Cloud-based dental practice management software
4.1/5 (109 reviews)Dentrix Ascend is a web-based dental practice management software offering users front office, clinical, and business tools to assist with the running of their practice. Multi-site support allows users to set up unlimited physical practice locations, with separate schedules and reporting, and the ability to share patient records. User roles can be assigned both by location and by user, and a role-based practice overview is shown to each user on login, with the current status of users’ tasks and customized daily to-do lists.
Dentrix Ascend’s patient overviews contain all necessary patient check-in information on one screen, with further information displayed with a single click. Patient profiles enable users to manage patient guarantor and family relationships, track patient referrals, and make a record of conversation notes. With the inbuilt drag-and-drop treatment planner, users can create, present, and schedule cases, and track patients’ acceptance and progress. Users can schedule appointments with specific operatories and providers, enter patient treatment plans, select multiple providers for each appointment, and view patient confirmations. Dentrix Ascend also allows users to manage up to 10 insurance plans per patient, track patient eligibility for treatments, and archive expired insurance plans.
Dentrix Ascend includes customizable clinical charts, where users can add conditions, procedures, and clinical notes, with the option group related procedures together in multi-codes. Medical alerts can be added from the catalog of existing alerts, or custom alerts created. Users can also set alerts as being high priority, making them visible every time a patient’s record is viewed. Perio progress can also be recorded and tracked using the inbuilt perio charts. Recare/recall plans can also be created for each patient, based on various routine treatments. For imaging, Dexis, a cloud-based custom-made imaging solution for Dentrix Ascend, requires no on-premises imaging servers.
Dentrix Ascend includes a drag-and-drop editor for creating customized reports with charts and graphs, which can be exported in multiple file formats. The inbuilt document manager allows users to search, manage and upload documents and images, which can be attached to patient files, and assigned tags for searching. eServices are also included with Dentrix Ascend, enabling users to submit insurance claims electronically and automate patient communication.
Pros
I love that the software makes regular updates that I don't have to download and apply myself. The ease of having our program available on different devices like an iPad makes it extremely convenient. Ascend is highly user friendly, if you can use a webpage, you can use the program. I also love not ever having to worry about an access problem when I have an issue with the server!
Cons
There are some features not available. There aren't as many options to change settings for individual practices as there are in server based programs. It was difficult to get used to using only one module at a time; ie: I can't have the ledger open on one person and look the chart at the same time.
Our team just got onboard with the online booking feature and it seems to reaching those hard to reach recare patients, which is great.
Pros
As a first time dental software user, I am pleased with the interface and ease of navagating through Dentrix Ascend. I love that they are constantly updating and bringing new features to Ascend that are specific requests of most of their customer base. They go above and beyond hearing and addressing our needs as the consumer.
Cons
What areas of improvement I feel are needed, having the ability to change an insurance from primary to secondary and visa versa without using so many clicks and steps. Also having the ability to print detailed receipts for specific collections, more specifically for Flexible Spending and End of year tax statements. Otherwise, perfect system.
This software has helped our practice optimize each patient appointment and improved our office flow dramatically. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cloud based software.
Pros
I have utilized four separate software systems in dental offices and Dentrix Ascend has by far been the best. If you are computer/internet versed it is a great software to invest in. Being cloud based I love being able to access the software anywhere, they are always updating and adding great new features, the customer service representatives are helpful and friendly every time you call in, the insurance area is very impressive, everything is easy to use and navigate (excluding reports).
Cons
The reporting area in Dentrix is very hard to navigate. I do have to call in to run most reports that are not standard, but the customer service reps are always kind and eager to help.
We are an older, small practice that doesn’t take insurance- all fee for service. We file for the patient but don’t know if they get paid, so there is a lot of end of month phone calling to clean up overview screen. Also the text messages should be customizable and indicate when one is sent. Overall, I am pleased with the program and the support and don’t know why there are so many negative comments. I really like being able to access from home or my cell phone.
Pros
Cloud based. Good support. Good initial training. Great for a small fee-for-service practice that doesn’t need a bunch of bells and whistles.
Cons
1. The monthly fee. 2. Can’t run Xray program on Mac (maybe things have changed). 3. Have to click numerous times to get to patient notes.
