can be challenging to pick the perfect one. But, as it turns out, many dental practices have already found their solution: dental practice management software (PMS). In fact, a survey conducted by the California Healthcare Foundation in 2010 found that an overwhelming 93% of dental practices are already utilizing PMS to streamline their operations.

It’s no secret that the dental industry is constantly evolving, and as a practice owner, you want to stay ahead of the curve. PMS offers a comprehensive solution for managing patient information and streamlining day-to-day operations, allowing you to focus on what matters most: delivering quality dental care to your patients.

And with such a high adoption rate, it’s clear that many dental practices have already discovered the benefits of incorporating PMS into their practice.

How to Choose a Dental Practice Management Software

A PMS is similar to an electronic health records system (EHR) and is designed to help dental practices store patient information and records, manage day-to-day operations, and streamline processes to improve efficiency.

It’s packed with features such as appointment scheduling, reporting, data storing and sharing, treatment plans, patient notes, dental history charting, and more. This type of software is particularly important for ensuring that patient information is stored securely and is easily accessible.

Factors to Consider when Buying a Dental PMS

When choosing a PMS, it’s important to work with a company that understands the needs and vision of your practice. You’ll want to ensure that the software will be properly installed and fully integrated so that it seamlessly connects every piece of hardware in your practice, including all computers, printers, servers, mobile devices, scanners, and peripherals.

Understanding exactly how a management system works will allow you to leverage its full capabilities.

The following are factors to consider to ensure that you choose the right one for your practice.

Company Understanding

It’s important to deal with a company that understands the needs and vision of your practice. Ensure that the software will be properly installed and fully integrated so that it seamlessly connects every piece of hardware in your practice, including all computers, printers, servers, mobile devices, scanners, and peripherals. Understanding exactly how a management system works will allow you to leverage its full capabilities.

Ease of Use

A software that is intuitive to use or similar to your current software has the potential to reduce costs. Think of the time it will cost to train your employees. Does this outweigh the benefits of the software? A software that is easier to use could save you money initially and over time through reduced training costs and increased efficiency.

Cloud-Based Solutions

A cloud-based dental PMS is a popular option among dentists and dental practice owners as it offers a number of advantages over traditional in-premise alternatives. One of the key advantages of a cloud-based PMS is its scalability and flexibility.

This type of software allows dental practices to access and manage patient information from any device with Internet access, making it easy for dental teams to work remotely or from multiple locations.

Cloud-based PMSs often have lower upfront costs and are more affordable in the long run, as there are no costs associated with maintaining and updating hardware.

They also have automatic software updates and data backups, which eliminates the need for additional IT support. Furthermore, Cloud-based PMSs have a more secure environment as the data is stored in a secure data centre, which is equipped with robust security measures to protect against data breaches, viruses, and other cyber threats.

Security

Security is an especially important factor to consider in order to protect your patient’s information and to meet government and college regulations. The software you choose should have built-in protections like data encryption, different user access levels, and automatic shut-off on idle devices.

Data encryption ensures that patient information is stored in a way that is unreadable to unauthorized users. Different user access levels will give you the ability to control who has access to patient information. Automatic shut-off on idle devices is an important feature that will protect patient information from being accessed if a device is lost or stolen.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that dental practices protect patient information and ensures that the patient data is stored and transmitted securely. A secure PMS will help you to meet these regulations and avoid costly penalties.

In addition to built-in protections, it is also important to have a PMS that provides top-notch customer support. In the event of a security breach, you will want to have a team of experts on hand to help you mitigate the damage and ensure that your patients’ information is protected.

Reporting & Data Analysis

Measuring your practice’s overall performance might not be something you considered or currently have tabs on. A practice health check can be very helpful to get insight into the current state of your practice. Ongoing tracking is important as well, including key metrics like patient cancellations, overall patient retention, and more so you can stay on top of your practice’s strengths and weaknesses.

Cost

Of course, one of the biggest factors you want to consider is cost. It’s important to measure cost and return on investment, however. You might be able to justify a more expensive software if it has more time-saving features that could save you money in the long-run. Even if a feature saves someone an hour of work per week, that will add up over time.

