Happy with Open Dental, but Want Modern Automation?

As of 2025, server-based systems like Open Dental still hold 45.5% of the market, but today's practices are looking for smarter ways to support multiple locations and streamline technology across their workflows.

As part of our mission to modernize dental workflows, Flex Dental Solutions serves as the essential high-performance bridge for Open Dental users. Flex does this so well, in fact, that HealthStream Ventures wrote in its 2026 Industry Trends Report:

…a significant number of practices continue to run Open Dental, one of the strongest server-based PMS options due to its open architecture and robust ecosystem. For these practices, modernization is increasingly approached in phases. Overlay solutions such as Flex Dental Solutions for patient engagement and automation, and DentalHQ for membership plan management and recurring revenue, allow practices to address immediate operational gaps while extending the useful life of Open Dental. For many, this hybrid approach serves as a transitional step while planning for eventual cloud migration.

Flex is the "Missing Link" for Open Dental Users

You don’t have to wait for a platform migration to get the benefits of automated workflows and AI capabilities. Flex effectively "upgrades" your existing setup, providing a modern performance that industry experts recommend:

1. Unified Data for AI Readiness

AI-driven automation is the "efficiency mandate" for 2026, but it requires clean, unified data to work. Flex brings your Open Dental information into a modern, unified interface, enabling smarter scheduling, faster insurance eligibility checks, real-time performance insights, and automated patient communication—all without disrupting the workflows your team relies on.

2. Automated Workflow Assistance

Many practices discover they do not need to replace their practice management system to modernize their workflows. With Flex and Open Dental, they already have the upgrade they need. Flex provides remote access to online self-scheduling and the convenience of digital forms and text-to-pay links that meet today's patients' expectations in fast, on-demand experiences they have come to enjoy.

Flex handles the high-stress, tedious tasks that lead to team burnout:

• Insurance Verification: Stop paying your team to listen to hold music. Flex automates insurance verification, checking coverage behind the scenes before the patient even walks in.
• Automated Communications: Flex handles the 200+ daily texts and confirmations, allowing your team to focus on patient relationships rather than phone tag.

You’ll Experience Immediate ROI

Investing in Flex isn't just a software cost; it's a revenue generator. By adding 12 new patients a month and saving the front desk 15 hours a week in phone time, the system typically pays for its annual cost within the first 30 to 60 days of implementation.

• New Patient Revenue: Practices using FlexSchedule book an average of 12 new patients per month online. Based on an average new patient value of $653, a practice can see approximately $94,000 in additional annual revenue solely from patients booking after hours or through digital channels.
• Time & Staff Efficiency: Front-office team members save an average of 2–3 hours per day by automating repetitive tasks like appointment reminders, digital intake forms, and follow-ups. This efficiency allows practices to scale their patient volume without needing to hire additional administrative staff.
• Patient Retention: Automated reminders through Flex are shown to reduce no-show rates by up to 50%. When you automate this process, you can free up more time for your staff and improve the overall patient experience.

• Treatment Acceptance: High-performing practices using integrated visual treatment planning (like Flex’s tablet and text-based presentations) and automated follow-up emails maintain case acceptance rates between 60% and 90%, significantly higher than the industry average of 35–40%.
• Reappointment Rate: Real-time analytics help offices identify the "75/25" split (75% doctor production, 25% hygiene), ensuring the hygiene department effectively supports the restorative side of the practice.
• Dental Team Retention: When forms, reminders, verification, and payments are automated, front office workflows are streamlined so your team members have more moments to do what they love most — provide high-touch, personal attention to every patient.

If You Want to Modernize Without Migration, You’re Not Alone

We talk to many Open Dental users who want the automated workflows and advanced capabilities of modern platforms—but are clinically happy with the power and control Open Dental provides.

You don’t have to leave Open Dental to get a modern experience. Flex upgrades your current system with the smarter automation and speed you’ve been missing.

Would you like to see what it would be like to modernize without migration? We’d love to show you.