Switching from Curve Dental to Open Dental

Moving your practice management software is a significant undertaking that naturally causes anxiety, but a structured approach makes the transition manageable. When you decide to switch Curve Dental to Open Dental, you are moving from a cloud-based, browser-dependent system to a robust, locally-hosted database that offers significantly more control over your data.

What Converts and What Doesn't

It is important to have realistic expectations regarding your data. Because Curve Dental is a closed, cloud-based system, extracting data for a migration is more complex than moving between server-based programs.

Typically, the following data converts successfully:

• Patient Demographics: Names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance subscriber information.
• Appointment History: Past appointments and future scheduled visits.
• Procedure History: Completed procedures and clinical notes (though formatting may vary).
• Account Balances: Current patient balances and family ledger history.
• Insurance Plans: Basic plan information and coverage tables.

What typically does NOT convert:

• Custom Reports: Any specialized reports you built inside Curve will need to be recreated using the Open Dental Report Setup or custom queries.
• Letter Templates: Your custom correspondence templates will need to be copied and pasted into the Open Dental Letters feature.
• Preferences and Settings: Every practice-specific setting, such as appointment book colors, automated reminders, and security permissions, must be manually configured in the Setup menu.
• Proprietary Image Formats: While X-rays usually convert, some proprietary cloud-based image formats may require a manual export/import process or a separate fee for specialized image conversion services.

The Conversion Timeline

A successful migration usually takes between 4 to 8 weeks from your initial inquiry to your go-live date.

1. Initial Inquiry and Data Extraction: You will contact the Open Dental conversions team to initiate the process. You will need to work with your current provider to obtain a full backup of your data.
2. Test Conversion (Free): The team performs a test migration. This is the most critical step. You must spend 2–4 weeks reviewing this test data in a sandbox environment to ensure clinical notes, balances, and insurance information look correct.
3. Final Conversion: Once you approve the test, the final conversion is scheduled. This typically takes about 3 hours, during which your office will be in "read-only" mode.
4. Post-Conversion Setup: After the data is live, you are entitled to a 2-hour setup session with an Open Dental trainer to help configure your preferences and defaults.

Cost Breakdown

The cost to switch Curve Dental to Open Dental is transparent but involves a few components:

• Conversion Fee: This is a one-time fee, typically ranging from $500 to $2,000+, depending on the complexity of your data and whether you require full image migration.
• Monthly Subscription: Open Dental costs $179/month for the first 12 months, dropping to $129/month thereafter. There are no per-provider fees, which is a major advantage over many cloud-based competitors.
• Image Conversion: If you have a large volume of images that require specialized handling, this is often billed as a separate service.

What Will Surprise You

Users moving from a browser-based system like Curve often find the following adjustments challenging:

• The Interface: Open Dental is a Windows-based application. It is faster and more powerful, but it looks and feels more "utilitarian" than the modern, web-based UI of Curve.
• Manual Configuration: You are responsible for setting up your own defaults. You will need to spend time in Setup > Appointments > Appointment Views and Setup > Account > Account Modules to make the software work the way you want.
• Reporting: You may find that a specific report you used daily in Curve does not exist in the same format in Open Dental. You will need to explore Reports > Standard to find the equivalent or learn to use the Query Generator for custom data pulls.

Your First 30 Days

Once you go live, prioritize these tasks in your first month:

1. Verify Insurance: Run the Outstanding Insurance Claims report in the Manage Module to ensure all claims migrated correctly.
2. Audit Balances: Compare a few patient ledgers in the Account Module against your final reports from your previous software.
3. Configure Reminders: Set up your automated text and email reminders in Setup > Automated Messaging.
4. Train the Team: Use the Help menu to access the official manual and watch the training videos on the Open Dental website.

Once you're on Open Dental, DentalCanvas gives you the visual analytics dashboard that your previous software 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.