Also, pay attention to hidden fees or costs. Costs like an implementation fee, hardware requirements, IT services, maintenance, and training might not be obvious at first but can add up over time. If you’re purchasing a cloud-based software, be sure to ask about the cost of data storage.

Integration with other software

Many dental practices use multiple software programs for different aspects of their business. It’s important to look for a PMS that can integrate with these other programs, such as scheduling software, digital imaging software, and financial management software. This will help to eliminate data duplication and errors, and save time by eliminating the need to manually enter information multiple times.

Scalability of the PMS

As your practice grows, your needs will change. It’s important to choose a PMS that can grow with your practice and adapt to your changing needs. Look for a PMS that offers a range of plans, so you can start with a basic package and upgrade as your practice grows.

HIPAA Compliance

It’s crucial to 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.

Customer Support

It’s critical to have dental practice management software that can provide you with top-notch customer support.

Dental PMS: Features to Look For

When considering a PMS, it’s important to evaluate the features that it offers. Some important features to look for include:

Automated Appointment Reminders

One of the most important features to look for in a PMS is automated appointment reminders. This feature will help you reduce the number of no-shows and ensure that your schedule is always full. Automated appointment reminders can be sent via text message, email, or phone call, and can be customized to suit your practice’s specific needs.

Electronic Insurance Claim Submissions

Another important feature to consider is electronic insurance claim submissions. This feature will allow you to submit insurance claims electronically, saving you time and reducing errors. With electronic insurance claim submissions, you can be sure that your claims are being processed quickly and accurately, which will help you get paid faster.

Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytics are essential features that will help you keep track of the performance of your practice. With a PMS that offers robust reporting and analytics, you can quickly identify areas that need improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize your practice’s performance.

Online Patient Portals

Online patient portals are another feature to consider. With an online patient portal, your patients can access their information, schedule appointments, and communicate with you securely, which will save you time and improve patient satisfaction.

Mobile Access

Lastly, it’s important to choose a PMS that offers mobile access. With mobile access, you can manage your practice from anywhere, at any time. This feature is especially useful for dental practices that have multiple locations or for dentists who are frequently on the go.

Unified Digital-Appointment Book

A PMS should have a unified digital-appointment book that is easy to search and evenly distributes the workload. This feature will make it simple to schedule patient appointments and ensure that your schedule is always full. With a unified digital-appointment book, you can quickly find available slots and schedule appointments for your patients.

The unified digital-appointment book also makes it simple to schedule patient appointments. With a user-friendly interface, you can quickly and easily schedule appointments, reschedule appointments, and cancel appointments. This feature will save you time and improve patient satisfaction.

Digital Charts

A digital chart allows any member of your dental team to access patient records when needed. With digital charts, you can be sure that your team has the information they need to provide the best care possible. Digital charts also make it easy to share information with specialists and other healthcare providers.

They also improve patient care by providing a complete and up-to-date picture of a patient’s dental history. This information can be used to make informed treatment decisions and ensure that patients receive the best care possible.

Unified Access to Imaging Equipment

A PMS should also have unified access to imaging equipment. Digital imaging is an essential part of most modern practices, and your new practice management software should be able to easily integrate access to all available images for a patient.

Unified access to imaging equipment will improve patient care by providing a complete and up-to-date picture of a patient’s dental history. This information can be used to make informed treatment decisions and ensure that patients receive the best care possible.

Electronic Claims

A PMS should also have the capability to handle electronic claims, allowing you to expedite insurance claims and improve patient billing. With electronic claims, you can be sure that your claims are being processed quickly and accurately, which will help you get paid faster.

Electronic claims also improve patient billing by providing a more efficient and accurate way to process claims. This will save you time and reduce errors, which will improve patient satisfaction.

Best Dental PMS in 2023

1. tab32

tab32 is a leading dental practice management software that provides a comprehensive solution for managing patient health and streamlining all patient touchpoints. Its cloud-based platform is user-friendly and includes features such as built-in imaging, dental charting, patient communications, and revenue cycle management. With tab32, you can create engaging patient experiences, improve workflows, and increase revenue.

