Open Dental Server Requirements: A Plain-English Guide for Practice Owners

What does an Open Dental server do?

The “server” is the one computer in your office that holds the Open Dental database (it runs a database program called MySQL or MariaDB) and usually your patient images and documents. Every other computer in the office connects to it. If the server is slow, every chair in the office is slow. If it fails, the schedule stops.

Open Dental recommends a dedicated server: a computer used only for this job, not also used as the front desk PC.

Which Windows versions does Open Dental support?

Windows version	Status
Windows 11 (Pro recommended)	Supported
Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022 / 2025	Supported
Windows 10	Support ended October 14, 2025
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2	Support ended October 10, 2023
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, Server 2008 and older	No longer supported

If your server is on Windows 10 or Server 2012 R2, it is no longer getting security updates from Microsoft, and Open Dental no longer supports it. For a practice storing patient health information, that’s a risk worth fixing soon.

Do I need Windows Server, or can a regular PC work?

For many small practices, a well-built Windows 11 Pro computer can serve as the Open Dental server. Two things to know:

• Connection limit: Windows 11 allows a maximum of 20 simultaneous connections to a shared folder. That’s fine for most offices with fewer than about 15 computers, but larger offices should plan for Windows Server or a separate storage device for images.
• Avoid Home editions. Use Windows 11 Pro (or Pro for Workstations). Home editions have networking limits.

Skipping Windows Server can save licensing costs, but only if the machine is business-grade and properly protected.

How much memory, storage and processing power does it need?

• Memory (RAM): Open Dental recommends 4–8 GB for workstations and notes the server may need more. For the server, we recommend at least 16 GB so the database has room to grow.
• Storage: The program itself is small (1–2 GB on the server), but your database and images grow every year. Open Dental recommends SSD or NVMe drives. We recommend them strongly: they make the whole office feel faster.
• Processor: Open Dental’s guidance is simply “newer and faster is better.” Any current business-class processor is enough for a typical practice.
• Battery backup (UPS): Recommended. A power blip during a database write can corrupt data.

Can Open Dental run on a virtual machine?

Yes. Open Dental can run on a Windows virtual machine. The catch is that other systems sharing the same physical hardware can slow the database down. If you virtualize, give the Open Dental machine its own dedicated drives and processor resources.

Where should my X-rays and images be stored?

Open Dental keeps documents and images in a shared folder (often called the “A to Z folder”), and imaging programs such as Carestream or Dexis have their own data. This folder usually becomes the largest thing on your server. Plan storage for several years of growth, and make sure it’s included in your backups. Image folders are the most commonly missed item.

What internet speed does Open Dental need?

Open Dental treats a high-speed internet connection as a requirement for updates and online services (eServices like online scheduling and texting). If you’re considering Open Dental Cloud instead of an in-office server, Open Dental lists 20 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload as the minimum, and a Windows computer is still needed to connect imaging and payment devices.

How should an Open Dental server be backed up?

At minimum, your backup should:

• Run automatically every day and include the database and the image folders
• Keep a copy outside the office (encrypted cloud or offsite storage)
• Be tested: a backup you’ve never restored is a guess, not a backup
• Alert someone when it fails

What are the signs my server needs to be replaced?

• It runs Windows 10, Server 2012 R2 or anything older
• It’s more than 5–6 years old or still has a spinning hard drive
• Open Dental or imaging is noticeably slow at busy times
• It doubles as someone’s everyday desk computer
• Nobody can tell you when the last backup was successfully restored

Can A+ Network Solutions set up or replace our Open Dental server?

Yes. We plan, build and migrate Open Dental servers for dental practices in Tampa, Brandon, Riverview and across Hillsborough County, including moving the MySQL database, imaging data and shared files, then monitoring the server 24/7 afterward.

Source: requirements summarized from Open Dental’s published Computer Requirements and Open Dental Cloud Requirements pages, checked October 2026. Always confirm with Open Dental before buying new hardware, as requirements change. A+ Network Solutions is an independent IT provider and is not affiliated with Open Dental Software.