Making the decision to switch practice management software, especially from a long-standing system like Dentrix, can feel daunting. The biggest concern for most office managers is ensuring all your valuable patient data makes the jump safely. This guide will walk you through the process of importing Dentrix data to Open Dental, setting realistic expectations for what converts, the timeline, costs, and what to prioritize in your first few weeks.
What Converts and What Doesn't
When you choose to switch to Open Dental, their dedicated conversion team handles the technical process of importing Dentrix data. While they strive for the most comprehensive transfer possible, it's important to understand that not everything will convert perfectly due to differences in how each software stores information.
What Typically Converts Well:
- Patient Demographics: Names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, gender, marital status, employer information.
- Appointment History: Past and future appointments, including provider, operatory, and procedure codes.
- Procedure History: Completed procedures with dates, codes, and associated teeth.
- Account Balances: Patient and insurance balances, often converted as a single lump sum per patient or family. Individual transaction history may be summarized rather than fully detailed.
- Insurance Plans: Basic plan information, subscriber details, and sometimes benefit breakdowns.
- Clinical Notes: Often converts as plain text. Formatting (bold, italics, tables) may be lost, and sometimes notes are consolidated.
- Provider Information: Names, NPIs, and basic credentials.
What Typically Does NOT Convert (or converts with significant limitations):
- Custom Reports: Any custom reports you built in Dentrix will not transfer. You'll need to recreate these in Open Dental or use its built-in reporting tools.
- Letter Templates: Custom letter, email, or recall templates will need to be recreated in Open Dental's Communications Module.
- Image Formats: While Open Dental can link to images, proprietary image formats or specific image layouts from Dentrix's imaging module may not transfer directly or integrate seamlessly. You may need to manually re-link or re-import images.
- Preferences and Settings: All your practice-specific settings, defaults, security permissions, and user preferences will need to be re-entered from scratch in Open Dental. This includes things like recall intervals, default procedure codes, and operatory setup.
- Detailed Transaction History: While balances convert, the granular detail of every payment, adjustment, and charge may be summarized. If you need to audit specific transactions from before the conversion, you'll need to refer back to your old Dentrix system.
- Perio Charting: Often does not convert due to different charting methodologies.
- Treatment Plans: While procedures may convert, the specific "case presentation" format or linked treatment plans from Dentrix may not.
The Conversion Timeline
The process of importing Dentrix data to Open Dental is a structured one, designed to minimize disruption to your practice. A typical conversion takes 4 to 8 weeks from your initial inquiry to your go-live date.
- Initial Inquiry & Data Submission: You'll contact Open Dental's conversion team and provide a backup of your Dentrix database. This is usually a full backup file.
- Test Conversion (Free): Open Dental performs a preliminary conversion of your data into a test database. This usually takes 1-2 weeks.
- Review Period (2-4 Weeks): This is your critical window to review the converted data. You'll be given access to the test Open Dental database and a checklist. You'll need to verify patient demographics, appointment schedules, account balances, and procedure histories. This is the time to identify any discrepancies or missing information.
- Feedback & Adjustments: You provide feedback to the Open Dental conversion team based on your review. They may be able to make adjustments or explain how certain data points converted.
- Final Conversion Scheduling: Once you're satisfied with the test conversion, you'll schedule your final conversion date. This is typically done over a weekend or during off-hours.
- Final Conversion (Approx. 3 Hours): On the scheduled date, you'll provide a fresh, up-to-date backup of your Dentrix database. The Open Dental team performs the final conversion. During this time, your practice should not be using Dentrix.
- Post-Conversion Setup Session (2 Hours Included): After the final conversion, Open Dental provides a two-hour remote session to help you with initial setup and answer questions about your converted data. This is crucial for getting started.
Cost Breakdown
Understanding the costs involved is essential for budgeting your switch.
