- New England's Only Dental-Specific IT Provider
- (207) 333-2206
How to Back Up Dental Software Before Switching Platforms
-
Ezra Angelo
- • February 25, 2025
Before any dental software migration begins there is one step that cannot be skipped: a verified backup. Not a backup that is running. One that has been tested and confirmed restorable.
Dental practices routinely discover on migration day that their backup was running but not actually capturing the right data. A backup that covers the database but misses the imaging folder is not a complete backup. A backup that has never been tested for restoration is a backup that might work.
Here is exactly what to back up before switching platforms and how to confirm it is actually ready.
The most common data loss event in dental software migrations is an incomplete backup discovered too late.
Practices that discover their imaging data was not backed up after the migration has started face permanent loss of historical X-rays. There is no recovery option if the original data is gone and no verified backup exists. The database and the imaging folder are two separate locations that must both be confirmed in the backup before migration begins.
What You Need to Back Up
Four locations that must be confirmed in your backup before migration day. Check each one your IT provider has verified is included and tested.
Verify your backup before migration starts
Map every backup location: database, imaging folder, and Document Center must all be confirmed covered
Your IT provider documents the exact file path of every data location and confirms each is included in the backup job. This is not an assumption: it is a verified audit of the backup configuration against the actual data locations on the server.
Test the restore: IT restores sample files to a test location, no test means no verified backup
A backup that has not been tested for restoration is not a verified backup. Your IT provider restores sample patient records and imaging files to a test location, confirms they open correctly, and documents the result. This step must be completed before migration is scheduled.
Check the date: night before cutover is ideal, weeks-old backups are not a safety net
The backup used as migration insurance should be as current as possible. A backup completed the night before cutover gives the practice a restore point that reflects the full current state of the data. A backup from two weeks prior means two weeks of patient records are not protected.
Copy it offsite: store a separate copy in the cloud before migration begins
The pre-migration backup should be copied to an offsite or cloud location before any migration work begins on the server. If something goes wrong during migration and the local backup is affected, the offsite copy is the final safety net. This copy should remain accessible for at least 30 days after go-live.
Platform-Specific Backup Notes
Dentrix stores the database and imaging data separately. The database is managed by SQL Server. The image path is a folder path set in Dentrix Office Manager and is often on a separate drive or network share. Document Center files are also stored outside the database.
All three locations must be included in a complete Dentrix backup. Dentrix's own backup tool only covers the database. It does not automatically back up the image path or Document Center. Your IT provider must add those locations manually to the backup configuration.
Eaglesoft stores data in a folder called C:\Eaglesoft\Data. Imaging data is stored in a proprietary format within the Eaglesoft folder structure.
Patterson's migration documentation confirms that a database cleanup to disable encryption must happen before data transfer to a new server, with Patterson Technology Support assistance. This step is critical and must happen in the correct sequence. Your IT provider and Patterson support coordinate this together.
Open Dental uses a MySQL database. The imaging folder location is configurable and set within the Open Dental program. If your practice moved the image folder at any point, confirm the current path before backing up.
Open Dental's conversions team retains backup copies of test and final conversion data for approximately two months after migration, which provides an additional safety net during the transition period. This does not replace the practice's own pre-migration backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ekim IT Solutions works exclusively with dental practices. We serve New England and New York with on-site support and dental practices nationwide with remote support. We verify, test, and document your backup before any platform switch so your patient records, imaging data, and history are fully protected before anything changes.
-
- • February 25, 2025