Our office made the switch from Viive, which itself was a very frustrating piece of software as it would constantly drop connection to the server even after several "fixes" and technical support sessions with both Mac and Viive. I was excited for Dentrix Ascend, being a long-time Dentrix veteran, knowing the power of the Dentrix applications. However, in my experience with Dentrix Ascend so far, it is clear that Ascend is a gutless wonder, especially compared with how powerful Dentrix Proper is (and even Eaglesoft, for that matter!), and as such, is has been an utter disappointment. Full disclosure: I handle the front office/insurance/accounting end of things, so I cannot speak to the clinical end of things. My review is solely of the front office and accounting end of things. Keep in mind it may be delightful for the clinician. I am pleased with the fact that we no longer have to deal with constant server connection fails, so that is nice. But still not enough to make up for Ascend's other shortcomings. My first gripe is that once an insurance carrier is established, you cannot edit the payor ID. And once groups are established under a carrier, you cannot move the groups. This means, if a carrier is set up incorrectly (say, with payor ID 06126 that directs the clearing house to print and mail all claim) with several groups, you have to manually recreate the carrier and each group underneath, which is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Secondly, with the procedure codes, many of them default to "mouth" for treatment area, even for common codes that virtually every insurance company requires more specific information. If the procedure code is used a single time, you lose the ability to edit even the treatment area. This was a big problem for us, as treatment plans converted over with several codes that are uneditable because they are "in use." We have had to create several "alias" codes, which the clinical side now has to remember to choose. Third, Viive allowed for payment tables under each group (similar to Dentrix Proper and Eaglesoft and several other software options), that would allow any exceptions in payment to be logged for future prediction. This is not the case in Ascend. This was an important Viive feature for us because we participate with an insurance company who calculates payment based on two fee schedules: maximum allowable per provider contract and maximum allowable according to policy contract. With Ascend, you are at the mercy of coverage percentages and cannot account for the two separate yet inseparable fee schedule. I got excited when I saw the "copay" field in the coverage table and spent a large amount of time updating this field for each group, only to find out from technical support that this is not a covered feature. So, ultimately we have had to develop external tools to help us predict patient responsibility. Dentrix Ascend has completely failed us in this area. Finally, we have hit a roadblock with NEA attachments. We are having to continue using Viive because of the inability of ledgers to be transferred over to Ascend (ledgers include open claims). To make a long story short, because we are maintaining a subscription to NEA through Viive in order to be able to keep sending attachments for unresolved claims, we are unable to send attachments through Ascend. Our only options are 1) to terminate our NEA subscription under Viive and print and mail all claims requiring attachments, 2) to manually move treatment over to Ascend and resume claim troubleshooting under Ascend, or 3) print and mail all claims from Ascend requiring attachments. We are probably going to go with option (1), but really, any option is a huge inconvenience. Bottom line, as the numbers and insurance person, I would never recommend this software in its current state. I am a huge Eaglesoft critic, but I would wholeheartedly recommend even that software over Dentrix Ascend. Ascend, you have a long way to go before you will get my vouch.
Pros
Access from anywhere, line-item accounting, some user-defined reports, everything is backed up in the cloud. There is potential.
Cons
Just about everything else: confusing ledger, user-unfriendly insurance setup, inability to edit procedure codes, inability to override insurance payments at a group level and on a procedure code level, NEA attachment failures.
Pricing information is available on inquiry.
Role-based overview on login shows the current task statuses, plus a daily customized to-do list.
Users can manage up to 10 insurance policies per patient, track patient eligibility, and archive expired insurance plans.
Unlimited physical practice locations can be created, enabling users to share patient records between practices, while still keeping schedules and reporting separate.
Drag-and-drop report creation allows users to create customized reports, which can be exported in multiple formats.
In patient profiles, users can manage patient relationships (both family and guarantor), track referrals, and include conversation notes.
Document management allows users to upload and manage documents or images, attach documents to patients’ files, and tag files for searching.
Below are some frequently asked questions for Dentrix Ascend.
Dentrix Ascend offers the following pricing plans:
Pricing model: Subscription
Free Trial: Not Available
Pricing information is available on inquiry.
Dentrix Ascend offers the following features:
Dentrix Ascend has the following typical customers:
Mid Size Business, Small Business
Dentrix Ascend supports the following languages:
English
Dentrix Ascend has the following pricing plans:
Subscription
We do not have any information about what devices Dentrix Ascend supports
Dentrix Ascend integrates with the following applications:
BirdEye, Elevatie, LocalMed
Dentrix Ascend offers the following support options:
FAQs, Forum, Knowledge Base, Online Support, Phone Support, Video Tutorials
Before using Ascend, we were constantly having server and networking problems. There was no telling what morning we would come in and have a problem accessing our PMS. It happened so frequently that when we finally had our server crash, we jumped on the opportunity to upgrade to a cloud based program. Although using Ascend is a complete change from using Dentrix, we became familiar with the new program within a few weeks and have never looked back! It was the best choice we ever made!