Best Dental Software for Orthodontists (2026)
Orthodontic practices need treatment plan scheduling, bracket tracking, payment plan management, and imaging integration. We ranked the top platforms for ortho-specific needs.
What Orthodontists Need from Dental Software
Beyond standard scheduling and billing, ortho practices need: multi-visit treatment planning, payment installment tracking (most treatments span 18–24 months), imaging for cephalometrics, and consultation booking for new patient ortho exams.
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Curve Dental
Best Cloud Platform for OrthoCurve Dental is the best general-purpose cloud platform for orthodontic practices. Its flexible treatment planning, multi-visit scheduling, and patient payment plan tracking handle the core ortho workflow. The imaging integration (Dexis, Apteryx, Acteon) supports cephalometric and panoramic imaging workflows. For practices doing both general and ortho, Curve eliminates the need for two systems.
- ✓ Multi-visit treatment plan scheduling
- ✓ Patient payment plan and contract tracking
- ✓ Strong imaging integrations for ortho
- ✓ Online booking for consultation appointments
- ✓ Cloud-native — access from any location
tab32
Best Value for Orthotab32 offers the best value for orthodontic practices with its flat-rate pricing and built-in teledentistry. Remote consultations via video are ideal for initial ortho evaluations and aligner check-ins, saving chair time. The payment plan tracking and installment management handle the financial side of multi-year orthodontic cases without add-on costs.
- ✓ Built-in teledentistry for remote ortho checks
- ✓ Flat $299/mo — no per-provider upcharge
- ✓ Payment plan management for ortho cases
- ✓ Patient communication and recall automation
- ✓ All-in-one platform with no add-ons
Open Dental
Most Customizable for OrthoOpen Dental has the deepest orthodontic customization of any general dental platform. Its treatment card module was designed with ortho workflows in mind — bracket placement tracking, band/bracket charting, and configurable ortho-specific procedure codes. The active orthodontic community has built templates and workflows specifically for ortho practices. If customization and data ownership matter more than cloud convenience, Open Dental is the right choice.
- ✓ Ortho treatment card with bracket tracking
- ✓ Highly customizable for ortho workflows
- ✓ Lowest total cost of ownership
- ✓ Open-source with full data ownership
- ✓ Strong ortho user community
Dentrix
Largest Ortho Integration EcosystemDentrix makes sense for orthodontists who need the widest integration ecosystem. With 400+ integrations including dedicated ortho tools (Dolphin, OrthoTrac connectors), Dentrix serves as the central hub for a complex ortho tech stack. The higher cost is justified only for established ortho practices processing 50+ new starts monthly.
- ✓ 400+ integrations including ortho-specific tools
- ✓ Largest trained staff pool for hiring
- ✓ Mature treatment planning module
- ✓ Strong insurance and billing capabilities
- ✓ Multi-location support
Ortho Feature Comparison
| Feature | Curve | tab32 | Open Dental | Dentrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment planning | Good | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Payment plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Imaging integration | Strong | Basic | Extensive | Extensive |
| Bracket tracking | No | No | Yes | Limited |
| Cloud-native | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Teledentistry | No | Yes | No | No |