--- title: "Dentrix Ascend Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Dentrix Ascend the right Medical Scheduling solution for you? Explore 235 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/177828/Dentrix-Ascend/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-21" --- Dentrix Ascend 4.1 (235) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated October 21st, 2026 # Reviews of Dentrix Ascend Ease of use 4.2 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews AB Amanda B Business ManagerMedical Practice, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “A little effort from me to set up clinical note templates, multi codes, attaching our preferred codes to the ICD-10 codes used in Quick Exam, etc. meant that our processes were fast and easy from that point on.“ January 8, 2026 sf susan f OWNERMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “The xrays features did not work alot of the time.....variable and we could not get the intraoral camera to ever work or open I asked for my money back and ONE would not do it . “ February 18, 2026 SC Suzanne C DentistHospital & Health Care, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It's a great tool for patient education as well as charting, scheduling and billing.“ June 17, 2026 sf susan f OWNERMedical Devices, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “The system did not work for more than 2 days before glitches came up we spent hours on phone with their IT people I hired outside people to come in “ February 18, 2026 AB Amanda B Business ManagerMedical Practice, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I was drawn to it because it has charts and hyperlinks on the landing page.“ January 8, 2026 SC Suzanne C DentistHospital & Health Care, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “As with any new software, this did take me some time to get used to but I have been using this software for several years now and I can't imagine going back to paper charts!“ June 17, 2026 WG Wesley G CEOMedical Practice, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Their dedication to resolving issues quickly and thoroughly makes a huge difference in keeping our office running smoothly.“ January 7, 2026 AB Amanda B Business ManagerMedical Practice, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Our trainer tried to tell us, but we did not pay attention so the first month was a very busy month as we scrambled to input insurance.“ January 8, 2026 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 235 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Krista I. C. Dental Hygienist Medical Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good software" April 1, 2020 5.0 Good to fair. I use it at offices when I temp Pros I first was introduced to dentrix in dental hygiene school. At the time, It was the only dental software I knew of and felt as though it was pretty easy to use. In hygiene school, you do not use the software to its' best ability because we are limited to what we do w the dental charting, etc. I have used dentrix often during temping and do find it a little confusing, but I seem to manage pretty well with help from staff. Cons I am not a big fan of dentrix, I think it can be confusing and non-user friendly at times. Review Source SW Susan W. Director of Business Administration Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Five Stars for Ascend!" May 26, 2021 5.0 Better communication among staff and between the office and patients over all our office has become much more efficient! Pros How easy the software is to learn and use. Our staff was very concerned about the transition because we had been using the other software for years and they still had so many problems using it. Ascend is user friendly it’s as easy to use as an app on your phone. I asked the team what they like most and these where their answers: 2 way texting, electronic sending for insurance, reliability, ability to access anywhere, time clock (new), how fast it runs compared to our old system and the amazing reports you can run (daily huddle) Cons In the perio charting it would be awesome if there was a way that implants are marked so both charts don't have to be open at the same time. Switched from [Dentrix](https://www.capterra.com/p/2329/Dentrix/) I studied Ascend for a long time. I watched and read everything I could online I just knew it was the right fit for our staff and office! Review Source JW Jesse W. Insurance Specialist Medical Practice Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Gutless" April 28, 2017 2.0 Our office made the switch from Viive, which itself was a very frustrating piece of software as it would constantly drop connection to the server even after several "fixes" and technical support sessions with both Mac and Viive. I was excited for Dentrix Ascend, being a long-time Dentrix veteran, knowing the power of the Dentrix applications. However, in my experience with Dentrix Ascend so far, it is clear that Ascend is a gutless wonder, especially compared with how powerful Dentrix Proper is (and even Eaglesoft, for that matter!), and as such, is has been an utter disappointment. Full disclosure: I handle the front office/insurance/accounting end of things, so I cannot speak to the clinical end of things. My review is solely of the front office and accounting end of things. Keep in mind it may be delightful for the clinician. I am pleased with the fact that we no longer have to deal with constant server connection fails, so that is nice. But still not enough to make up for Ascend's other shortcomings. My first gripe is that once an insurance carrier is established, you cannot edit the payor ID. And once groups are established under a carrier, you cannot move the groups. This means, if a carrier is set up