Originally posted 8/30/2017. Updated 10/09/2024.
Your practice is always growing and changing – the same should be true of your practice management software. We work hard to continually improve and add new features to Open Dental based on the input we get from you, our valued customers, through Feature Requests. As a customer on support, software updates are included at no additional cost, and can be done when it’s convenient for your practice.
Watch our webinar on How to Update Open Dental to a New Version.
View our infographic on Updating Open Dental.
Want to know what version of Open Dental you are currently running?
Go to Help, then select Update. You will see your current version at the top of the Update window.
To see if there are new updates available, click Check for Updates. If there’s a new stable version available, you should consider updating! Want to see what’s new since you last updated? Check our Feature Highlights Posts we do after each version release – and if you want to see the full list of everything we’ve done, check out our Versions Page.
Recommendations for Updating your Software
It’s up to you to determine how you want to manage Open Dental updates, but here are some best practices that we suggest when it comes to updating your software.
Be aware of special circumstances
- Open Dental Cloud users, we handle the updates for you so you don’t have to worry about it! However, if needed, you can always contact Open Dental Support to schedule an appointment to update.
- eService users, always update from the computer where the eConnector is installed.
- Replication users, see Replication: Update Open Dental Version for update instructions.
Do software updates regularly!
It’s important to keep your software up-to-date to ensure that you have access to the latest features and bug fixes.
Want to know if an update with bug fixes is available for your version now? You can find out by going to Help, then select Update and click Check for Updates. If a version shows under the New build is available for your current version section, then this means we’ve identified and fixed bugs in your current version.
Update when no one is using Open Dental
The update process interrupts Open Dental’s ability to communicate with each workstation, so we recommend you update at a time when no other users need to use the software.
Generally, updates can be completed in 15 to 30 minutes. However, various factors can impact the speed of the update, so these times are not guaranteed. It’s usually safest to set aside at least an hour to perform an update, or better yet, start the update after your office closes for the day.
If your staff has left but they’re showing up as logged in when you go to do the update, don’t worry, the update tool will automatically log them off before doing software updates.
Update from the Server
We recommend running software updates from the server, unless you have a special circumstance that determines otherwise, to avoid possible network permission issues.
TECH TIP: Set an Update Server name in Preferences to run updates from a specific computer. This can prevent accidental updates and is especially important when using eServices or when there are multiple locations.
Workstation updates
The next time users log in to their workstations, they will want to right-click on the Open Dental icon and select Run as Administrator, then they will see a prompt that says software updates have occurred and files will be copied. They can simply click OK, and their software will be updated quickly to get them up and running with the new version.
Update to the Latest Stable version
We recommend updating to the Latest Stable version, not the Beta. The Stable version has gone through many iterations, and all identified bugs have already been fixed.
Updating regularly will give you access to the latest features and will help you get the best performance. If you need assistance updating, we’re happy to help, just give us a call!
Information in this post reflects features available in Open Dental Version 24.2. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our manual.