Quick answer. Dental practice management software (a PMS) is the system that holds your schedule, patient charts, ledger and insurance claims. The main choices are Open Dental, Dentrix and Eaglesoft (server software) and Curve, Dentrix Ascend, Denticon and CareStack (cloud). Pick on workflow fit, total cost over three years, and how easily you can get your data out. Calibic is not a PMS. It reads Open Dental, Dentrix or Eaglesoft and adds analytics.
Your lease on the current system is up, or the server is eight years old, or a new partner wants everything in a browser. Now someone has to compare a dozen vendors who all say “all in one”. This page is the comparison an office manager can read in ten minutes, with only the prices the vendors themselves publish.
What does a dental practice management system actually do?
It is the system of record. Every other tool either feeds it or reads from it.
- Scheduling: the appointment book, operatories, provider time, the ASAP and unscheduled lists.
- Clinical chart: perio and tooth charting, treatment plans, notes, and (usually) imaging.
- Ledger and billing: charges, payments, adjustments, aging, statements.
- Insurance: eligibility, e-claims, attachments, payment posting.
- Reports: day sheet, production, collections, aging, recall, a few more.
A PMS records what happened. It does not tell you that 41 patients accepted treatment and never booked, or that collections are slipping on one provider. You find that by running reports every week, or by adding a layer that watches for it.
What does analytics add on top of a PMS?
Analytics does not replace any of the above. It reads the PMS data and answers questions the built-in reports make you work for: who has unscheduled treatment, which recalls are overdue, what changed in the ledger, how this month compares with last.
That is where Calibic sits. It is read-only, not a PMS, and it works with Open Dental, Dentrix (desktop) and Eaglesoft today. If you move to a cloud-only system, it cannot read it yet. See the coverage page for exactly what is watched.
Which dental practice management software options are there?
Facts below come from vendor pages checked on 13 Oct 2026. “Not published” means I could not find a price on the vendor’s own site.
| System | Runs | Published price | Honest strength | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Dental | Your server, or Open Dental Cloud (US, limited release) | Yes: $199 per location per month for 12 months, then $149 (up to 3 providers, hygienists not counted) | Published fees, broad customisation, month to month after year one | You want cost clarity and flexibility, and have IT help |
| Dentrix | Your server | Not published | Large installed base, deep reporting, long history | Your team already knows it and you want local control |
| Dentrix Ascend | Cloud, in a browser | Not published | Built for multi-location work, SOC 2 Type II claimed by the vendor | You want no server and Henry Schein One support |
| Eaglesoft | Your server | Not published (sold on subscription plans) | Mature Patterson system with imaging and supply links | You buy from Patterson and want one vendor |
| Curve Dental | Cloud, in a browser | Not published | Cloud since 2004, runs on Mac, PC and Chromebook | You want a browser system with no hardware |
| Denticon | Cloud | Not published | Built for groups and DSOs, vendor cites 13,000+ practices | You run several locations |
| CareStack | Cloud | Yes: from $829 per month per location (Essentials), from $1,299 (Intelligence) | Published per location pricing, no per user licence | You want a modern cloud system and a stated price |
A few honest notes on that table.
- Open Dental pricing has a catch for budgeting: it covers support, not data conversion, which is billed separately. Open Dental Cloud is hosted by Open Dental, is US only, and the vendor says it is in limited release.
- Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend are two products from the same company. Henry Schein One describes Dentrix as locally installed and Ascend as cloud. Check which one a salesperson means.
- Eaglesoft is server based. Patterson’s cloud product is a different system called Fuse. I could not load Patterson’s own pages to confirm Fuse details, so ask for a demo before assuming parity.
- Curve’s figures (100,000 plus users, 6,000 plus locations) are its own marketing claims.
I left out a “best of” ranking on purpose. Every ranking page for this keyword is written by a vendor that also sells a PMS.
What do dental practice management systems really cost?
Most vendors publish nothing, so the only fair comparison is a written quote for your setup. These are the numbers that are public.
Worked example, one location with 2 providers, three years, Open Dental fees only:
- Year one: $199 x 12 = $2,388
- Years two and three: $149 x 24 = $3,576
- Support total: $5,964, plus data conversion and your own hardware, IT time and backup service.
Put the Small Open Dental Cloud package ($250 a month, 36 months, $400 migration) on top and the hosting adds $9,400, for $15,364 in all. That $9,400 is what you compare against your server refresh, UPS, backup service and the hours your IT person bills. Your numbers will differ, so write them down before the demo.
Which questions should I ask in a demo?
Bring a real week of your own work, not the vendor’s sample patient.
- Show me my day. Ask them to book a family, post a split payment and run a claim with an attachment. Time it.
- How do I get my data out? Ask for the export format, whether it includes images and notes, and whether it is free.
- What is the total price in writing? Licence, support, imaging, text messaging, e-claims, conversion and training, per location and per provider.
- What happens to my reports? Ask which of today's reports you will lose or have to rebuild.
- Who converts my data and how long does it take? Denticon's own FAQ gives about 60 days for a solo practice. Ask every vendor for a similar figure.
- Can an outside tool read my data? Ask what an analytics or reporting tool can connect to, and what it costs.
- What is uptime and what happens on a bad day? For cloud, ask for the written backup and restore process.
Cloud or server: which should I choose?
Short version: cloud buys you access from anywhere and fewer IT jobs. A server buys you control and, often, a lower bill. Brand and hosting are separate choices. Dentrix and Eaglesoft are server software by default, Curve and CareStack are cloud, and Open Dental can be either. Read the full comparison in cloud vs on-premise dental software.
What does switching cost?
The monthly fee is the smaller part. Count these:
- Data conversion. Charts, ledger, appointments and insurance plans move. Notes and images are where problems show up. Open Dental says conversion is not included in support fees. CareStack says an implementation fee may apply for complex migrations.
- Training and slow weeks. Plan reduced schedules for two to four weeks. That is lost production, and you can estimate it with the production per hour calculator.
- Hardware and IT. New workstations, imaging sensors that need new drivers, and a rebuilt network.
- Add-ons. Texting, payments and imaging are often priced separately.
- History. Ask whether old ledger detail and notes are searchable or only archived.
Where does Calibic fit?
Calibic is not a practice management system. It does not schedule, chart, bill or take payments. It reads Open Dental, Dentrix or Eaglesoft and never writes a record. If you keep one of those three, it shows unscheduled treatment, overdue recalls, insurance claims and ledger changes in one place at $149 per location per month, or $119 billed annually. If you move to a cloud-only system, it cannot connect today.
The same read-only design works the same way whichever of the three systems you keep. See how it connects to Open Dental, Dentrix or Eaglesoft.
What should I do next?
- Write down your three biggest daily annoyances today.
- Ask two or three vendors for a written, all in quote and a demo of your own workflow.
- Compare three years, not one month.
If you are staying on Open Dental, Dentrix or Eaglesoft, see what Calibic watches and how it reads each system.
Sources (checked 13 Oct 2026)
- Open Dental fees: https://www.opendental.com/site/fees.html
- Open Dental Cloud: https://opendental.com/site/opendentalcloud.html
- Dentrix vs Dentrix Ascend: https://www.dentrix.com/about-us/dentrix-or-dentrix-ascend/
- Dentrix: https://www.dentrix.com
- Curve Dental: https://www.curvedental.com
- Denticon: https://www.planetdds.com/denticon
- CareStack pricing: https://www.carestack.com/pricing
- Patterson Eaglesoft (via search result): https://www.pattersondental.com/cp/software/dental-practice-management-software/eaglesoft