Dolphin Imaging Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Tired of messy patient images and records?

If you’re evaluating dental imaging software, chances are your current tools make it hard to keep patient photos, X-rays, and records organized and accessible.

But here’s the daily struggle I hear most: wasting precious time hunting for case images instead of actually focusing on treatment planning and patient care.

Dolphin Imaging offers a unified platform that streamlines how you capture, organize, and analyze both 2D and 3D images—plus, it brings seamless practice management and patient education into one ecosystem. With cloud and mobile access, you can review cases or collaborate across locations without the usual IT headaches.

In this review, I’ll break down how Dolphin Imaging brings clarity to dental workflows, turning image chaos into actionable insights for your busy practice.

In this Dolphin Imaging review, I’ll guide you through features, pricing, real-world pros and cons, and what sets Dolphin apart from other dental software you’re comparing.

You’ll come away knowing which features you need to get organized, save time, and make smarter software decisions.

Let’s dive into the analysis.

Dolphin Imaging Overview

Dolphin Imaging has been a fixture in specialty dentistry since its 1988 founding. To me, their core mission is clearly focused on improving treatment quality and efficiency for orthodontists and oral surgeons.

They’re not a general dental software. Their true strength lies in a specific focus on orthodontic and oral surgery practices, serving everyone from solo practitioners to large, multi-location clinics with highly complex diagnostic needs.

You’ll notice through this Dolphin Imaging review their recent developments prioritize cloud and mobile solutions, making remote patient data retrieval much simpler for your entire clinical team.

Unlike broader systems like Dentrix, Dolphin’s strength is its deep specialization. I find what truly separates them from key competitors is their robust 3D surgical planning and patient education tools like Aquarium.

They work with over 10,000 customers in more than 120 countries. You’ll find their software in private orthodontic offices, large university hospitals, and multi-practitioner surgery centers.

From what I’ve seen, their strategy centers on building a complete, integrated ecosystem. This directly addresses your need for one platform to handle imaging, management, and patient communication, avoiding the hassle of multiple vendors.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

Dolphin Imaging Features

Struggling with disconnected imaging and practice management tools?

Dolphin Imaging features provide an integrated approach to managing your dental practice from imaging to patient education. Here are the five main Dolphin Imaging features that can transform your workflow.

1. Dolphin Imaging Plus™

Tired of disorganized patient photos and X-rays?

Managing a mess of patient images slows you down and makes communicating treatment plans difficult. This can frustrate both you and your patients.

Dolphin Imaging Plus™ ensures effortless organization and presentation of all your patient images. From my testing, the single-screen interface for image enhancement makes quick adjustments easy, so you can clearly convey ideas. This feature simplifies visual communication and record-keeping immensely.

This means you can streamline your imaging workflow and present clear, compelling treatment plans to your patients, saving valuable time.

2. Dolphin 3D

Need precise 3D visualization for complex cases?

Dealing with limited 2D views for intricate diagnoses makes accurate planning incredibly challenging. This can lead to less optimal patient outcomes.

Dolphin 3D processes complex 3D data, allowing you to manipulate and analyze volumetric datasets from various sources. What I love about this approach is how it simplifies orthognathic surgical planning, simulating osteotomies and soft tissue responses. This feature is crucial for advanced diagnostics.

So, you get unparalleled insight into craniofacial anatomy, enabling highly accurate diagnosis and precise treatment planning for even the most complex cases.

3. Dolphin Management

Is your practice management system failing your multi-location needs?

Managing high-volume practices, especially across multiple locations, often leads to disorganization and inefficiencies. This can severely impact your practice’s productivity.

Dolphin Management is a robust practice management system designed for high-volume practices, excelling in scheduling, financials, and patient analysis. What I found impressive is its customizable nature for reports and scheduling, making it adapt to your unique needs. This feature brings order to chaos.

This means your practice can maintain smooth, organized operations, no matter how many locations you have, improving overall efficiency and reducing administrative burdens.

4. Aquarium Patient Education

Struggling to help patients truly understand their treatment?

When patients don’t grasp their diagnosis or treatment, case acceptance rates often suffer, and compliance becomes a challenge. This can impact your revenue.

Aquarium Patient Education uses high-quality 3D graphics to dynamically explain various dental topics. Here’s the thing – its visual nature promotes better comprehension, which I’ve seen directly increase case acceptance. This feature empowers patients with clear, concise information.

This means you can boost patient understanding and compliance, leading to higher case acceptance rates and better treatment outcomes for your practice.

5. Dolphin Mobile & Cloud Subscription

Need to access patient data, but you’re not in the office?

Limited access to practice data outside the office can hinder your ability to handle after-hours calls or discuss cases with referrals. This impacts your flexibility.

