Open Dental Forum

So, as a startup I have to consider that ES is free, at least the front desk portion. You get the rest free if you buy xray sensors, which I am planning on doing, so it will all be free.

With that in mind, what is to keep me from doing ES now and still go w/ OD?
I have only used ES a little and messed around with the free trial of OD so I don't know either well enough to decide.

Hard to believe they would offer it free. I would suspect it is an introductory offer of some sort as they would go out of business to offer it free they have far higher expense then OD. It may be like the new Iphone... it is 1/2 the price of the original but you will pay it back plus more in the more you pay on your monthly contract. Sounds like a bait an hook to me.

Either way you should be fine as they are both great software. Just dont get fooled into thinking one thing and then have to pay for it later in another way.

So the Patterson rep just made a stop at our office minutes after my last post. She gave me a flyer with info and sure enough they "want everyone to have the software they need to run their business for free". Wow maybe they have some common ideas with OD... probably not. All they require is a 12month support commitment, wonder how much? Well Im not interested in switching regardless. I figure if your happy, then why change. FYI "offer may be withdrawn at any time without notice".

I wouldn't switch either, not worth the hassle, but when you're not already tied into one...which way would you go?

No requirement to buy sundries from them exclusively? I guess that is would be a good marketing plan to give it away just to lock up the sensors portion of the market.

Eaglesoft isn't as bad as some. They're not intensely proprietary, just moderately. And they do listen to their customers unlike some of the others. They are very likely offering it free for the same reason we do. It's better to get customers on monthly support than to worry too much about the initial cost. But our entire software is included, not just the front desk portion. Make sure that you get sensors that don't lock you in to one software. In other words, make sure that Apteryx will support whatever sensor you get. I would even recommend not using the imaging software offered by ES, but going with something that gives you more flexibility in the future instead. There is no guarantee that ES won't change their corporate philosophy. It happens all the time. For example, Practice Works used to be a very powerful and responsive company. Until they got bought out. Now they are quite the opposite, closed and proprietary with frustrated users. It's bad enough if your patient data is locked up in the practice management software. But it's even worse if all the images are also locked up.

I spoke to Patterson sales.
The basic package is free but some modules are extra. (Perio charting is extra?)
Support and upgrades >100/month. As the old saying goes.... "..if it sounds too good to be true....ya da ya da..."