Dentrix Ascend vs Oryx

PickMyPMS Editorial · Last reviewed Oct 14, 2026

Quick verdict

Oryx fits a practice that wants every tier price in public, month-to-month terms after year one and a data export that covers images. It is also the stronger choice for a brand-new practice, because of its startup offer.

Dentrix Ascend fits a practice that wants a Henry Schein One product, a package ladder that runs up to enterprise reporting, or macOS and iPad access. Its price is by quote only, so the first step is a written number.

Two cloud products at different stages

Both run in a browser with no office server. Oryx lists the web as its only platform and is hosted on Google Cloud. Dentrix Ascend runs in a browser on Windows or macOS, and on an iPad.

Oryx was founded in 2016 by dentist Rania Saleh. It lists general, pediatric, orthodontics, oral surgery and periodontics. Dentrix Ascend lists general, orthodontics and DSO. Oryx claims more than 2,500 practices. Henry Schein One claims 80,000+ clinicians, office managers and office staff use Ascend, with no practice count, so the two claims cannot be compared directly.

Both include native imaging. Ascend lists 2D, 3D CBCT and CAD/CAM. For Oryx, the vendor states diagnostic AI from Pearl and Overjet is built directly into its imaging. That is Oryx’s own claim, and the record shows no matching statement from either AI company.

What each costs

Oryx publishes three plans, each with up to 2 providers:

• Pro is $650 a month. It includes native imaging, online scheduling, eligibility and claims, a patient portal and two-way texting.
• Automate is $899 a month. It adds automated workflows, collection sequences, reputation management and marketing campaigns.
• AI is $1,399 a month. It adds voice perio charting, transcription, exam charting and imaging integration, all done by AI.

Each added provider is $100 a month on Pro or Automate and $200 a month on AI. For new customers on Pro, payments start 3 months after signup. These are alternatives, not a stack, so the starting price is $650.

Henry Schein One publishes no Dentrix Ascend price. One site lists $4,788 a year for a single user, with $9,588 a year for 10 users and $19,188 a year for 100 users. Another estimates $500 to $1,200 a month and cites no source for the range. Both are third-party estimates, not quotes.

Ascend is sold in three packages, Essentials, Pro and Accelerate. Essentials includes payments, claims processing, patient booking, and text and email messaging. Pro adds Eligibility Pro checks and multi-location management. Accelerate adds enterprise reporting.

Once you have an Ascend quote, run both through the cost calculator.

The Oryx startup offer

A new practice on Oryx Pro or Automate pays $0 a month for up to 2 providers, plus a $1 setup fee. The regular price starts at 200 patients or 12 months after signup, whichever comes first. The AI plan is $400 a month for a new practice on the same limits, with AI annotations and eScript included.

The offer is for new practices only. A practice switching from other software pays a setup fee, a data-conversion fee and an image-conversion fee. Oryx says those apply but publishes no amounts.

Dentrix Ascend’s record shows no startup offer.

Contracts and cancelling

Oryx has a 12-month initial contract and then goes month-to-month. The record states no notice period, so ask what the month-to-month cancellation terms are before you sign.

Dentrix Ascend runs a 12-month initial term. New licenses added to an existing subscription end on the same date. It renews for 12-month terms at the then-current fees, and Henry Schein One can change those fees on notice by email or in-product announcement.

Written notice of non-renewal is due at least 60 days before the term ends. Leaving early can mean paying the rest of the term, and prepaid fees are not refunded.

After year one, Oryx is the lighter commitment on paper. Ascend’s 60-day window decides whether you owe another full year.

Getting your data out

Oryx says an export can be requested at any time or at termination. Structured data comes as CSV. Documents, images, radiographs and DICOM files come in original formats. Oryx says it does not delete data at termination until the practice has had time to export. No export fee is stated.

Dentrix Ascend handles export at the end of the agreement. The practice can request read-only access and a copy of its data in SQL database format. Data not requested within 90 days can be deleted, and extending read-only access costs extra.

If you want to test an export before you need it, Oryx is the one that allows it mid-contract. Ascend’s process starts after the agreement ends.

Features and integrations

Each feature is as the vendor records it. Unclear means the record is silent, not that the feature is missing.

Oryx records texting, eligibility, claims, online forms, online scheduling, e-prescribing and reporting as included. API access and multi-location reporting are higher-tier. Perio charting is unclear in the Oryx record, although its AI plan lists voice perio charting.

Dentrix Ascend records texting, claims, online scheduling, e-prescribing and perio charting as included. Eligibility and online forms are unclear. Eligibility Pro is listed as an addition to the Pro package.

On integrations, NexHealth lists Dentrix Ascend by Henry Schein among the systems it supports, and does not publish the connection method. Henry Schein One does not list NexHealth in our record. The Oryx record carries no NexHealth entry, which does not mean the two do not connect.

What reviewers say

We hold no ratings or complaint themes for Oryx, so a review comparison is not possible. Dentrix Ascend holds 4.1 from 235 reviews on Capterra, a third-party figure.

Ascend’s subscores are 3.9 for ease of use, 4.3 for customer service, 3.9 for features and 4 for value. Reviewers cite multi-location management, remote access without a server and an easy interface. They complain about confusing, unreliable reporting, long waits to reach support, and slow insurance setup and data conversion.

Ask Oryx for references from practices of your size and specialty, since no review record backs the product either way.

Who should pick which

Pick Oryx if you:

• Are opening a new practice and can use the $0 startup offer.
• Want published tier prices and month-to-month terms after year one.
• Want an export that includes images and DICOM files, available at any time.

Pick Dentrix Ascend if you:

• Run an orthodontic practice or DSO and want a product that lists both.
• Want macOS or iPad access.
• Expect to add locations and want multi-location management in a named package.

If neither fits, the Find my PMS quiz scores both products and others against your specialty, size and budget.