Comparison
A spreadsheet will do almost anything. That is the problem.
Spreadsheets are the most common dental practice management system in the country, and they are not a stupid choice — they are free, flexible and everyone can already use one. They fail at exactly one thing, and it is the thing a clinic depends on.
| spreadsheets | Dently | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | Free, and running this afternoon. | A trial and an import. Longer than an afternoon. |
| Flexibility | Total. Any column you want. | Opinionated. Structure is the point. |
| Two people at once | Conflicting edits, or one person locked out. | Everyone on the same live record. |
| Clinical record | A text column, at best. | Odontogram, perio chart, endo stages, per surface. |
| Trust in the numbers | Only as good as the last manual entry. | Derived from the work, not re-typed after it. |
Keep the spreadsheet for the things spreadsheets are good at. Stop asking it to be the patient record.
Start with one clinic
See what your next month of treatment is really worth.
Bring one location onto Dently, import the patient list, and start finding which chairs, doctors and treatments move the practice forward.