X ray system with OD

[sasim01]

Hi I am deciding between getting dentrix and OD in the start up practice opening next month. What is good about OD. Also what x ray imaging system gets integrated better with OD. Any advice about SOPIX imsging by Acteon please. I need to decide soon, please give me your advice. Thanks

[bpcomp]

There are a lot of things that are good about OD, it just depends on what you find important to say what is better about one program vs another. In our case, OD is better than Dentrix because it is so small and doesn't require as much computing power to run. If we had stayed with Dentrix, we would have had to upgrade all the computers in the office to meet the minimum requirements. This probably would have cost the office about $20,000. In switching to OD, we used our exisiting machines and replaced them as they failed. OD cost us less than Dentrix and the monthly support was cheaper. It is more versatile in being able to do custom queries. (At least it was at the time we switched. I don't know if they have added custom queries to Dentrix) OD bridges to almost all imaging solutions without having to pay for a bridge. Here is the list http://www.opendental.com/manual/programbridges.html. I have no experience with SOPIX so I can't give any advice.

[drtech]

We use XDR. Works well. ...used Dentrix for years in the 90s through 2005, switched to OD in 2006...Have not looked back, go with OD.

[stjames70]

Started with OD in 2003, acquired Dexis for radiographs in 2009, tried switching to Dentrix in 2015 because of promoted feature set, went screaming back to Open Dental within 4 months -- Will. Never. Go. Back. To. Dentrix

One word: DON'T
start with Dentrix.

This is Dentrix: Support: poor. Software: bloated, slow, ugly, stupid, and non-intuitive. Multiple modules that have to be opened up? Are you kidding me? They didn't have anyone smart enough to integrate reporting, charting, billing all on one program?
When we installed Dentrix, it went through a few updates, and a Microsoft update to Adobe Flash broke the program!!! Come on. It was a security update that had to have been released to third-party software developers depending on Flash way before the public got it, and Dentrix did not test it? RIDICULOUS.
We were pretty much up the proverbial S--T creek for a few days. After spending 12 hours with support, they figured out the work around was to roll back the Adobe Flash update to the previous version. I have only begun. I could go on and on about how bad Dentrix is. It is expensive, its support plan costs more, its database is inexplicably large (it is not easy to back it up), and they charge you everything by line item. The only salvation for them would be to buy out Open Dental, keep all the staff at Open Dental, and simply give up on their software.

My two cents (from someone who suffered a lot trying Dentrix out)

[wjstarck]

I think you just coined a new slogan:

Dentrix: Don't!

[mafiaxxx]

OD in my opinion is the cheaper and better choice. The software is not as "pretty" as Dentrix but it does just as much.

[stjames70]

Well, I have a different opinion.

Dentrix = fugly

Open Dental = pretty

Dentrix feel like something programmed in the early days of Windows/Mac OS:

1) unintuitive -- you need lots of training to 'maximize' the potential of Dentrix
2) multiple modules -- are you f---ing with me?!?!?! Management systems should be easy to operate, but Dentrix has taken the path of more complexity is better in the name of customization
3) Dentrix is IT's support idea of a wet dream -- sign up with Dentrix and you will never be able to shake off IT, just like narcotic addicts can't shake off the habit

Sorry. Just a little emotional here. What I really want is to prevent the countless hours of my life I lost trying to fall in 'love' with Dentrix's awesomeness. NOT!!!!