Dovetail Review

Our take: Dovetail is a cloud-based dental practice management system owned by Planet DDS that checks the fundamental boxes — scheduling, charting, billing, claims, and digital forms — in a browser-based package that lets you access your practice from anywhere. It's a reasonable option for practices that want to go cloud-native without the learning curve of a more complex platform. But it sits in a tough competitive spot: it's not as polished as Curve (Planet DDS's flagship), not as customizable as Open Dental, and not as feature-rich as Dentrix. Dovetail is adequate, but in a market where PMS choices have long-term consequences, "adequate" is a hard sell.

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What Is Dovetail?

Dovetail is a cloud-based electronic dental record (EDR) and practice management solution that helps dental practices manage clinical workflows, billing, scheduling, and patient communication from a web browser. The software was acquired by Planet DDS — the same company behind Curve Dental, Apteryx cloud imaging, and Denticon — and now operates as part of Planet DDS's broader DentalOS platform.

As a cloud-native application, Dovetail requires no local server infrastructure. Your data lives in the cloud, accessible from any device with an internet connection. This is its core value proposition: modern cloud architecture that eliminates the IT overhead of on-premise systems like Dentrix or Eaglesoft.

The target market is small to mid-size dental practices looking to migrate from legacy on-premise software or practices starting fresh and wanting a cloud-first approach. Multi-location groups can manage multiple offices from a single dashboard.

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Key Features

Cloud-Based Scheduling

Dovetail's scheduling tools manage bookings, reduce calendar gaps, and handle multi-provider schedules from a single view. Being cloud-based means scheduling changes sync instantly across devices — front desk staff and providers see the same real-time information whether they're at the office computer or checking from a phone.

Clinical Charting & EDR

Digital charting with treatment planning, clinical notes, and perio charting. The paperless workflow eliminates physical records and enables faster clinical documentation. E-prescription capabilities are built in for practices that need them.

Claims Management & Billing

Insurance claims submission, tracking, and management are handled within the platform. The billing module covers patient billing, payment processing, and standard dental billing workflows.

Multi-Location Management

For practices with multiple offices, Dovetail offers centralized management from a single dashboard. Employee portals, inter-office communication via Dovetail Connect, and consolidated reporting help groups operate more efficiently.

Reporting & Analytics

Standard practice management reports for production, collections, scheduling, and financial performance. The reporting is functional but not as deep as analytics-focused platforms like Dental Intelligence or Practice by Numbers.

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Pricing

Dovetail's pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales for a quote. Industry sources cite two models:

• Per-user pricing: Starting around $30/user/month

• Per-practice pricing: Around $399/practice/month (unlimited users)

The pricing model you receive may depend on your practice size and negotiation. There are no publicly listed implementation fees, though training and data migration costs should be discussed during the sales process.

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What Users Actually Say

What people love

• True cloud access. Being able to access patient records, schedules, and practice data from any device with internet is the feature that draws practices to Dovetail.

• User-friendly interface. Most reviews note that the interface is straightforward and easy to learn compared to legacy PMS platforms.

• Seamless patient communication. Built-in communication features and Dovetail Connect for inter-office messaging reduce the need for separate tools.

• No server maintenance. Eliminating on-premise servers and the associated IT costs is a genuine benefit for small practices.

• Multi-location dashboard. Group practices appreciate managing multiple offices from one login.

What people note

• Performance issues during peak usage. Some users report slowdowns during busy periods — a common complaint with cloud-based dental software that relies on internet connectivity.

• Limited integrations. Dovetail's integration options with third-party dental software are narrower than competitors like Open Dental or Dentrix.

• Interface aesthetics lag behind. While functional, the interface design has been described as dated, and uploaded photos/videos can lose resolution quality.

• Feature set isn't best-in-class. Compared to Planet DDS's own Curve Dental or competitors like Dentrix, Dovetail's features feel less comprehensive.

• Learning curve for complex workflows. Despite the generally user-friendly design, some dental-specific workflows require significant time to master.

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Who Is Dovetail Best For?

Great fit:

• Small practices migrating from paper or legacy on-premise systems to their first cloud PMS

• Multi-location groups that need centralized management without enterprise-level complexity

• Practices that value anywhere access and want to eliminate server infrastructure

• Offices that want a simple, straightforward PMS without feature bloat

• Startups and new practices building their tech stack from scratch

Better-tailored options exist for:

• Practices that want the most polished cloud PMS experience — Curve Dental (Planet DDS's flagship) is the upgrade path

• Offices needing deep third-party integrations — Open Dental's open architecture is more flexible

• Large DSOs needing enterprise features — Denticon or Dentrix Enterprise are built for that scale

• Practices that want cutting-edge features (AI, advanced analytics, embedded payments) — newer platforms like Archy or tab32 are pushing harder on innovation

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Alternatives to Consider

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The Bottom Line

Dovetail is a serviceable cloud-based PMS that solves the core problem of getting dental practices off legacy on-premise systems and into the cloud. It handles scheduling, charting, billing, and multi-location management competently, and the anywhere-access value proposition is real.

The challenge is that Dovetail sits in no-man's-land in the competitive landscape. Planet DDS's own Curve Dental is the more polished option in the same family. Open Dental offers more flexibility. Dentrix and Eaglesoft have deeper feature sets. And newer cloud entrants like Archy and tab32 are innovating faster. For practices evaluating cloud PMS options today, Dovetail deserves a look — but it should be compared head-to-head with Curve Dental and the newer cloud-native alternatives before committing.