incorrectly (say, with payor ID 06126 that directs the clearing house to print and mail all claim) with several groups, you have to manually recreate the carrier and each group underneath, which is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Secondly, with the procedure codes, many of them default to "mouth" for treatment area, even for common codes that virtually every insurance company requires more specific information. If the procedure code is used a single time, you lose the ability to edit even the treatment area. This was a big problem for us, as treatment plans converted over with several codes that are uneditable because they are "in use." We have had to create several "alias" codes, which the clinical side now has to remember to choose. Third, Viive allowed for payment tables under each group (similar to Dentrix Proper and Eaglesoft and several other software options), that would allow any exceptions in payment to be logged for future prediction. This is not the case in Ascend. This was an important Viive feature for us because we participate with an insurance company who calculates payment based on two fee schedules: maximum allowable per provider contract and maximum allowable according to policy contract. With Ascend, you are at the mercy of coverage percentages and cannot account for the two separate yet inseparable fee schedule. I got excited when I saw the "copay" field in the coverage table and spent a large amount of time updating this field for each group, only to find out from technical support that this is not a covered feature. So, ultimately we have had to develop external tools to help us predict patient responsibility. Dentrix Ascend has completely failed us in this area. Finally, we have hit a roadblock with NEA attachments. We are having to continue using Viive because of the inability of ledgers to be transferred over to Ascend (ledgers include open claims). To make a long story short, because we are maintaining a subscription to NEA through Viive in order to be able to keep sending attachments for unresolved claims, we are unable to send attachments through Ascend. Our only options are 1) to terminate our NEA subscription under Viive and print and mail all claims requiring attachments, 2) to manually move treatment over to Ascend and resume claim troubleshooting under Ascend, or 3) print and mail all claims from Ascend requiring attachments. We are probably going to go with option (1), but really, any option is a huge inconvenience. Bottom line, as the numbers and insurance person, I would never recommend this software in its current state. I am a huge Eaglesoft critic, but I would wholeheartedly recommend even that software over Dentrix Ascend. Ascend, you have a long way to go before you will get my vouch. Pros Access from anywhere, line-item accounting, some user-defined reports, everything is backed up in the cloud. There is potential. Cons Just about everything else: confusing ledger, user-unfriendly insurance setup, inability to edit procedure codes, inability to override insurance payments at a group level and on a procedure code level, NEA attachment failures. Review Source JB James B. Practice Owning Dentist Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Satisfied from the start" August 7, 2019 5.0 We have always been happy with Dentrix Ascend. Our IT needs and budget are a fraction of what they otherwise would be. We can always access and stay up to date with no additional cost or waste of time. Ascend continues to get better and better. Pros Intuitive. It has eliminated wasted time and money on training. Cons While being next generation technology and cloud based it has been very slow to publish APIs and become operable with so many other businesses that can enhance dental practice management. Alternatives considered [Open Dental](https://www.capterra.com/p/122350/Open-Dental/)[Dentrix](https://www.capterra.com/p/2329/Dentrix/)[Denticon](https://www.capterra.com/p/35009/Denticon/)[Curve Dental](https://www.capterra.com/p/98688/Curve-Dental-Hero/)[Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend It being cloud based eliminated half of the alternative products. Next, the stability and support of HSPS behind Ascend made it a safer and more forward looking product to back. We have not been disappointed. Review Source AG AMY G. patient coordinator Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "User friendly" May 17, 2021 4.0 Pros What I like most about this software is that it is easy to use. It's easy to go from a patient chart to their ledger and back to the schedule. It's also easy to log in from home to view the schedule or to add patient notes remotely. Although there are some features that our staff would like to see added in regards to billing and patient ledgers, overall the pros outweigh the cons with this software. Cons The inability to add additional insurance payments when patients' two insurance plans pay more than the amount billed. Switched from [Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) The previous practice was using Eaglesoft when our new \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] purchased the practice. Dentrix was being used at his other locations and it was seen as as an opportunity to try the lastest version of Dentrix. Review Source EM Erica M. Registered Dental Hygienist Medical Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Amazing but could use some improvements " May 12, 2021 4.0 As long as the internet connection is strong, this system is amazing! Very user friendly and easy. Pros I love how easy this is to use! We have two dental practices with a lot of patient overlap and this is so much better than our old software. Very user friendly and easy to access from anywhere! I also love the new clock-in/clock-out