Dolphin Mobile & Cloud Subscription provides flexible access to your entire Dolphin product line, reducing IT costs and ensuring data security. From my testing, the mobile app for live data and images truly shines when you’re on the go. This feature offers unmatched accessibility and convenience.

This means you can securely access critical patient information anytime, anywhere, allowing you to manage urgent inquiries and review cases efficiently, boosting your responsiveness.

You’ll appreciate how these Dolphin Imaging features work together as a cohesive ecosystem for your practice, rather than individual tools.

Dolphin Imaging Pricing

Wondering about Dolphin Imaging costs?

Dolphin Imaging pricing is subscription-based, with costs varying based on user count and chosen plan, allowing for custom quotes that align with your practice’s specific needs.

1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors

Understanding what you pay.

Dolphin Imaging’s pricing is primarily subscription-based, with costs scaling with the number of users and the specific modules you require. What I found regarding pricing is that your monthly cost heavily depends on your team size, with discounts for annual commitments. Features like Dolphin Imaging Plus or Dolphin 3D will influence your final quote.

From my cost analysis, this means your budget can adapt to your practice’s growth while maintaining predictability.

2. Value Assessment & ROI

Is this an investment or an expense?

Considering Dolphin Imaging’s comprehensive suite for specialized dental practices, their pricing reflects significant value in streamlining operations and enhancing patient care. For your practice, this means tangible ROI through improved efficiency, reduced manual tasks, and better diagnostic capabilities, saving time and money.

The result is your budget gets a robust solution that can genuinely transform how your team works day-to-day.

3. Budget Planning & Implementation

Anticipate full ownership costs.

Beyond the monthly subscription, you should factor in implementation costs, which average between $1,000 and $5,000, plus potential customization fees. What stood out is how optional customization can add $500 to $2,000, so you’ll want to clearly define your needs upfront.

So for your business size, you can expect an initial setup investment that supports tailoring the system to your specific workflow.

My Take: Dolphin Imaging pricing is designed for scalability and customization, making it suitable for specialty dental practices seeking a comprehensive, integrated solution where upfront planning can optimize long-term value.

The overall Dolphin Imaging pricing reflects customized value that adapts to your practice’s needs.

Dolphin Imaging Reviews

What do real customers actually think?

I’ve analyzed various Dolphin Imaging reviews to give you a balanced view of what users genuinely feel about this software, ensuring you get a clear picture.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users seem generally quite satisfied.

From my review analysis, Dolphin Imaging maintains a consistently positive sentiment, with many users expressing high satisfaction, especially regarding its comprehensive capabilities. What impressed me is how many highlight its ability to streamline operations and enhance practice efficiency.

This suggests you can expect a robust and dependable solution for your practice needs.

2. Common Praise Points

Users consistently love its imaging capabilities.

What I found in user feedback is a strong appreciation for Dolphin’s advanced 2D and 3D imaging, photo integration, and patient management features. Review-wise, its comprehensive nature stands out as a key benefit, simplifying various aspects of dental practice.

This means you’ll likely find its imaging and organizational tools highly effective for your daily workflow.

3. Frequent Complaints

Some users mention remote access struggles.

While overall positive, a common issue raised in reviews involves difficulties with remote image uploading when working from different locations. What stands out is how pricing structure concerns occasionally surface, with some users feeling “nickel and dimed” for additional costs.

These issues are worth considering but don’t seem to be deal-breakers for most users.

From my review analysis, Dolphin Imaging reviews consistently reflect high functionality with minor operational friction, making it a strong choice.

Best Dolphin Imaging Alternatives

Navigating the competitive software landscape?

Finding the best Dolphin Imaging alternatives means weighing various factors like pricing, features, and specific practice needs. The market offers strong contenders, each with unique advantages depending on your priorities.

1. DEXIS Imaging Suite

Prioritizing superior image quality and integration?

DEXIS Imaging Suite excels when your practice prioritizes top-tier image quality and extensive third-party software integrations. What I found comparing options is that DEXIS offers advanced imaging capabilities for diagnostic clarity, though it might present a steeper learning curve compared to Dolphin’s ease of use.

Choose this alternative if high-resolution imaging and seamless integration with existing systems are your absolute top concerns.

2. Curve Dental

Preferring a fully cloud-based solution?

Curve Dental makes more sense if you’re seeking a fully cloud-based practice management and imaging solution with lower upfront implementation costs. From my competitive analysis, Curve Dental provides a highly accessible cloud platform, though its monthly subscription fees are generally higher than Dolphin’s.

Consider this alternative when cloud accessibility and reduced initial setup expenses are more important than lower recurring costs.

3. Dentrix

Needing deeply integrated clinical charting?