Features:

• Online Booking: Allow patients to schedule appointments online at their convenience.
• Patient communication: Patient engagement is made easy with integrated texting, appointment reminders, and recall scheduling.
• Teledentistry: Offer virtual consultations to patients through video conferencing to improve patient engagement and experience.
• Ortho Consultation: Specialized consultation options for orthodontic treatment.
• Onsite Employer Scheduling: Schedule appointments for patients from a specific employer or organization.
• Intuitive Customizable Online Medical Forms: Make it easy for patients to complete their medical forms online with a user-friendly interface.
• Efficient Billings: Streamline billing processes with one platform for pre-authorization, claims, and attachments.
• Centralized Billing: Easily manage billing for multiple locations with centralized billing.
• Comprehensive ERA (Electronic EOB) Dashboard: Track and manage electronic explanation of benefit (EOB) information with a comprehensive dashboard.
• Patient Communication: Improve patient engagement and retention with integrated texting, appointment confirmation, and recall scheduling.
• Reputation Management: Monitor and improve your practice’s reputation with patient surveys, newsletter widgets, and marketing emails.
• Treatment Plans & Scheduling: Create and manage treatment plans and schedule appointments with ease.
• Manage In-House Membership & Payment Plans: Customize payment plans for patients, including ortho and in-house membership plans.
• Multi-Speciality – GP, Ortho, Pediatric, Surgical: Tailor the software to the specific needs of different specialties, including general practice, orthodontics, pediatrics, and surgery.

Pricing:

Contact company for details on the tab32 pricing request page.

2. DentiMax

DentiMax is a powerful dental software designed to help manage and grow your dental practice. With DentiMax, you can track your practice’s production, decrease missed appointments, improve billing collection, and enhance patient care.

Features:

• Billing tools: DentiMax’s billing and payment features include quick claim creation, validation with built-in logic, and the ability to set up online patient payments.
• Patient charting: This feature allows for quick and efficient clinical charting, with customizable speed buttons and the option for voice or foot pedal activation.
• Clinical note automation: Automate your clinical notes with DentiMax by using customizable templates, and easily filter and review notes by tooth number or user.
• Treatment plan options: This feature enables you to provide patients with multiple treatment options, helping them make more informed decisions.
• Referral tracking: Keep track of patient referrals both incoming and outgoing, and set due back dates to ensure patients return to your practice.
• Insurance claim tracking: Easily track outstanding insurance claims and balances with DentiMax’s insurance aging drill-down screen.
• Line-item accounting: Get a complete financial picture of patient accounts with this feature, displaying payments and adjustments just like an EOB.
• Collections: This feature allows you to view past due balances and set up payment plans for various treatments.
• Scheduling: This feature includes customizable views, the ability to copy and move appointments, and automated procedures for maximum productivity.
• Insurance verification: Verify insurance coverage in real-time, and receive and store patient coverage and benefit summary for future reference.
• Digital patient registration: Save time by allowing patients to register electronically, and automated reminders reduce no-shows.

Pricing:

DentiMax offers a range of pricing plans, including an in-office plan for $139 per month, with a price drop to $99/month after the first 12 months. They also offer an ultimate bundle plan for US$298. Contact DentiMax to request a demo and get a personalized quote.

3. Curve Dental Software

Curve Dental Software, also known as Curve SuperHero, is an all-in-one practice management solution designed to make running a dental practice as easy as possible. With features ranging from scheduling and billing to patient engagement and imaging, it’s the perfect tool for independent practices and DSOs.

Features:

