STOP
Before You Switch From Open Dental to Another Software…
Read This First
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this play out…
A practice switches to Open Dental, sets it up themselves with a couple YouTube tutorials and that one-hour onboarding call. At first? It’s “fine.”
But a few months later? The cracks start showing.
The team’s stressed.
Reports aren’t telling the real story.
The database looks like a junk drawer nobody’s cleaned in years.
And instead of fixing the root problem, the office decides, “Open Dental just isn’t working for us.” Cue the expensive decision to start all over with a new software.
Here’s the truth: you might be walking away before you’ve even seen what Open Dental can really do for you.
Why “Going It Alone” Will Burn You Out (and Bleed Your Bottom Line)
Open Dental is insanely powerful if it’s set up right. Without the proper workflows and training, you’ll miss the features that make it worth switching to in the first place. Instead, you end up with:
Team burnout from clunky processes and too many workarounds.
Financial waste from missed billing, inaccurate reports, and uncollected revenue.
Another expensive conversion that costs tens of thousands and kills productivity while your team relearns everything.
Switching software twice in a short span doesn’t just cost money, it costs morale.
How to Know If It’s a Setup Problem (Not a Software Problem)
When we do an Open Dental Self Audit, we see the same fixable issues over and over:
Procedures never billed because claim creation steps were skipped.
Ledgers clogged with unearned income, making reports inaccurate.
Insurance claims 30+ days old with no follow-up system.
Refunds entered as adjustments, skewing production and inflating income.
Appointment views and chart buttons that force your team to click more than they need to.
Recall lists full of overdue patients with no notes, statuses, or follow-up plans.
None of these are Open Dental flaws. They’re setup issues, and they’re completely fixable.
Before You Jump Ship, Do This:
If you’re ready to pull the plug on Open Dental, pause. You might already have the right software, you just need the right setup.
Check out our free resources and blogs for quick wins and best practices.
Download our Open Dental Self Audit Snapshot to see where your database might be holding you back.
Book a Comprehensive Software Exam so we can show you exactly what’s working, what’s not, and how to make Open Dental your best tool, not your biggest headache.
At SKF Practice Solutions, we’ve worked with hundreds of offices in this exact situation. I’ve seen Open Dental go from “frustrating” to favorite thing in the office, not by switching software, but by tailoring it to the team’s workflows.
You don’t need to start over. You need a clean, efficient, customized system that works for you, not against you.