feature. Cons I don’t like how I cannot schedule a recare appointment without completing today’s appointment first. We have our system send texts to leave our office a review once the appointment is completed, so the doctors don’t like to complete them until the patient leaves. I need to schedule the 6 month appointment before they leave or they don’t get scheduled. Switched from [Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) We added a second practice and needed a cloud based software. Review Source MB MIRZA B. Operations Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Value for Money" September 3, 2019 5.0 Analyzing the accounts receivables ,unscheduled treatment plans ,recare patients,patients portions and so on are some most needed and valuable reports from the power reporting. Pros The best thing i like in this software is there user friendly functionality which make it so different and valuable to all. Cons Sometimes it get froze so we need to refresh the browser to proceed. Alternatives considered [Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend The features in assend are more user friendly and we get new updates too often as per the customer needs. Review Source gM greg M. sr. director of strategy Executive Office Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Multi-site infrastructure" August 23, 2019 5.0 support, from both my customer success manager, \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\], as well as the tech support team have made the experience of converting to Ascend easy to manage Pros ability to report, review, and manage all offices without having to be on site. Cons there are many of my current feature requests included in the road map, but currently i would like to see a marketing campaign tool. Alternatives considered [Denticon](https://www.capterra.com/p/35009/Denticon/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend the quality of the R&D and product management team with Ascend Review Source AM Amber M. Office Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Easy to use software" August 7, 2019 4.0 My overall experience with Dentrix Ascend is good - When we find a glitch or would like to see something change, we are able to get help from customer service quickly. I like that Dentrix accepts requests to make changes and prioritizes the requests by how many other companies are requesting the same change. Pros What I like most about Dentrix Ascend is that it is easy to use, web based so I can access the program anytime. They have a very good resource and support center to answer any questions I have. I utilize this for training new employees. Cons What I like least about Dentrix Ascend is that reports that I run are not consistant. I can run one report that gives me figures/numbers and run a different report for the same criteria and I can get different results. Switched from [Carestream Dental](https://www.capterra.com/p/172266/CS-3D-Imaging-Software/) The company made the switch prior to me joining the team, I am not sure why they made the decision. Review Source Kristen P. Dentist/owner Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Going to be a great product but still in development beta" July 18, 2021 1.0 Not good and we left and switched to Dentrix Pros Cloud based and not a lot of clicking to get through software. Cons It just was not ready to handle to the hustle and bustle of the day to day of a busy practice. Alternatives considered [Dentrix](https://www.capterra.com/p/2329/Dentrix/)[Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend Cloud based Switched from [DENTECH](https://www.capterra.com/p/85034/DENTECH/) Upgrading Review Source Response from Henry Schein One August 16, 2021 Hi Kristen, thank you for sharing your experience; we are sorry to hear it was not a positive one. If you are willing to share with us additional details, we would love the opportunity to give you a better experience. Please email us at HS1SocialMedia@henryschein.com with additional details. SG Steve G. Owner/Dentist/CDO Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Mixed feelings..." June 21, 2019 3.0 We are a multi-site group practice so going to a cloud EMR just seemed essential. Going with HS made sense b/c of the stability. Some features are really great... and some are major works in progress IMO.... some are just lacking altogether. It seems with the financial backing of HS the software could really be developed faster and with more features and if it did that, would probably completely own and dominate the cloud platforms. Right now, within the community of DDS I'm associated with, I still hear people gripe about Ascend and talk about how the prefer other cloud based sofwares... but we just wanted to go w/ Schein b/c of the long term stability. So we're hoping the features that are lacking will be built in soon - hopefully 6-12 months max. Things like online forms, robust a medical history module, a great lab case manager module, and a referral module seem essential to modern group practices... Pros Ascend was the obvious choice for us b/c H.S. is a stable company that isn't going anywhere. though we had heard some really good things about a few other platforms... stability seemed critical. The support has been very good through the facebook group and the support of friday forums, etc... this has felt very good... Cons There are some - what I would consider very basic- features that I am surprised they would even launch a platform without. Starting with a robust - AWESOME - medical history form that new patients (and even existing patients) could fill out prior to their visit. This feature should be online and built into the software. From what I can tell, groups that have been on Ascend for years are still doing paper... scan... upload