The dental practice software stack
A dental practice does not run on one piece of software — it runs on a stack. Understanding the layers explains most pricing surprises: the core system's sticker price is one entry in a six-layer budget.
1. Core practice management (PMS) Tracked in our database
The system of record: scheduling, charting/EHR, treatment plans, ledgers and billing, insurance claims. Every other layer plugs into this one, which is why switching it later is the most expensive move a practice makes.
How it's priced: Billed per location, per provider, per user or per seat — the billing-unit trap lives here. Watch implementation, training and data-migration fees that never appear in sticker prices.
Known products in this layer: Curve Dental · Denticon · Dentrix · Eaglesoft · Open Dental. Product names are the software itself — full comparisons live in our database.
2. Patient communication
Automated appointment reminders, recall campaigns, two-way texting, online review requests. Usually a separate subscription that talks to the PMS schedule.
How it's priced: Typically monthly per location with tier limits on message volume; some PMS products bundle basics (reminders, portals) into their own ecosystem — check what is included before paying twice.
Known products in this layer: RevenueWell · Solutionreach · Weave. Product names are software product names in this category, listed as factual examples only — not recommendations, not sponsorships.
3. Insurance & claims processing
eClaims clearinghouses, eligibility verification, ERA (electronic remittance advice), denial workflows. Most PMS products integrate one primary clearinghouse rather than building this themselves.
How it's priced: Often per-claim (a few cents to a dollar) plus monthly platform fees. This is where claim approval rates matter — we aggregate user-reported approval experiences as an exclusive dimension.
Known products in this layer: DentalXChange · Vyne Dental · TESIA. Product names are software product names in this category, listed as factual examples only — not recommendations, not sponsorships.
4. Imaging
Sensor and panoramic capture, 2D/3D viewing, storage. Imaging usually integrates with the PMS by bridge rather than living inside it — and in several major platforms, image files are stored outside the SQL database.
How it's priced: Per-license monthly fees plus per-GB storage or on-premise server capacity. Backup scope matters: a database-only backup can miss images entirely (see our guide on this).
Known products in this layer: Dexis · Carestream Dental · Planmeca · Schick. Product names are software product names in this category, listed as factual examples only — not recommendations, not sponsorships.
5. Payments & patient financing
Card processing, payment plans, and patient financing. Some PMS vendors add a markup on card processing — a hidden revenue stream that never shows up in the software price.
How it's priced: Processing fees are per-transaction and excluded from our 3-year cost totals by rule; financing platforms charge the practice a discount rate on financed treatment.
Known products in this layer: Sunbit · Wells Fargo Health Advantage · CareCredit. Product names are software product names in this category, listed as factual examples only — not recommendations, not sponsorships.
6. Analytics & benchmarking
KPI dashboards pulling production, collection and schedule data from the PMS: case acceptance, hygiene re-appointment rates, provider productivity.
How it's priced: Monthly per location, tiered by metrics or locations. Value depends entirely on PMS data access quality — which is why our API & export formats dimension matters beyond "integrations".
Known products in this layer: DentalIntel · Jarvis Analytics. Product names are software product names in this category, listed as factual examples only — not recommendations, not sponsorships.
Two integration traps the stack diagram hides
- Imaging lives outside the database. In several major core platforms, x-rays and photos are stored as files separate from the SQL database. That changes backup scope, migration cost and export freedom — read our guide on image storage before assuming "we back up everything".
- Payment processing markups are software revenue. Some core platforms earn per transaction on card processing. That is why our 3-year cost methodology excludes processing fees from the total and lists them separately — otherwise vendors that bundle payments carry a burden others do not.
Start with the core layer: the full PMS database or the best-by-scenario rankings.