Dentrix offers a more integrated approach for clinical charting alongside comprehensive practice management tools. Alternative-wise, your situation calls for Dentrix if deep clinical charting integration is crucial for your workflow, even if it entails potentially higher implementation costs compared to Dolphin Imaging.

You’ll want to consider Dentrix when a unified system for clinical charting and overall practice management is a priority.

4. Planmeca Romexis

Specializing solely in robust imaging platforms?

Planmeca Romexis is ideal if your primary need is a specialized, robust 2D and 3D imaging platform without extensive practice management features. What I found comparing options is that Planmeca provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment planning tools focused purely on imaging, unlike Dolphin’s broader suite.

Choose this alternative when imaging specialization is paramount, and you have separate practice management or simpler administrative needs.

The best Dolphin Imaging alternatives truly depend on your specific practice size, budget, and feature priorities. I recommend comparing features relevant to your daily operations.

Dolphin Imaging Setup

Is Dolphin Imaging setup a simple task?

A Dolphin Imaging review reveals its implementation is designed for user-friendliness, but integrating a comprehensive suite still requires careful planning and resources from your team.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

This isn’t just a software install.

Dolphin Imaging setup involves integrating comprehensive modules into existing workflows, requiring dedicated effort for proper setup and full functionality. What I found about deployment is that on-site training by certified consultants is key to ensuring the system properly integrates with your practice’s unique needs.

You’ll need to allocate staff time for initial configuration and to participate in the tailored training sessions.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Prepare for key infrastructure considerations.

Your practice will need compatible operating systems, powerful computers, and potentially multiple monitor setups. From my implementation analysis, Dolphin Imaging integrates tightly with existing digital X-ray units and CBCT systems, ensuring your imaging ecosystem works in harmony.

Plan for IT readiness, whether you’re using on-premise SQL servers or opting for their cloud sessions to avoid server maintenance.

3. Training & Change Management

Successful adoption hinges on proactive user education.

Users will navigate a learning curve with new imaging, diagnostic, and patient management workflows, requiring comprehensive training. From my analysis, Dolphin’s extensive webinars and archive support ongoing learning, helping your team master features and avoid common issues.

Invest in dedicated training time for your staff to ensure they fully leverage the software’s capabilities and embrace new processes.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor support can make or break your rollout.

Dolphin Imaging prides itself on highly responsive technical support, experienced in integrating complex dental technologies into practices. From my implementation analysis, excellent support ensures issues are resolved quickly, minimizing downtime and frustration during the crucial initial phases.

Prioritize clear communication with their support team and leverage their expertise to smooth out any bumps during your implementation journey.

Overall, Dolphin Imaging setup requires a thoughtful approach and good planning but offers significant benefits to specialty dental practices once fully deployed.

Bottom Line

Should your specialty dental practice choose Dolphin?

My Dolphin Imaging review reveals a powerful, integrated solution ideal for specialty dental practices that prioritize advanced imaging and efficient patient management.

1. Who This Works Best For

Specialty dental practices needing advanced imaging.

Dolphin Imaging is perfectly suited for orthodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and pediatric dentists who rely heavily on 2D and 3D diagnostics. What I found about target users is that practices prioritizing advanced imaging and diagnostics will find immense value in its specialized tools for treatment planning and case presentation.

You’ll succeed with Dolphin if your practice requires comprehensive imaging, streamlined patient flow, and integrated solutions across multiple locations.

2. Overall Strengths

Unmatched imaging capabilities set this apart.

The software succeeds by offering robust 2D and 3D imaging, powerful practice management, and engaging patient education tools like Aquarium. From my comprehensive analysis, its integrated all-in-one platform simplifies operations by consolidating various practice needs into a single, cohesive system, enhancing overall efficiency.

These strengths translate directly into improved diagnostic accuracy, better patient communication, and streamlined operational workflows.

3. Key Limitations

Remote access and potential hidden costs.

Some users report challenges with remote image uploads and concerns about the pricing structure, suggesting potential “nickel and diming.” Based on this review, remote users might face slower image processing when not directly connected, which could impact productivity in multi-location or hybrid setups.

While these limitations exist, they often appear manageable trade-offs for the software’s comprehensive capabilities, especially for its target audience.

4. Final Recommendation

Dolphin Imaging is highly recommended for specialists.

You should choose this software if your specialty dental practice seeks a comprehensive, integrated solution for advanced imaging, practice management, and patient education. From my analysis, your success depends on leveraging its specialized features for diagnostic precision and efficient patient care rather than basic general dentistry needs.

My confidence level is high for specialty practices prioritizing advanced imaging, but drops for general dentistry practices with minimal advanced imaging needs.

Through this Dolphin Imaging review, I’ve shown strong value for specialized dental practices while also highlighting important considerations for deployment and pricing.