- Data Conversion Fee: This is a one-time fee for importing Dentrix data. It varies depending on the complexity and source software, but for Dentrix, it typically ranges from $500 to $2,000+. This fee covers the test conversion, review period, and final conversion.
- Open Dental Monthly Subscription:
- First 12 Months: $179 per month.
- After 12 Months: $129 per month.
- Important: Open Dental does not charge per provider, per workstation, or per location for the core software. This is a significant saving for many practices, especially those coming from Dentrix which often has per-user or per-license fees.
- Image Conversion (Optional): If you have a large volume of images in a proprietary format within Dentrix's imaging module that you want to integrate directly into Open Dental's Imaging Module, there may be an additional, separate fee for this service. Discuss this with the conversion team early on.
- Hardware: Ensure your existing computers meet Open Dental's system requirements (check your version's manual for availability). You may need to upgrade some workstations or your server.
What Will Surprise You
Even with careful planning, some aspects of switching from Dentrix to Open Dental often catch practices off guard:
- The Interface Looks Different: Dentrix and Open Dental have distinct user interfaces. Dentrix often uses many floating windows and a more "traditional" Windows application feel. Open Dental, especially versions 25.2 and 25.3, is more module-based (e.g., Appointments Module, Account Module, Chart Module) with a cleaner, more modern look. It takes a few days to get used to the navigation and where everything is located.
- You'll Need to Re-set All Your Preferences and Defaults: This is a big one. Everything from your default fee schedules, insurance plan settings, recall intervals, operatory setup, security permissions, and even the colors on your schedule will need to be configured in Open Dental. Plan dedicated time for this.
- Reports You Relied On Won't Exist: Dentrix has a vast array of built-in reports. While Open Dental has robust reporting (go to Reports > Standard), the exact reports you used daily in Dentrix may not have a direct equivalent. You'll need to explore Open Dental's reporting options, learn to use its powerful Query feature (go to Tools > Query), or consider third-party analytics tools.
- Family File vs. Family Module: Dentrix's "Family File" is a central hub. Open Dental's "Family Module" serves a similar purpose but operates differently. Understanding how to link family members, manage guarantors, and handle insurance for families will require some adjustment.
- Customization is Key: Open Dental is incredibly customizable, which is a strength, but it means you have more decisions to make during setup. Take advantage of the initial setup session and online resources to tailor the software to your practice's workflow.
Your First 30 Days
The first month after importing Dentrix data to Open Dental is crucial for a smooth transition. Here's a priority checklist:
- Configure Practice Settings: Go to Setup > Practice and fill in all your practice information, hours, and holidays.
- Set Up Providers: Go to Lists > Providers. Ensure all your providers are correctly entered with their NPIs and other credentials.
- Create Fee Schedules: Go to Lists > Fee Schedules. You'll need to manually enter your UCR fees and any contracted insurance fee schedules. This is a critical step for accurate billing.
- Review Insurance Plans: Go to Lists > Insurance Plans. Verify that converted insurance plans have correct subscriber information and benefit breakdowns. You may need to manually update many of these.
- Configure Operatories: Go to Setup > Operatories. Set up your operatories, link them to providers, and customize their appearance on the schedule.
- Set Up Security Permissions: Go to Setup > Security. Create user groups and assign appropriate permissions for each staff member.
- Customize Recall: Go to Setup > Recall. Define your recall types, intervals, and messaging templates.
- Practice Scheduling: Spend time in the Appointments Module. Practice scheduling appointments, moving them, and using the various views.
- Billing & Payments: In the Account Module, practice posting payments, making adjustments, and generating statements.
- Explore Reports: Familiarize yourself with the standard reports (Reports > Standard) and learn how to use the Query tool (Tools > Query) for more specific data extraction.
Once you're on Open Dental, DentalCanvas gives you the visual analytics dashboard that Dentrix never had — and that Open Dental doesn't include.
This article is provided by opendentalsupport.com, an independent community resource. We are not affiliated with Open Dental Software, Inc.