Whether you’re a solo practice or you have a busy and thriving dental practice, orthodontic practice management software is a must-have tool to keep your operations running smoothly while providing an excellent patient experience.

There are dozens of dental practice management software options available, and to help you narrow down the selection, this article aims at helping you identify the best choice for your clinic.

What Is Orthodontic Practice Management Software?

As you probably know, orthodontic practice management software helps you manage your office, helping your staff stay organized while automating routine tasks. These software programs tend to include features that allow you to schedule appointments, communicate with patients, send bills, process payments and insurance claims, and store patient data.

Many also include data analytics that allow you to gain insights into the performance and trends related to your practice. It’s also helpful to find a software solution that can integrate with other tools in your business that unify various tools such as email marketing, online review management, missed call texts, and more.

The top orthodontic practice management software tools on the market today include:

  • Carestream Dental
  • Henry Schein
  • Dolphin Management
  • Ace Dental Software
  • Dentrix Ascend

8 Benefits to Look for in the Best Orthodontic Software

In general, a practice management solution should employ the latest technology (including cloud-based options) and be available at a price that matches your budget, but what else should you be looking for?

We’ve identified nine benefits that we believe are non-negotiable.

1. Helps to promote your orthodontic practice

You’ve got several promotional tools at your fingertips, but in fields like general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and orthodontics, reviews can be a top source of acquiring new patients. In fact, 92% of people check online reviews when they’re choosing a business.

We recommend using practice management software (or integrating with Weave) to encourage patients to review your practice. This software can send automated and personalized texts and emails to patients as they’re leaving your office while their stellar experience is still fresh in their minds.

Weave also includes real-time reputation monitoring, so you’ll know right away when someone leaves either a positive or negative review.

2. Grows your patient base quickly and consistently

As you get more exposure, you’ll also need a way to fill your schedule, prevent gaps, and reduce no-shows. Look for an orthodontic management software that sends appointment reminders and allows patients to schedule online or via an app.

Weave does this and more. For example, if you have a last-minute cancellation, Weave can send an automated message to people on your waitlist, allowing that gap in your schedule to be filled immediately.

3. Allows quicker billing and collections

Any orthodontics practice management software worth its salt will allow you to send bills and collect payments online, but not all allow text. Increasingly, patients are using their smartphones as a central hub and rely on these devices for many daily tasks, including paying bills.

Weave includes a full payment processing solution, including contactless payments. This feature can supplement your current practice management system if you don’t have this option.

4. Enables remote work

If you have team members that work from home or you want to be able to access your software on the go, then having the option to check in remotely and interact with patients even when you’re not in the office is critical. This is especially true if you deal with cases on an after-hours or emergency basis.

5. Provides your patients with a white glove experience

No matter how busy your office is, each patient should feel valued and special. For example, when they call your office, does your receptionist have to ask the person to identify themselves?

A good practice management software will automatically display the patient record on a screen, so you’ll be able to provide a friendly greeting without having to waste time asking for details. Your patients will feel like they’re calling a familiar friend when they dial your office, assuming you’ve chosen a quality orthodontic practice management software.

6. Makes your staff’s tasks less complex

There are a lot of moving parts in an orthodontics office. To help keep your staff efficient (and maintain their sanity), your software should make life easier. This means having features that assist with medical billing, appointment scheduling, patient communication, tracking orthodontic treatment plan progress, and automating tasks to reduce the overall workload.

7. Reduces paperwork and stationery expenses

We live in a digital online world, and it can be a significant hassle to print and maintain mountains of paperwork. Plus, what happens when the printer runs out of toner and your patient needs a copy of their bill immediately?

While you’ll most likely always want to retain the ability to print documents, it’s often preferable to communicate and send bills digitally. Look for a software solution that makes this easy while integrating with other systems in your office.

8. Offers access to good customer support

Even if you have the most robust solution and tech-savvy staff, things can still happen that require you to reach out to the software company’s customer support line.

At a minimum, you should be able to reach someone during your open office hours. However, it’s also helpful to know that you can get support at any time and speak to a live and knowledgeable representative.

Conclusion

Weave integrates with the top dental practice management software companies to help streamline your operating and marketing operations. To see Weave in action and learn how your software can work with Weave, schedule a demo.

FAQ

What are some tools orthodontists use?

In addition to physical orthodontic instruments like mirrors, periodontal probes, etc., an orthodontist, as well as a dentist, may also rely on software and other new products to both elevate patient outcomes and manage their business. A typical office could include imaging software, appointment scheduling tools, appointment reminders, treatment planning, and other options that can be used across the entire practice.

How can I promote my orthodontic practice?

You don’t necessarily have to rely on advertising to get the word out about your dental office. You can become a new patient magnet by posting on social media, sending email marketing campaigns, and boosting your online reputation by increasing the number of reviews from satisfied patients.