to the D.C. That feels very 2005. Thought Ascend is "new" (7 years?) it still lacks an online medical history form and a robust way of customizing, having it pop up at visits, etc. Dentrix core finally just got this... but it hasn't showed up in Ascend yet. Things like referring procedures in the software.... right now there is no way to track referrals. Things like a lab case manager... these are every day things in a dental office and we are stuck using major work arounds with paper tracking and google docs for lab cases and yes- we're struggling to get a good system going. This seems like after 7 years it should be in the software. I'd like to know some realistic timelines (+/- 3 months?) of when features like this might be coming. it's hard to know if "soon" means in 2-3 years or in 3-6 months. Hopefully some of these very "basic" features will be implemented soon. Review Source SK Sheila K. Office Manager Facilities Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Worst software I have used in 45 years!!!!!" September 28, 2023 1.0 It takes 10 x longer to do anything in the front office. You cannot change insurance companies without going through 15 - 20 minutes of navigation, There is NO WAY to put a insurance information form on with the other 5 forms for the patient to fill out their own insurance information. You have to put the insurance address and telephone number in every time you put the insurance in, it does not do it automatically. The estimates are NEVER correct. The people that work there do not have a clue what they are doing. There is NOT one thing I like about this software Pros Nothing- There is Nothing I like- everything is so difficult to navigate, no one that works there knows anything about the software Cons Everything! I can't think of anything I like Review Source NH Nicholas H. Practice Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Ascend" August 7, 2019 5.0 Ascend has made it possible to cross train our clinical staff through it’s intuitive design; and this has made our patient turnover very efficient, while reducing the need for addition front desk personnel. Pros This software saves countless hours of additional administrative work and processing mistakes. Our office switched from Eagle Soft, which we ran on a closed network, about 5 years ago; and after learning how to use theAscend software, I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions that we have ever made for our practice. Cons There’s nothing that I don’t particularly dislike about the software. However, there is room for improvement with some of the newer features. For example, real time benefits along with automated verification and eligibility would make Ascend the perfect software, in my option. Review Source ML Monique L. dentist Medical Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I have used dentrix in private practice for several years, im not 100% happy with some of the features but it gets the job done." October 10, 2017 3.0 There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to functionality and user friendly options. I also feel simplicity is a must as well. Pros Customer service is good, any updates are easy to take care of. The patient scheduling is very easy to do, and I like the colors that you can choose from for different providers. I also like the Pinboard feature, it is very useful and handy. Reports are easy to run and very helpful and useful. Cons Not user friendly, dental charting can use some changes. Don't care for the x-ray component. There are way too many pop ups when you opening the patients chart and you have to navigate thru all of them every time the chart is opened which is a headache. Medical / Dental history has to be scanned into the chart and there should be an automatic form where information already gets populated into patient's chart, it would save time. Would love to have a split screen on one page when treatment planning, charting and viewing xrays so you don't have a open and close screens back and forth. Review Source MK Mia K. Office Manager Medical Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Dentrix Ascend Review" August 7, 2019 4.0 Dentrix Ascend helps us to schedule patients, assist with insurance, and allow us to have paperless office, which is the bulk of what we need in the office. Pros I like that I can access this software from any location and even on my phone. It allows me to be able to assist patient's and access the schedule when I'm not in the office. Cons I don't like the way the Day sheet report prints out. I don't like how if a dollar amount is over $1000 it doesn't show the full number on the report when it's printed out. I also don't like that I can't tag payments with multiple tags. For example, If I enter a credit card payment I can only tag they credit card type but can't add like a tag for the doctor that provided the service for whom that payment is going towards. I also don't like that we can't customize text or send manual text messages to patients. I'm still getting use to using the software but the power reporting I find it not very user friendly. Review Source JP James P. CEO Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great decision to implement." May 24, 2021 5.0 Overall the experience has been great. We have been very pleased with the constant updates and improvements. Pros We have over a dozen offices in multiple states. Ascend allows us to seamlessly work in each office from our home office. We can see, in real time, how each office is working and more importantly how effectively. The skill level in our offices has improved dramatically. Cons It is expensive! But, as we use the features that the software has it becomes apparent that it is worth it. Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend Ascend was clearly more mature in the cloud based dental world. Review Source kN kelly N. CEO Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love using the cloud" December 20, 2022 4.0 pretty decent software. much better then softdent but doesnt have all the features Opendental does. Pros Ascend is easy to use, love the cloud feature as I can access it from any computer and get to work Cons could have some better functions for insurance management. Some of the features are inconvenient. Review Source KB Kayte B. Office Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best Dental Software I've Used To Date" April 11, 2019 5.0 This software has helped our practice optimize each patient appointment and improved our office flow dramatically. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cloud based software. Pros I have utilized four separate software systems in dental offices and Dentrix Ascend has by far been the best. If you are computer/internet versed it is a great software to invest in. Being cloud based I love being able to access the software anywhere, they are always updating and adding great new features, the customer service representatives are helpful and friendly every time you call in, the insurance area is very impressive, everything is easy to use and navigate (excluding reports). Cons The reporting area in Dentrix is very hard to navigate. I do have to call in to run most reports that are not standard, but the customer service reps are always kind and eager to help. Review Source LM Lacey M. Biller Medical Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to follow & use" May 11, 2021 4.0 Pros I like the ease of use...meaning it's easy to navigate. Simplified version of their more complex server-based Software Cons I wish the reporting was more like their server-based software Alternatives considered [Dentrix](https://www.capterra.com/p/2329/Dentrix/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend Cloud based Switched from [Curve Dental](https://www.capterra.com/p/98688/Curve-Dental-Hero/) Accounting is more difficult in Curve Review Source Jason K. Business manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ascend is a great platform for many practices, especially those with multiple practices" November 16, 2018 4.0 pretty good, Always improving. I'd like them to fix the couple cons but I feel like they will over the next year. Pros Shared database between both offices. Easy to learn Modern Always adding functionality. Cons Missing API Missing customizable paperless form. Review Source KD Karlie D. Office Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Has potential.... needs more features" August 22, 2019 3.0 Would really be a great program, however it is missing too many key components. Pros The program is visually great to look at and is very basic, easy to use. Cons Ascend must incorporate more features from outside sources. At this seminar out of a large room of vendors, we could not find 1 who's program could be used within Ascend. Alternatives considered [Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend Needed a cloud based product Review Source JF Joan F. Founder Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Dentrix Ascend Review" August 7, 2019 4.0 My overall experience is good. I am a start up agency for mobile delivery of services and I need a platform that is accessible to multiple users and will work as we grow. Pros I like the generation of the Patient Clinical Record as we submit it for the patient’s medical record. Cons The charting is time consuming and could be better streamlined and tailored to my needs. Reason for choosing Dentrix Ascend It’s lowered cost for monthly subscription due to being in the Beta Testing group. I wanted to work with a Henry Schein product because of its support to the dental hygienist community. Review Source MR Mendy R. Dentist Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Ascend is the BEST! " August 21, 2019 5.0 Pros I was a long-time regular Dentrix user so when I branched out to open my own practice, I wanted something that was similar to what I was used to but also had even better perks! And I feel like we got just that with Ascend. It’s easy to use from any computer, laptop, iPad, phone or even from home. And the BEST part is they are always asking their current users what can be improved upon... they want their clients happy with Ascend! I love it. Cons Only a couple of cons... but I think that the Ascend software developers are currently working on these: No time clock within Ascend No lab case manager Switched from [Dentrix](https://www.capterra.com/p/2329/Dentrix/) New office Review Source MJ Manisha J. DDS Medical Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "dentix ascend in dental offices" May 17, 2021 4.0 Once we got rolling it has been easy to get used to. Pros cloud based so it makes access to records from home much easier Cons They need to change the name to just Ascend. It is nothing like the Dentrix core software. There could be better ability to input multiple family members with same email addresses. In the home screen, doctors are able to acess patient charts in area when we see our notes are not signed. We can only currently edit the note. Review Source PK Peter K. Dentist Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fired my IT. Never have another Network and software issues" August 14, 2019 5.0 Pros Cloud storage with HIPPA compliance. Being able to access the complete software at off site . Constant new feature updates. Cons Lagging response due to internet speed and connection. Separate module for xrays Switched from [Eaglesoft](https://www.capterra.com/p/60064/EagleSoft-13-00/) Server and IT issues. Tech support Review Source ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.