Who Open Dental is best for
Open Dental is dental practice management and charting software from Open Dental Software in Salem, Oregon. It was first released in 2003 and was open source under the GNU GPL until version 24.4, when the license became proprietary. It runs on Microsoft Windows with a database the office hosts on its own server, and it covers scheduling, a graphical 3D tooth chart, treatment plans, insurance claims, statements and reports. A hosted option, Open Dental Cloud, is in limited release for US offices.
Best for
- Solo and small group dental offices (1 to 3 dentists) that want a low, published monthly price
- Offices with an IT provider who can manage a Windows server and backups
- Practices that like to customize forms, reports and workflows, or run custom database queries
Not ideal for
- Offices that want no server and no local IT at all, unless they accept the separate Open Dental Cloud fee
- Practices that need full read and write access from a Mac or tablet out of the box
- Offices that want texting, online booking and reminders included in one flat price
Open Dental pros and cons
Pros
- Published pricing: $199 a month per office for 12 months, then $149 month to month, for up to 3 providers
- Patient portal, payment portal, eReminders and web forms are free with support
- Converts data from more than 200 dental practice management systems
- Bridges to hundreds of imaging and other programs and 20+ claims clearinghouses
- Long support hours, including Saturday and Sunday mornings Pacific time
- 90-day money-back guarantee on support if you stop using the software
Cons
- Self-hosted on a Windows server that the practice or its IT provider must maintain and back up
- The first license contract is 12 months, and cancelling requires a phone call
- Many useful tools are paid add-ons, such as the $165 eServices bundle, Web Sched, ODMobile and eRx
- Open Dental Cloud adds $250 a month or more and supports only integrations that use the Open Dental API
- The ODMobile 25 app was on Android only at the time of writing, with iOS listed as coming soon
Open Dental pricing
As of November 2026, the US software license and support fee is $199 a month per office for the first 12 months, then $149 a month month-to-month, covering up to 3 providers (hygienists not counted). Each additional provider is $20 a month. Offices with 4 to 9 locations pay $169 per office, and prepaying gives 5% to 15% off. Data conversions are priced separately.
Common add-ons, per location per month: eServices bundle $165, eClipboard $45, ODTouch $85 for up to 4 devices, ODMobile $35, Web Sched Recall $75, Secure Email $30 and eConfirmations $25. Texting costs $0.04 per outgoing US message plus a number fee. eRx through DoseSpot is $57 per prescriber per month with EPCS, or Ensora eRx from $29. Online training is $80 an hour, and on-site training averages $4,325 for the first day.
Open Dental Cloud is billed on top of support: Small $250 a month (7 concurrent sessions), Medium $520, Large $1,300, with a one-time $400 migration fee. Cloud is month to month, and you can switch back to self-hosting without penalty.
Key features
- Scheduling and front office: appointments, recall, family accounts and patient communication
- Clinical charting: graphical 3D tooth chart, perio charting, treatment plans and clinical notes
- Billing: insurance claims through 20+ clearinghouses, statements and discount plans
- Reports: built-in and graphic reports plus custom queries against the database
- eServices: free patient portal, payment portal, web forms and eReminders, with paid texting, online scheduling and eClipboard check-in
- Mobile: ODMobile for schedule, texting and eRx; ODTouch for chairside tablet use
- eRx: DoseSpot or Ensora, including controlled substances (EPCS)
HIPAA, security and integrations
With self-hosted Open Dental, patient data sits on the practice's own server, so encryption, backups, access control and disaster recovery are the practice's responsibility under HIPAA. Open Dental hosts the patient portal and other eServices. Open Dental Cloud customers must sign a HIPAA business associate agreement with Open Dental, keep each location on support, and still manage their own workstations.
Open Dental bridges to hundreds of imaging, communication and other programs, works with 20+ clearinghouses, and offers an API. Cloud customers can use only integrations built on that API. Open Dental listed ONC-certified EHR versions through 2018, so confirm current certification if you need it.
Open Dental alternatives
- Dentrix — the most widely used on-premise system, with a cloud sibling, Dentrix Ascend
- Eaglesoft — Patterson's server-based system with strong built-in imaging
- Curve Dental — browser-based, with no server to maintain
- tab32 — cloud system with a published price from $95 a month and no contract
- Denticon — cloud system aimed at multi-location groups
- ComplyDay — for OSHA and HIPAA compliance training and records, which practice software does not cover
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