Dentrix runs your practice, so its database deserves more than a copy on a USB drive. Here's how to back it up so it survives ransomware and hardware failure.
Updated
What you need to protect
The priority is the Dentrix database on your practice server — patient charts, schedules,
treatment plans — along with linked imaging. A backup is only useful if it captures a consistent
state of that database and can actually be restored.
The three rules for Dentrix backup
Off-site: keep a copy away from the practice so one event can't destroy both.
Immutable: write-once copies ransomware cannot encrypt or delete.
Tested: restore regularly so recovery is proven before you need it.
Key takeaways
Back up the Dentrix database consistently — not just loose files.
Local-only backups fail against ransomware, fire, and theft.
Immutable, off-site copies plus tested recovery are the standard to hold.
Because Dentrix data is PHI, your backup vendor should sign a HIPAA BAA.
Dentrix backup with DDSArk
DDSArk protects Dentrix as part of a managed, multi-site backup service: immutable recovery
points, off-site replication, automated test restores, and a signed BAA. See ransomware recovery for dental for what restoration
looks like after an attack.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Dentrix?
Back up the Dentrix database with application-consistent, scheduled backups stored off-site and immutably — not just a copy on a local drive. DDSArk installs an agent on the Dentrix server that captures scheduled recovery points and ships them encrypted to immutable cloud storage. Exact steps: install the DDSArk agent on the Dentrix server, point it at the Dentrix database, and set a schedule — DDSArk then captures application-consistent snapshots, encrypts them, and replicates them to immutable off-site storage automatically.
Where does Dentrix store its data?
Dentrix keeps clinical and scheduling data in a database on the practice server. Because that database is the heart of the practice, it must be backed up consistently and off-site so a server failure or ransomware event does not end the practice. Verify your exact database/version details: Dentrix keeps this in its database on the practice server, and DDSArk backs up the complete database and linked imaging regardless of your Dentrix version.
Is a local Dentrix backup enough?
No. A local backup shares the practice network and hardware, so ransomware can encrypt it and a single failure can destroy the original and the backup together. Keep immutable, off-site copies in addition to any local backup.