Why EXACT practices are rethinking on-premise practice management

Many dental practices have long relied on EXACT, but the demands of a more connected, patient-led profession are leading some to reassess on-premise practice management. Dentally is a cloud-based practice management system from Henry Schein One presented as an alternative.

Why on-premise systems felt safe for years

Dentistry is built on trust, consistency and routine. That is one reason on-premise practice management systems became so deeply embedded in UK practices. They lived in the building, they supported the diary, they stored the records and the team knew where everything was.

For EXACT practices, that familiarity matters. EXACT is positioned as a complete practice management system used by thousands of dental practices, with tools for appointment books, recalls, patient communication, marketing, UDA management and treatment follow-up.

So the question is not ‘why did practices choose on-premise software?’ The better question is: ‘Does the model still fit the way dentistry now works?’

For years, local servers and installed software gave practices a sense of control. The system was physically close. The workflows were known. The team had built habits around it. But familiarity can sometimes disguise friction. A system can be trusted and still be limiting.

What has changed in modern dentistry

Modern dentistry is not just clinical. It is operational, commercial and deeply patient-led.

Practice owners now need to manage busier diaries, higher patient expectations, more digital communication, mixed NHS and private workflows, and in many cases, multi-site visibility. Dentally’s view is that modern practice management needs connected clinical, admin and patient experience features in the cloud.

The pressure on the dental team is also real. UK dental workforce research has identified high levels of stress and burnout, with stressors including workload, NHS system pressures, regulatory compliance, financial strain, leadership and management challenges.

That matters because software is no longer just a back-office tool. It affects how calmly the diary runs, how easily reception can manage patients, how quickly clinicians can complete notes, how clearly owners can see performance and how confidently teams can adapt.

An on-premise model can still run a practice. But modern dentistry increasingly asks for more than ‘running’. It asks for speed, access, automation and insight.

The hidden operational costs of staying still

Staying with an older operating model rarely shows up as a line item. It shows up as time.

It is the hours spent maintaining a local server, the manual backups, the reports that need reconciling by hand, the work duplicated between reception and clinical teams, and the wait for features that arrive on someone else’s upgrade cycle. It’s the manager who cannot check a figure without driving to the practice.

Cloud-based dental software removes much of that. Dentally runs through a browser over an internet connection, so there is no server room to look after, no IT maintenance contract to renew and no installations to schedule. Data backup and security are handled for the practice.

That does not mean every practice should move overnight. It does mean practice owners should calculate more than licence cost. The real question is: what is the total cost of maintaining the current way of working?

If a system adds small amounts of friction to every diary change, report, recall, payment, note or patient communication, the cost compounds across the whole team.

What cloud gives practice owners

Cloud dental software changes the operating model.

Instead of depending heavily on on-site infrastructure, a cloud PMS allows authorised teams to access the system securely through a browser. Dentally runs in Google Chrome, works across Windows, Mac and iPads, and can be used over mobile data as a backup if needed.

For practice owners, that can unlock five practical advantages.

1. Better visibility: owners and managers can see what is happening without always needing to be in the building. This is especially important for multi-site groups that need consistency across locations
2. Less local IT dependency: cloud removes much of the operational burden associated with local servers, manual backups and installed software. Automatic data backup and security is a core part of Dentally’s cloud proposition
3. Faster innovation: Dentally’s cloud software receives small, seamless updates, helping practices access new features without traditional downtime or disruptive upgrade cycles
4. More connected patient journeys: modern patient journeys do not start and end at reception. They include booking, reminders, forms, payments, recall communications, treatment conversations and feedback
5. A calmer team experience: when core workflows are easier to complete, teams spend less time fighting the system and more time moving the day forward.

How Dentally makes the move manageable

The biggest objection to moving from EXACT is rarely the destination. It’s the journey.

Practices worry about disruption, staff confidence, data migration and patient experience. Dentally’s EXACT-to-Dentally process is designed around discovery, proposal, expectation setting, onboarding, data migration, training and change management, rather than treating switching as a simple software swap.

The right migration conversation should answer:

• Why are you considering moving now?
• What frustrates the team about current workflows?
• What would success look like 12 months after moving?
• What are you worried about losing?
• What needs to be explained before the practice feels ready?

Those questions are central because switching is not just technical. It is operational and human.

Final thought: the question is not cloud versus EXACT

The better question is whether your current PMS still supports the practice you are trying to build.

EXACT may have helped a practice get here. But if the next chapter depends on less admin, better visibility, secure access from anywhere and a calmer way to run the day, it may be time to rethink on-premise practice management.

Dentally helps practices take that step with a cloud platform built for modern dentistry and a guided pathway that makes the move feel manageable.

Book a business review to explore what moving from EXACT to Dentally could look like for your practice.

This article is sponsored by Dentally.