What kind of conversion you have will depend on your current practice management system. Please refer to the Conversion Forms on the right to see if we have previously converted your software and version. Once you have determined whether or not your software is among the checklists, please refer to your conversion options below:

• Standard Conversion
  If your software and version are in the checklists, and you want to stick to a typical timeline, then your option is a Standard Conversion. The Standard Trial Conversion is 5 business days. The live conversion will be 3 business days.
• Product Analysis
  If your software and version is listed in the checklists but you have a concern with what will not convert, you have the option to ask for a Product Analysis. For 10 business days we will test your data in a trial conversion to see if we can bring over more data in the conversion process, however this does not guarantee those fields will convert. The live conversion will be 3 business days.
• New Product Analysis
  If your software or version is not listed in the checklists, we have not converted it before and will need to analyze your data in order to see what will and will not convert. This takes 10 business days for the Data Services Tech to do a trial conversion. The live conversion will be 3 business days.
• Merge Conversion
  If you would like to merge or combine 2 or more databases into one Dentrix database, we can do a merge for you. If your software is listed in the checklists the trial will take 5 business days to convert your software plus merge with another database. If you would like to merge more than two databases together it will take five days for the trial conversion plus two additional days for each additional database being converted. If your software is not listed, then it will take 10 business days. The live conversion will take 3 business days for a two database merge. If you are merging more than two databases together it will take an additional two days per database being combined.
• Split Conversion
  If you would like to divide your database into more than one Dentrix database, we can do a split for you. If your software is listed in the checklists the trial will take 5 business days to convert plus 2 additional days per database that is split off. If your software is not listed, then it will take 10 business days. The live conversion will take 3 business days plus 2 days per database that is being split off.

Paperwork
Once you have decided what conversion type will work best for you, you will need to fill out the conversion paperwork. The conversion paperwork will assist the Data Services Technicians in converting your data. The paperwork and explanation for how to fill it out are to the right. Please fill out the conversion paperwork, sign and date the BAA, and fax back all of it to your Systems Implementation Coordinator.

Backup
Once your Coordinator has received your paperwork, the next step is for your Coordinator and a Data Services Technician to get a copy of your practice management software for the trial conversion. There are several ways to do this.

• Data Retrieval
  The preferred method is through a high speed internet connection in your office. We can connect to your computer remotely and retrieve data. This requires a person to be in your office to allow us to connect to the computer. Your Systems Implementation Coordinator will schedule the date to do this. A remote in can be scheduled between 6 am and 5:30 pm Mountain Time Monday through Thursday, and 6 am through 3:30 pm Mountain Time on Friday. The data retrieval must be scheduled 24 hours in advance.
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
  If your office does not have high speed internet or cannot have a person in the office when the data retrieval is needed, we can create a secure location on the internet where you can upload your data for the conversion. This FTP site allows you to upload your data to a secure location which only you, your Coordinator, and the Data Services tech will have access to. Your Systems Implementation Coordinator will provide a username and password and instructions on how to access the site. Typically offices with their own hardware technician or data storage manager will use this method to transfer the data to our Data Services Team. Instructions for accessing the ftp site can be found under Forms to your right.
• Physical Media
  If your office cannot connect to the internet, it is possible for you to send us your data on physical media. We accept CD, DVD, Zip Disks, Thumb or Flash Drives, Floppy Disks and hard drives. Please work with your Coordinator to schedule when you will need to send us your data to be converted. Physical media is the least preferred method of sending us your data. Problems can include mailing delays, incomplete or corrupted data, and data which is otherwise unreadable. All timelines are extended to include shipping days when you opt to mail in a backup.
• Pre-Extract
  Occasionally there will be a system that is written in such a way that we are not able to create a backup of that system for a conversion. When this occurs, your office will need to hire a technician to create a “pre-extracted” backup. This means the hired technician will go into your system and pull out information in each field and assign it a category, telling us where the information came from and where it should go in Dentrix. Once this backup has been made, we can get it through one of the methods above: remote in, ftp, or physical media. For instruction on how to do a pre-extract and for the fields you can use to label your data see Pre-extract Instructions and Office Headers under Forms to the right.

Conversion Stages

• Trial Conversion
  Once we have your backup, we will start the trial conversion. Depending on your conversion type, it will take 5 to 10 business days to convert your data into Dentrix. During this time use your system as normal. When we do the live conversion we will get a second copy of your data.

  The two purposes for doing a trial conversion are to 1) prepare us and 2) prepare you. During the trial we will test your system for any special circumstances there might be with your data. We want time to make sure the live conversion goes as smoothly as possible. The accuracy of your data conversion depends on how you used the system, which we won’t know until we see your data. The trial also gives your office the opportunity to request clean up or changes to your data, such as removing inactive patients (see Options Desired in the conversion paperwork.) Any requests outside of the Options Desired will result in a Product Analysis for 10 business days.

  When the trial is done, we will give you the opportunity to look through your data and see how it will convert. This helps prepare you for what fields you will have to enter by hand, for what information will need to be adjusted, and to better recognize where your data will be located in Dentrix. As long as the office has Dentrix installed before the trial conversion is done, we will install the trial for you to practice with until the live conversion takes place. ALL information you enter into the trial conversion will be deleted when we install the live conversion.

• Trial Conversion Review and Training
  As long as your office has previously installed Dentrix, once your trial conversion is finished, we will install your converted data into your system for you to look over. We recommend you do the majority of your pre-live training with your trial conversion. This gives you the opportunity to review your conversion with the trainer to answer your questions and guide you through how your information will look in Dentrix. If you did not purchase training, please contact your coordinator to make other arrangements. After you review your trial conversion, if you still have concerns, please let your trainer and your Coordinator know. We can do as many trial conversions as you want at no additional charge.

  Continue to receive training while practicing with your trial conversion. Try to complete at least 12 hours of training with your trial conversion. Once that is done and you feel ready to move forward, we can start on your live conversion. Any information you enter into the trial conversion will be deleted when we install the live conversion.

• Live Conversion
  After you have completed your trial conversion and pre-live training, you are ready to do your live conversion. This is your final conversion. Once you receive your live conversion, you will use it permanently while seeing patients and only use your previous software as a reference. The live conversion takes 3 business days unless you are doing a Merge or Split, which then require 2 additional days per database.

  For your live conversion we will get an updated copy of your data. From the moment your live conversion backup is made, you will need to keep track of ALL information you enter into your previous practice management system because it will not be a part of the copy we have. All the data you keep track of will have to be re-entered into your live conversion once you get it installed. During your live conversion training your trainer can either help you enter your data or show you how.

  Please complete the rest of your training hours before you are live so you are comfortable using the system while seeing patients. If you have concerns about how to use your system, you can call into support at 800.735.5518, or if you have concerns with how your data converted over, please contact your Coordinator immediately.