A Decade of Innovation and Milestones with Dentally

As Dentally, the market-leading cloud-enabled practice management software, proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, we took a moment to reflect on the journey of evolution that demonstrated our constant commitment to dentists and making their lives easier. Here’s a look back at a decade of milestones. 

Founding vision 

Dentally co-founders, Nick Davies and James Harker, envisioned a practice management solution for dental practices that would alleviate the stress of IT and the burden of admin, and help them deliver exceptional patient care. Leveraging the power of being cloud native from day one, and with collaboration with dentists, Dentally was born. 

Customer focused 

At the heart of Dentally is an unwavering commitment to our customers. Our customers’ voices shape our software through their valuable insights and feedback. We are focused on providing practitioners with the solution they need, now and in the future. 

First steps and launch 

The first step to developing Dentally was ensuring that the software had an intuitive user interface. Recognising the complexity of some of the existing solutions on the market, the team focused on removing the barriers to users and developing a system that could easily be learned and used by users, whatever level of IT skills they had. Beta testing in 2013, led to an official launch into the UK in 2014. 

Key product milestones 

In software development, 10 years is a significant period of time and so we aren’t able to cover all of the new features that have been added to Dentally. However, we have identified just a few key milestones that have shaped Dentally, that we believe show some of the ways our software has adapted to support dental practices deliver patient care and grow their businesses. 

• NHS Certification: In late 2013 in the UK with NHS England certification passed and the first NHS claim was submitted with a Beta test customer on the 13th of November 2013 and a response received three days later. In 2014, Dentally officially launched with its first practice live on the 22nd of April. 

• 2015 was all about the release of the new version of Dentally! The team retired the ‘Classic’ Dentally interface following lots of early customer feedback, and brought a new improved version of the software, with an improved chart and countless new features. 

• Postcode finder was a game changer for reception teams, with its introduction in December 2015 - enabling practices to find patient addresses with ease. 
  
  
• Calendar updates, email attachments and a new iPad app for forms. In 2016, the calendar became even better as you could see all the patient details from this screen including their contact details and appointment information. Plus the ability to navigate the previous week on the calendar with a simple click. We also added the ability to add email attachments to patient comms and developed a new iPad app for digital forms for patients upon arrival.
  
  
• 2017 was all about clinical notes and Dentally Mail!  Clinical notes and treatment plans were the focus, improving the way notes could be saved, edited and the duplication of treatment plan options - helped for a seamless experience of the clinician and improved treatment adoption. We also introduced Dentally Mail, as a new way of sending paper mail to patients. 
  
  
• Xero integration: In February 2017 we announced our first big integration partner, with Xero, the online accounting software to support dental practices with their accounts.
  
  
• 2018, new additions: We became an approved software supplier for NHS Scotland, and in the same year acquired Goodteith, welcoming their team and practices to Dentally. 
  
  
• Reporting was a key focus in 2019, with extensive new patient reports added to the software, along with Waiting Lists functionality and flexible recalls. 
  
  
• COVID-19 Toolkit: 2020 was a year of change, as we all learned to navigate COVID-19. Our team introduced a huge number of changes, as dentists had to learn to work differently, to protect their staff and deliver much needed patient care. We introduced a number of new features including outbound telephone calling, tasks list, contactless reception tools, medical history links; plus, we connected remote teams with Dentally chat and helped practices stay in touch with patients through automated comms. 
  
  
• Our Patient Portal initially became part of the Dentally story in 2019, when a developer built an integration with Dentally using our open API, we worked closely with their team and later they became part of family, as we recognised the importance of a seamless patient experience. 
  
  
• In 2021 we gave Dentally Portal a face lift, with a new precision login and empowering your patients to take care of their oral health, and help you deliver an effortless patient experience. Our open API is an important part of our story, enabling our users to build one ecosystem with seamless integrations with third party solution to optimise their workflows and business growth, whether they are looking to integrate with accounting software, patient review platforms or marketing lead generation tools. 
  
  
• 2021 marked the start of a global adventure on the other side of the globe! We launched in Australia following 12 months of research and product development in collaboration with local Australian dentists to ensure we provided them with a simple secure cloud solution, with powerful automation tools and fully integrated with HICAPS for their claims process. 
  