• Charting: Explain treatment options clearly to increase treatment acceptance and ease parent/child apprehensions.
• Scheduling: Manage appointments with ease, anywhere and at any time, with the help of Curve Dental’s Hero SideKick.
• Billing: Save time and get paid faster with effortless billing and configurable invoices.
• Smart Forms: Eliminate tedious manual data entry with customizable online dental forms.
• Patient Portal: Give patients a safe and low-touch/no-touch alternative to the waiting room.
• Dental reporting: Choose from a large selection of standard dental reports or easily customize them to suit your needs.
• Files and Letters: Keep patient records in one, easily accessible place.
• Payment Processing: Improve cash flow with fully integrated payment processing.
• Imaging: Capture, store, and access your favorite smiles to and from the cloud in real-time.
• Perio Charting: Our advanced graphical view includes teeth that are drawn anatomically correct, which allows for easier perio charting and increased input accuracy.
• GRO™ Patient Engagement: Fewer no-shows, cancellations, and callbacks with this patient engagement tool.
• Business Intelligence: Combine our standard dental reports, custom report functionality, and myPractice™ dashboards to provide actionable insights into finances and operations.
• ePrescribe: Delivers legend drug and controlled substance prescribing, robust medication history data, an in-workflow prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) checking, and at-a-glance allergy alerts.

Pricing:

Contact company for details on the Curve Dental Software pricing request page.

4. Dentrix Ascend

Dentrix Ascend is a cloud-based dental practice management software designed to help dental practitioners and group practices streamline their workflow and centralize their data. The software is SOC2 certified and can be used on both Mac and PC computers. With Dentrix Ascend, practitioners can break free from traditional software hassles and focus on providing excellent care to their patients.

Features:

• Goals, Problems, and Solutions (GPS): Predictive problem-solving feature that identifies tasks that need attention and provides solutions to keep your practice on course.
• Role-based Practice Overview: Displays the current status of primary work items and provides a customized to-do list for each day.
• Task Automation Management Intelligence (TAMI): Automates repetitive tasks like patient reminders to help your team work smarter.
• Stay on Track: Log in to Dentrix Ascend to see a customized to-do list for the day and stay on top of tasks and priorities.
• Make Patient Check-in and Check-out a Breeze: Centralize patient data on one easy-to-find screen for quick access to all the information you need for their visit.
• Track Insurance Plans: Dentrix Ascend’s Insurance Manager feature allows you to easily track up to 10 insurance plans per patient.
• Multisite Management: Leverages the power of the cloud to scale your business from one practice to several and control permissions for data sharing.
• Practice Management: Simplifies day-to-day practice management and provides necessary tools to run your business all within one easy-to-use interface.
• Front Office Management: Helps manage check-in, check-out and everything in between, so your practice runs efficiently and on time. Tools include Appointment Scheduling, Online Booking, Easy Insurance Management and Patient Routing.
• Clinical Management: Provides all the tools needed to provide optimal, efficient care to patients.

Pricing:

Contact Dentrix Ascend for pricing information.

5. Denticon

Denticon is a cloud-based practice management software that provides a range of features to help dental practices manage their operations and take care of their patients.

Features:

• Easy-to-Use Scheduler: this feature is user-friendly and allows for quick and efficient appointment booking.
• Online Patient Tools: provides patients with the ability to fill out paperwork online, improving their experience and reducing the registration process.
• Revenue Cycle Management & Insurance: helps practices manage payment options, credit and debit adjustments, and insurance claims.
• Centralized Reporting: Denticon’s reporting capabilities provide a consolidated view of performance across all offices, making it easy for multi-location practices to identify areas for improvement.
• Multi-Specialty Functionality: designed for multi-specialty practices, allowing for streamlined clinical workflow and seamlessly integrated dental imaging.
• Intuitive Patient Engagement: help practices communicate with patients and provide them with relevant information.
• Charting: this charting module includes restorative charting, perio charting, x-ray integration, and progress notes to help practitioners focus on patient care.
• Credit Card Processing: allows practices to charge patients directly using credit and debit cards and create payment

Pricing:

Starts at US$280 per month for one user and one location.

Pick the perfect PMS for your practice

You can be sure that you’re choosing the best course of action for your practice by carefully weighing your options and taking into account all of these considerations. Simply by selecting the best PMS for your dental business, you may boost productivity, simplify procedures, and give patients a better experience.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there are numerous companies offering dental practice management software. It’s therefore imperative that you select a company with a solid reputation in the sector and a track record of delivering dependable, high-quality software and support. That’s usually a provider who is devoted to the dentistry sector and who has a thorough awareness of the unique requirements of dental practices.

With the right dental PMS, you’ll be well on your way to reaching new heights of productivity, revenue, and patient care.