Stop Running Software. Start Running Practices.

There’s a moment in every DSO when the future of the business is decided. And it doesn’t happen in a boardroom or spreadsheet, but chairside with a clinician focused on the patient in front of them. 

For too long, software has gotten in the way of that moment. A hygienist calls out periodontal measurements while a second hygienist types. A provider finishes clinical notes after the patient leaves. Images, findings, treatment recommendations, claims, and follow-up all move through different hands, systems, and levels of consistency. 

Dentrix Ascend is being built to change that, helping practices move from running software to running smarter, more connected practices. 

From a system of record to a system of context 

DSOs need a practice management solution (PMS) that understands the work happening across the practice and connects clinical, operational, patient engagement, and revenue workflows so the practice can move faster without adding more complexity. 

That’s the shift Ascend is making: from a system of record to a system of context that understands your practice, supports your SOPs, and brings the next step forward before your team has to go find it. 

The clinical workflow should move as fast as care does 

Clinical AI Documentation brings Voice Perio and ambient clinical note creation directly into the Ascend workflow, so perio measurements can be captured hands-free as they're spoken, and clinical notes are created from the appointment itself. And the best part? The record lives where the team already works in Ascend. 

That matters because when the patient record is complete and consistent, teams have a stronger foundation for better patient experiences and cleaner downstream workflows. 

That same philosophy is behind our expanded imaging experience. With capabilities like Pearl in Ascend and Magnify, clinical teams can work with AI-assisted insights and clearer patient-facing visuals directly in the workflow.  

Ask the question. Orchestrate the work. Build what fits your practice. 

The next generation of Ascend is also going to change how teams interact with their data and workflows. Rather than waiting on reports, exporting spreadsheets, or manually connecting the dots, teams will be able to ask a question in plain language and get an actionable answer. 

Imagine a cancellation opens three hygiene slots across the region. Instead of chasing lists manually, a scheduling coordinator can ask the system to find patients who are due, match the right outreach rules, and help fill the schedule with the right opportunities. The team reviews and guides the work. The platform handles the friction. 

That’s the promise behind Ask, Orchestrate, and Build in Ascend: ask your data a question, coordinate action across locations, and configure workflows that reflect how your organization actually operates. This is how scale becomes manageable. 

Growth doesn’t stop at the chair 

The same connected approach extends into patient engagement and revenue workflows. Ascend Campaigns helps practices act on patient opportunities with targeted outreach that supports recall, reactivation, and follow-up. Treatment Presenter with Financing helps make treatment conversations clearer and more actionable for patients, connecting clinical recommendations with affordability. 

These aren’t separate stories. They’re part of the same operating model. Every step matters, and every handoff is a place where growth can either accelerate or leak away. 

Revenue recovery starts with visibility 

For growing DSOs, revenue cycle work is often where fragmentation becomes painfully visible. Teams are capable, but workflows often aren’t designed for centralized scale. 

That’s why the Centralized Claims Manager in Ascend is such an important step. Its first focus is visibility and centralization: bringing claims work and unattached procedures into a centralized queue so billing teams can see what needs attention across locations and work from within Ascend. 

It’s the foundation for a smarter revenue recovery model. Every denial costs time, labor, and some portion of reimbursement that may never come back. Centralizing the work is the first move. From there, the future is prioritization, pattern recognition, and pre-submission intelligence that helps teams protect revenue before it stalls. 

One platform, not a patchwork 

At Dykema, we’re also highlighting how the Ascend platform continues to expand without forcing practices into more disconnected technology. That includes new and expanded capabilities across specialty workflows, payments, imaging, cybersecurity, and patient communication. 

• Ascend Pay surcharging helps practices offset card processing costs 
• Orthodontics in Ascend brings specialty workflows into the same platform experience 
• EAGLEi by Black Talon adds expert-led cybersecurity protection for dental organizations through TechCentral 
• Pearl in Ascend gives practices more choice in AI diagnostics while keeping the experience native to the workflow 

Ascend is being built as the platform covering more of the work practices already do, with less effort and fewer fragmented handoffs. 

What this means for DSOs at every stage 

Emerging DSOs: one platform, less fragmentation, and intelligent workflows for the jobs you can’t hire for yet 

Mid-market DSOs: decision intelligence across the footprint, so leaders can ask better questions, spot trends faster, and scale without simply adding headcount 

Enterprise DSOs: a platform partner built for governance, complexity, and speed, with the flexibility to support organization-specific SOPs and workflows 

See the next generation of Ascend at Dykema 

We’re bringing the story to life this week at Dykema 2026. We’re meeting with DSO leaders, sharing what’s new and next in Ascend, and showing how intelligent workflows can help teams reduce friction across clinical care, operations, patient engagement, and revenue cycle management. 

Visit Henry Schein One to see the latest Ascend innovations, connect with our team, and step into the Ascend Den in Spruce 2 for a closer look at how we’re building the future of dental practice management. 

Our ask is simple: you’ve trusted us for decades. Let’s build the next era of dental practice management together.