What Is Tops Ortho?
Tops Ortho (stylized as topsOrtho) is a practice management and imaging system built from the ground up for orthodontic offices running Mac computers. It covers the full workflow: scheduling, treatment planning, patient communication, imaging integration, insurance and billing, analytics, and multi-location management.
The product suite includes topsOrtho (the core PMS), topsCephMate (digital cephalometric tracing and treatment planning), topsEcho (an iPhone and iPad companion app for on-the-go access to patient info, schedules, and images), and topsCheck-In (iPad-based patient self-check-in). The company claims the software runs up to six times faster on M1 chip-enabled Macs compared to Intel-based machines.
With 30-plus years in the orthodontic software market, Tops has built deep domain expertise in ortho-specific workflows — things like sequenced appliance tracking, treatment phase management, cephalometric analysis, and referral source reporting that general dental PMS platforms either bolt on awkwardly or skip entirely.
Who Is It For?
This is orthodontists only. Tops does not try to serve general dentistry, oral surgery, pediatrics, or any other specialty. That narrow focus is both its greatest strength and its biggest limitation.
The ideal Tops practice is a Mac-first orthodontic office — likely a private practice or small group that chose Apple hardware years ago and does not want to maintain Windows servers or virtual machines just to run Dentrix or Eaglesoft. Multi-location ortho groups are supported with centralized scheduling and reporting across sites.
If you are a general dentist, or if your office runs Windows, Tops is not for you. Full stop.
Key Features
Mac-Native Performance: Built natively for macOS with no Windows emulation or virtualization required. Takes full advantage of Apple Silicon for speed and responsiveness. This is the core differentiator — every other serious ortho PMS either requires Windows or runs as a web app.
Imaging Integration: Direct integration with intraoral scanners and a universal lab management system for storing and accessing STL files. Chair-side 360-degree image viewing from anywhere in the office. Cephalometric tracing through the topsCephMate module with digital landmarks, superimpositions, and treatment predictions.
Digital Patient Experience (DPX): HIPAA-compliant two-way texting, automated appointment reminders, automated review requests, and digital communication tools designed to keep orthodontic patients (and their parents) engaged throughout multi-year treatment plans.
Patient Check-In: iPad-based self-check-in that updates Patient Flow throughout the office in real time. Reduces front desk bottleneck during the morning rush of after-school appointments that every ortho office knows too well.
Scheduling: Location-specific custom templates that adapt to seasonal patterns — heavier summer schedules, lighter school-year afternoons, holiday blocks. Each location can maintain its own scheduling logic.
Reporting and Analytics: Practice performance dashboards covering production, collections, treatment starts, referral tracking, and case acceptance rates. Ortho-specific metrics that general dental reporting tools typically miss.
Pros
- The only serious orthodontic PMS built natively for Mac — no emulation, no workarounds
- 30-plus years of ortho-specific domain expertise baked into the workflows
- Excellent imaging integration including cephalometric tracing
- Fast performance on Apple Silicon hardware
- Instant data sync between workstations
- Strong iPad and iPhone companion apps for mobility within the practice
Cons
- Mac-only is a hard requirement — no Windows version, no web version, no flexibility
- Higher total cost of ownership compared to cloud-based alternatives
- Limited development velocity; some users report the UI feels dated
- Small company with a niche market limits R&D investment
- No cloud deployment option — you are tied to on-premise Mac hardware
- Orthodontic-only focus means you cannot use it if you add general dentistry services