Built for What's Next

Opening a new dental practice is no small feat, even after decades of successful practice ownership. Dr. Brent Bell and his wife, Amanda, know this firsthand. After selling their 30-year-old California practice last December, they opened Linrose Dental in Saratoga Springs, UT, this past February.

“Every patient we have is brand new,” said Amanda, the office's practice manager. “So, all their information is new, including insurance.”

What’s made the challenge of starting over from scratch more manageable is the Dentrix Ascend practice management system, which the Bells have relied on for years. The cloud-based software streamlines everything from revenue cycle management to perio charting, and now, a new suite of AI-powered tools makes Dentrix Ascend more of an asset to Amanda and Dr. Bell than ever before.

“The ability to manage all our patient data accurately and efficiently has made a huge difference, especially as a startup,” Amanda said.

A Smooth-Running Front Desk

Dentrix Ascend’s native AI features cover the patient journey from start to finish, beginning with scheduling and intake. With the Forms workflow, Amanda can book an appointment in minutes, and then text patients a link to securely submit their information. “They can even take a picture of their insurance card and upload it right there,” Amanda said, “and everything goes right into our system.”

At a new office like Linrose Dental, Dentrix Ascend’s insurance verification tool, Eligibility Pro, is where the software really shines. It pulls real-time benefits data from insurance portals and automatically adds coverage details to patient records—saving time spent on the phone with insurance companies.

“Eligibility Pro has been a lifesaver,” Amanda said. “We would not be surviving if we had to enter each patient’s insurance information by hand.” And with accurate info always at their fingertips, her team can build trust with patients from the very first visit.

When calls come in, an onscreen pop-up window summarizes key info from patient records, while AI captures conversation notes for later. "You can give patients your full attention instead of half-listening while searching for their chart,” she added.

Clarity in the Operatory

On the clinical side, Dentrix Ascend’s AI-driven workflows continue to elevate efficiency and the patient experience. Powered by Videa, Detect AI highlights areas affected by dental caries and bone loss directly on X-rays using clear, color-coded overlays. Admittedly, it took Dr. Bell time to warm up to the workflow. “

At first, I thought it was in my way,” he shared. “But now, I like that it gives me a quick overview of what I need to focus on.”Detect AI also has proved valuable for patient education. “The reds, yellows, and greens make a lot more sense to patients than pointing out shadows on an X-ray,” Dr. Bell explained. “When you can show patients where a small problem is starting to develop, they’re much more likely to take care of it before it progresses.”

Detect AI’s new Impact Panel lets patients scan a QR code on their phone and take images home for reference. Unsurprisingly, Henry Schein One reports that practices using this feature have seen a 19% increase in case acceptance.

The recently introduced Image Verify brings similar clarity to the claims process. Embedded directly in the Ascend imaging workflow, it evaluates each radiograph at the moment of capture—catching blur, misalignment, or incomplete coverage before it can become grounds for denial.

Considering that 20% of dental claims are initially denied, “Knowing that I’ll always have a good X-ray is going to be a game changer,” Amanda said.

Voice Notes Ambient is a new feature built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services. It captures provider-patient conversations in real time, recognizes dental terms and clinical context, and automatically creates claim-ready, SOAP-style notes. Documentation is complete before patients leave the office—no need to manually enter clinical notes or stay late to finish charts.

“One of our assistants who wasn't sure about Voice Notes in the beginning recently declared she loves it and doesn’t know what she’d do without it," Amanda shared. Dr. Bell echoed her appreciation, saying, “There are always little bits of information you might forget to write down. This catches and summarizes those details, and you’re glad to have them later.” 

A Partner Through It All

While Dentrix Ascend has helped the Bells navigate the demands of a new practice, they’ve found a true partner in the company behind the software. Amanda shared that Henry Schein One has been a constant presence at Linrose Dental from the start—attending the grand opening and actively seeking the team’s input as the software evolves.

“Henry Schein One has been extremely supportive,” Amanda said. “They always welcome our feedback because they genuinely want to create products that work for our practice.”