  
• New perio exam: In 2022 we introduced a new look to the perio exam, with clear teeth icons, exam comparisons, improved workflow settings configured to the individual practitioner and enhanced graphical representation. 
  
  
• Dentally Vision: In 2023, we launched our cloud imaging solution, Dentally Vision, allowing you to acquire, manage and access images and x-rays completely in the cloud. 
  
  
• Dentally Vision AI: In 2024: This cutting-edge tool integrates effortlessly with Dentally Vision, increasing your diagnostic accuracy and treatment acceptance, and improving overall efficiency in your dental practice. 

Before and after: A visual journey of transformation 

Let's take a stroll down memory lane and witness the transformation of Dentally's key features over time. From its humble beginnings to the sophisticated platform, it is today. 

The Patient record and Chart 

The evolution of Dentally's patient record and chart screen has been transformative for the way dental professionals handle their time in practice. These advancements have introduced ways to speed up your charting experience and streamline the workflows for both reception and surgery users. 

The chart screen has seen some our best enhancements over the past 10 years, practitioners have access to multiple tools that make charting and record-keeping more efficient than ever before! Tools such as condensed charting, hover charting and the updated treatment list have ensured ease of use for practitioners resulting in a streamlined surgery experience for the patient. 

The patient details screen itself has also seen some interesting updates over the years, most importantly the introduction of marketing consent to ensure practices can meet GDPR expectations. 

Additionally, the new patient details screen has ensured an easier view for reception users to navigate. By prioritising the needs of our customers, with thoughts and suggestions gathered through Beta testers and feedback surveys, we have been able to continually refine our software, empowering you to provide the highest level of care possible. 

Dentally Portal 

Dentally Portal’s evolution has played a pivotal role in redefining the online presence of dental professionals. The redesign journey revolutionised the user experience, introducing a sleek, user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation in the Dentally Portal patient view.   

With a simplified booking workflow and greater visibility into available appointments, you can offer a hassle-free booking experience for your patients, ultimately boosting practice efficiency and patient satisfaction.  

The patient portal side of Dentally Portal has also seen some big development improvements since its release. Paying for outstanding balances and appointment deposits now supports multiple payment methods such as Google and Apple Pay, and our online forms now use a more advanced click through layout to ensure patients do not miss any important information.   

The evolution of Dentally Portal also included the admin dashboard, where the changes made marked a significant leap forward in practice management capabilities. With a focus on simplicity and functionality, the new dashboard provides administrators with centralised access to essential tools and reporting. Offering unparalleled flexibility when it comes to managing your availability online. 

We made sure to include ways for you to customise your brand identity, manage your practitioners and easily set up your preferences when it comes to what information you are collecting from your patients. So, whether you are overseeing one practice or multiple locations, you can customise your online booking and signing system with just a few clicks. 

Your Dashboard 

Throughout the last decade, our mission has been to provide you with software that evolves proactively, aligning with the future of dentistry and aiding in the advancement of your practice. Along the way, we've implemented several user interface enhancements to the homepage of Dentally itself, aimed at simplifying your Dentally experience while also shaping our brand identity. 

The thought process behind our redesigns are always guided by extensive user feedback and research. By working closely with dental practices through our Beta program, our developers gain invaluable insights into the needs and preferences of our users. 

This iterative approach ensures that Dentally remains at the forefront of innovation, continuously evolving to meet the growing needs and demands of the dental industry. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of Dentally 

As Dentally looks towards the future, our focus remains firmly on innovation and collaboration with our customers. With exciting new features already on the horizon,  and a growing community of dedicated users, the next decade promises to be filled with even more groundbreaking achievements and milestones. 

By staying true to our core values and listening closely to the needs of our users, we have built a platform that empowers you and other dental practices across the world to achieve their full potential. 

We hope you stay with us over the next ten years and if you're interested in growing with us, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ellie Bot and our support team. Whether you have feedback, suggestions, or would like more information on joining our Beta tester program, we're here to assist you every step of the way.